Simple Wedding Cake Ideas With Fondant and Buttercream (or Naked!)

If you’re going simple with bare layers of cake or a thin coat of frosting, jazz things up with a unique topper. Pictures can be taken with or without the topper and it doubles as a keepsake that can be reused on anniversaries.

Many couples are choosing to serve a spread of different desserts and getting a small cake made for just the two of them. You can still partake in the cake cutting tradition, but this budget-friendly idea means you can splurge on fancy flavors you may not have been able to afford for a three- or four-tier wedding cake.

Naked cakes aren’t going anywhere, but the trend now is adding just a little more frosting to the mix. Covering the naked layers of cake with a barely there veil of frosting has the same effect as a naked cake, but the extra frosting layer keeps the tiers from drying out too quickly.  

If your wedding décor has some kind of pattern or design element, like watercolors or graphic prints, your wedding cake can still coordinate without being totally taken over. A single accent tier ties it together with the décor, but it won’t overshadow the overall elegant look of the cake.  

A bare, monochrome cake can make a statement with something as simple as alternating the shapes of the tiers. A square base tier, hexagonal middle tier and circular top tier will give a more modern vibe, while a slender stack of mismatched tiers will lend itself better to a whimsical or romantic atmosphere.

Don’t let the word “color” intimidate you. Adding a hint of a hue can be as subtle and simple as you want, like a pastel ombré design or coloring a few bands of fondant that can be wrapped around the base of the tiers.

Want something completely smoothed out? Fondant is the way to go. It provides a flawless finish and it holds up well in all conditions, so the summer heat won’t melt or droop any pretty appliqués. Fondant also acts as a canvas—designs, like watercolor, can even be painted on.

If you’re going the buttercream route, there are plenty of ways the frosting can be sculpted and shaped into a simple but beautiful design. A smooth layer of buttercream can be accented with piping designs like Swiss dots or rosettes, or a texturing technique can be applied to a whole tier for a sophisticated look.