Wedding Cakes & Food Forum

Cake question

I would love the opinion of you all on this, I really can't decide on my own. We are having  black tie wedding (yes, a true black tie, all the bells and whistles) in an upscale mountain lodge. There is nothing "rustic" about it, except for the fact that it is being hosted at a lodge. My Fiance and I love the look of a "nearly naked" cake (see below), decorated with fresh flowers and maybe figs (our colors are blush and burgundy). Part of me feels like this may be too casual for black tie. We just love the simplicity of it, and aren't really into the overly frosted, decorated, fondant thing. 
So the question is, do you think, styled correctly, it is formal enough?


La Tavola Fine Linen Rental: Venice Lace White | Planning & Design: Jill & Co. Events, Photography: Kristen Beinke Photography, Floral & Design: Camellia Foral Design



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Re: Cake question

  • I actually really love the look of that cake, so I would say go for it. I'm assuming when you say styled differently you're meaning to your theme (if u have one)/colours. 
  • esstee33esstee33 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    edited July 2015
    Naked cakes definitely don't make me think "formal," but dressed up enough it might work. My main concern would be that it will look totally out of place if nothing else about your wedding is "rustic." 

    That said, this looks pretty nice: 
    image

    I think the smoothed sides make the difference for me -- it looks much more elegant than the filling bubbling and drooling out all over the place. I think darker cake colors look better, too. 
  • I love naked cakes. We also got married at an upscale mountain resort (rated one of the best in the country) and I asked them to make me a naked cake. However, the cake freaking toppled over onto the floor right before we entered the dining room. So, yeah. 
  • The one you posted is the nicest looking naked cake I've ever seen. Whenever I've seen naked cakes IRL, they don't end up looking like that.... I think it's a gamble, honestly. 

    What if you did a formal wedding cake and then did a naked groom's cake? 
    *********************************************************************************

    image
  • I love naked cakes. We also got married at an upscale mountain resort (rated one of the best in the country) and I asked them to make me a naked cake. However, the cake freaking toppled over onto the floor right before we entered the dining room. So, yeah. 

    Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Where was your wedding, if you don't mind me asking, we are at The Whiteface Lodge. (Just curious if we may be using the same baker)




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  • Semi Naked Ganached Wedding Cake - Rustic meets glam with semi naked gold flecked ganache, peonies, succulents and blackberries.
    What if we add gold? ( that is my answer to most things btw, add gold)


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  • I love naked cakes. We also got married at an upscale mountain resort (rated one of the best in the country) and I asked them to make me a naked cake. However, the cake freaking toppled over onto the floor right before we entered the dining room. So, yeah. 

    Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Where was your wedding, if you don't mind me asking, we are at The Whiteface Lodge. (Just curious if we may be using the same baker)


    @FrenchHouseCat We got married at Mohonk Mountain House. This was the picture I gave them and they assured me they could do it. 
    It came out looking very different and much larger. My photog got a few pics before it collapsed. 

  • Honestly - I'm NAF of the whole naked cake fad.  While you may not like frosting (because you haven't tried enough variations to find one you love), it's better than dried out cake.  I have to go "Kerry Vincent" on this one - it looks like someone didn't budget their time/money wisely and the decorator entirely lacks skill when I see them. 

    Editorial aside...  For black tie this cake is fine if your heart is set on it, for white tie, no. 

  • MesmrEwe said:

    Honestly - I'm NAF of the whole naked cake fad.  While you may not like frosting (because you haven't tried enough variations to find one you love), it's better than dried out cake.  I have to go "Kerry Vincent" on this one - it looks like someone didn't budget their time/money wisely and the decorator entirely lacks skill when I see them. 

    Editorial aside...  For black tie this cake is fine if your heart is set on it, for white tie, no. 

    I personally didn't pick a naked cake because I'm not a fan of frosting. And our cake wasn't at all dried out. 
  • MesmrEwe said:

    Honestly - I'm NAF of the whole naked cake fad.  While you may not like frosting (because you haven't tried enough variations to find one you love), it's better than dried out cake.  I have to go "Kerry Vincent" on this one - it looks like someone didn't budget their time/money wisely and the decorator entirely lacks skill when I see them. 

    Editorial aside...  For black tie this cake is fine if your heart is set on it, for white tie, no. 

    I personally didn't pick a naked cake because I'm not a fan of frosting. And our cake wasn't at all dried out. 
    Yes to be clear, I love frosting. Like an unhealthy love. When I see these pics of naked cakes, I def don't think "wow that person was obviously rushed and cheap", but thats fine. 
    What I meant was I don't really want an overly decorated cake that looks like a work of art but doesn't taste good. Fondant is not delicious. I posted a pic above, and have found some more examples of semi naked cakes have been embellished with gold. I think we are going to go that route. 


