87 years of expert advice and inspiration, for every couple. Please enter a valid email address. Gabriella Rello is a wedding-obsessed writer and editor white chocolate drip cake worked at Brides for four years, covering everything from wedding photography to wedding cakes.
She is currently the deputy digital editor for Martha Stewart Weddings. The old saying, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” certainly applies to the naked wedding cake trend. Naked cakes rose to popularity in 2013 as more bakers began to offer these creative confections. Most of our clients choose a naked or semi-naked design simply because they love the look and it fits the rustic or sometimes industrial theme of their venue and wedding reception,” says Ashley Lattier of Ashley Cakes. Ashley Lattier is the owner of Ashley Cakes, a boutique wedding cake studio based in North Carolina.
But matching your wedding style isn’t the only benefit to this cake design. According to Lattier, it may also be the perfect option for those who aren’t huge fans of sweets or the couple looking to cut down on overall cake costs. We have had clients go with this style because they may not have a big sweet tooth, and obviously with this style of cake, there is less icing,” says Lattier. One con to keep in mind when it comes to naked wedding cakes is the potential for the cake layers to dry out before serving. Ready for some major naked cake inspiration? Here are 35 of our favorites.
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This unfrosted cake is dripping with a chocolate glaze and dotted with lush pink flowers and figs. It would be such a lovely addition to a late summer wedding—the perfect cake for the couple wanting something completely out of the ordinary. This naked cake with fluffy white filling is topped with a bundle of pink-hued blooms and rosy-red strawberries. This is such a gorgeous option for a low-key outdoor wedding.
Snag this concept and swap out the florals and fruits to fit any season. According to Lattier, one of the best ways to design a naked cake for a wedding is to view the cake as a blank canvas. There are so many ways to tailor the finished cake to each individual clients’ wedding style,” she says. One way we like to do this is by playing with the color palette or arrangement of the florals. This classic-yet-rustic cake comes lightly frosted with white buttercream and garnished with fresh flowers and succulents. This cake style is perfect for the couple wanting to stray from tradition.
The rustic hazelnut cake is filled with mascarpone cream and blackberries throughout the layers, with additional berries and greenery to top it off. What a way to make a statement with fresh fruit! A fun idea that we have done is to substitute fresh fruit instead of flowers for a summer wedding,” says Lattier. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries add so much color, and make the cake look extra fresh and delicious! A naked chocolate cake fit with berries and figs is perfect for a whimsical, woodland wedding.
We love the simplicity of this chocolate confection, complete with the sweetest cake topper. This pink ombré confection is a subtle way to use the trend, and it has a more classic feel thanks to the pink tulips that are bunched on top. This would be the perfect addition to a late-spring wedding, or a garden-inspired soirée. You could even mix up the ombré color to match any palette. Adding a drizzle of caramel or chocolate is such a great way to make a semi-naked cake that much more irresistible. According to Lattier, this is a great style to put on display in an industrial venue with exposed brick, concrete, or wood beams. I find the unfinished and exposed texture of the semi-naked style to fit them perfectly,” she says.
While naked cakes omit frosting, don’t be afraid to bring other components into the mix to add flavor and moisture. This three-tier vanilla cake with fresh flowers and delicious buttercream is a showstopper that’s ready to be put on full display at a preppy, nautical wedding. We can’t get over the way the separation of the tiers truly makes a statement. This semi-naked three-tier wedding cake is adorned with wildflower-like blooms that make it look ready for an island destination wedding.
We love the simplicity of this look. The thin rows of piped frosting dress this naked cake up a bit. It’s gorgeous on the outside, but inside, this vanilla cake has alternating layers of rose-raspberry buttercream and salted caramel filling to make it all the more special. While naked cakes are typically found in more rustic settings, it’s absolutely possible to bring the look into a more elegant wedding.
This cake features just a hint of the naked look to give texture and contrast to the cake, paired with stunning purple blooms. Who says all of the tiers of your naked cake need to be the same? Changing the height or shapes of the individual tiers is another great way to change up the look,” says Lattier. This stunner utilizes a super tall bottom tier with a two-layer top tier to create contrast, paired with beautiful florals and greenery to pull together the look.
You can barely tell this naked cake is in the buff because of a gorgeous, big bouquet of roses and greenery on the side. Ditching the frosting that would normally be along the edges helps the flowers really shine here, giving off a super romantic feel. This semi-naked wedding cake is dotted with white blooms and sprigs of greenery. With a natural feel all over, this naked cake could fit into any wedding theme. This three-tier, 12-layer vanilla cake with buttercream filling is topped with roses, greenery, and fresh strawberries. This sweet and simple design with plenty of height just screams summer.