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  • MesmrEwe said:

    Honestly - I'm NAF of the whole naked cake fad.  While you may not like frosting (because you haven't tried enough variations to find one you love), it's better than dried out cake.  I have to go "Kerry Vincent" on this one - it looks like someone didn't budget their time/money wisely and the decorator entirely lacks skill when I see them. 

    Editorial aside...  For black tie this cake is fine if your heart is set on it, for white tie, no. 

    also this is a bit condescending. 


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  • jacques27jacques27 member
    First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited May 2015
    Personally, I'm not a fan.  If it floats your boat, go for it.  I just think it looks sort of unfinished.  Not even in a "rushed" way - more in a IDGAF kind of way.  Like deciding to paint your house and only bothering with primer and then just saying "Eh...good enough."  It definitely doesn't strike me as black tie.
    image

    See also:  http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2013/6/21/the-emperors-new-cakes.html

    Meanwhile, talented decorators can get buttercream smooth without resorting to fondant.
    http://sweetcakesbyrebecca.blogspot.ca/2012/07/buttercream-rose-wedding-cake.html
    http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2015/3/29/sunday-sweets-fun-and-fondant-free.html

  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its

    I love icing myself, but I can see the appeal of a naked cake...if it's done well.  I think the problem is that all too often, the outer frosting is what holds the tiers and decorations together, and without it, the layers skid and the decorations fall off.

    So I'd probably default to an iced cake, but I don't see why you couldn't have a smaller naked cake without so many tiers.

  • Jen4948 said:

    I love icing myself, but I can see the appeal of a naked cake...if it's done well.  I think the problem is that all too often, the outer frosting is what holds the tiers and decorations together, and without it, the layers skid and the decorations fall off.

    So I'd probably default to an iced cake, but I don't see why you couldn't have a smaller naked cake without so many tiers.

    I feel the same way, I feel like after 6 hours at room temp its going to collapse on itself. We are doing a gold and white frosted cake now. Thanks everyone for their input, I didn't think about structural integrity with this kind of cake at all, but it seems very obvious now lol. 


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  • MesmrEwe said:

    Honestly - I'm NAF of the whole naked cake fad.  While you may not like frosting (because you haven't tried enough variations to find one you love), it's better than dried out cake.  I have to go "Kerry Vincent" on this one - it looks like someone didn't budget their time/money wisely and the decorator entirely lacks skill when I see them. 

    Editorial aside...  For black tie this cake is fine if your heart is set on it, for white tie, no. 

    also this is a bit condescending. 
    Yes, because Mesmrewe has the magic ICU2 computer that enables her to see into people's lives and know these things. Obviously, personal preference has nothing to do with it. Don't like seafood? Only because you haven't tried enough kinds! Don't like broccoli? It's because you haven't eaten alllll the varieties! You don't know what you like! 

    I don't like frosting. Over the past fifty years, I have probably tried more varieties of frosting than some people have had hot dinners. Because I love cake, and I love baking. The only "frosting" I actually like is stabilized whip cream with mascarpone, or a chocolate ganache. Neither are really frosting. Despite this, I'm quite skilled with frosting, and my boiled frostings and butter creams are highly praised by frosting fans. I would rather chew sugar flavored cardboard than eat fondant. My dislike of frosting has fuck all to do with inexperience. The end. 

    I like naked cakes, though I don't like the trendy new name.

    "Naked" cakes are nothing new. If you look through cake recipes going back a century or more (and yes, I actually do) you'll see that many, many, many cakes are traditionally served without icing. Properly prepared and stored, there is no damned reason why a cake should be dry, unless the baker doesn't know what they're doing. An experienced and knowledgable baker should be able to construct a multi tiered dessert without the ubiquitous buttercream or fondant cement. Ask them if they've done it before. 
    I don't think these cakes look "unfinished." I think they look like a great damned dessert. 
    Yay. 
  • We were going to do a naked cake from Momofuku Milk Bar and ended up not for that exact reason -- whenever we compared it to the style and intended level of the formality of the wedding (which while not black tie is elegant), it just wasn't matching up. 

    I wouldn't say that I think they look "rustic" as much as untraditional, and (at least in my mind) black tie and untraditional don't really go together unless the rest of the wedding is as well. YMMV of course, but I know I wasn't really able to reconcile that to my liking.
  • Unfrosted cakes remind me of a time before weddings were an industry. Not less formal, just less assimilated into the wedding machine. That's half the appeal of a croquembouche, for me (the other half being that profiteroles are maybe my favorite thing ever), and IMO they have a similar look.
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