By Sharmila Chand 
Have you ever tasted a pink rose, a shy lotus, or a paisley leaf? No not by plucking in the garden but straight from the wedding cake? You are attending a wedding and the dessert table set with a masterpiece cake, catches your eye. Look carefully and you will see how beautifully this masterpiece is coordinated with couple’s wedding ensemble. Needless to say, the wedding decor too is woven in the same theme. And that’s the raging trend – a beautiful synergy between the wedding decor, couple’s attire and unique styled wedding cakes that reflect their love stories.
Hot Trends
The top 2025 wedding cake trends offer a mix of traditional and contemporary. The good news is that the Millennials are embracing sustainable concept as well in their scheme as the wedding cakes are more about their personal expression than just tradition, marked with bold intricate designs, unique shapes, and quirky designs.
Design & Look
Grand and Tiered: While personalized elements are a key focus; grand, multi-tiered cakes remain popular, reflecting the scale and celebratory nature of Indian weddings. These not only serve as stunning centrepieces but also create a visual drama, enhancing the celebration grandeur.
Intricate Detailing: There’s a significant trend towards intricate handcrafted details. “At Citrine, the in-house bakery of Radisson Blu Pune Kharadi, chefs are busy weaving patterns with delicate sugar flowers inspired by blooms like roses, and lotuses, elaborate piping work i.e. ‘jali’ patterns, paisley designs, and hand-painted motifs that echo the couple’s attire or wedding décor towards intricate handcrafted details,” reveals Pankaj Saxena, Area General Manager, West India, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia and General Manager Radisson Blu Pune Kharadi.
Textured Surfaces: Beyond smooth fondant, there is a rise in textured finishes like buttercream ruffles, palette knife strokes, and even textured fondant to add visual and tactile interest.
Metallic Accents: Gold and rose gold are incredibly popular, adding a touch of luxury and opulence. These are incorporated through edible paint, dust, or even delicate gold leaf.
Messy Look
Chef Bhaskar Chakraborty – Executive Pastry Chef, JW Marriott Kolkata talks about curating personalized theme cakes on Cinderella, Castle and more such themes. He further talks about an interesting new trend i.e. ‘Magic Mess’, very popular nowadays. It is a quirky fine mess placed on top of the cake. The guest generally puts fire on it, and when it burns, the mess disappears and the cakes come out.”
Pastels with Gold or Silver
For elegant and contemporary look, there is a growing trend towards soft pastel shades like blush pink, powder blue, and mint green, combined with subtle gold or silver detailing. “Keeping abreast with latest trends, our team at Le Reve – Pastry Shop, has made various types of wedding cakes from floral, white and gold to shades of red, pink and many more. Very recently, we made 3 tier white wedding cake with white roses,” tells Chef Abhishek Gupta, Executive Chef, The Leela Ambience Gurugram.
Sustainability
Chef Anurag Bainola, Executive Chef, La Estoria, IHCL SeleQtions, Goa says, “Today’s generation is aggressively marching towards embracing sustainability concept which is evident in the design, colour, pattern and story that they are inspired by. Recently, we prepared a customized cake for an intimate wedding which was adorned by edible flowers, in sage, olive and off-white tone. Simple yet classic for a grounded feel.” (picture attached)
Story unfolds in Personalized Wedding Cakes
Today, wedding cakes are not just customary desserts; rather they are bold statements that showcase the couple’s personality and the thought behind their special day. Pankaj Saxena agrees when he points out, “At Citrine, our pastry chefs take pride in creating bespoke wedding cakes that are as unique and tell a tale. For example, they crafted ‘The Royal Paisley’ – A grand five-tiered cake adorned with hand-piped intricate paisley designs in rich gold on a deep maroon fondant. Each tier featured a different flavour requested by the couple e.g., saffron pistachio, rose cardamom, and chocolate ganache. The top tier showcased a custom-made sugar sculpture of the couple’s initials intertwined within a paisley motif.”
He further adds, “Also our chefs took great pride in crafting ‘The Mandap Canopy’ – A four-tiered square cake designed to mimic the structure and colours of the wedding mandap. The tiers were draped in fondant in the wedding’s colour scheme – cream and gold, with delicate sugar garlands and edible beads cascading down. The top featured a miniature sugar representation of the couple during their wedding ceremony.”
“How about The Modern Marigold: A contemporary three-tiered cake with textured buttercream in vibrant shades of orange and yellow, reminiscent of marigold garlands. Each tier had a different geometric shape, and the cake was adorned with stylized sugar marigolds and edible gold accents. The flavours were a modern twist on Indian desserts (e.g., mango lassi, gulab jamun),” adds Saxena.
Artisanal Cakes
There is also a clear trend towards smaller, personalised Artisanal Cakes. While the multi-tiered showstopper remains significant, many couples are opting for a smaller, more intimately designed cake for the actual cutting ceremony or as part of a curated dessert table. This trend reflects a shift towards valuing quality, unique design, and personal expression alongside the grandeur. Smaller artisanal cakes allow for more intricate detailing, focus on specific flavour profiles, and can be tailored very closely to the couple’s individual story or interests. They also offer a more sustainable option, reducing potential food waste.
‘The Storyteller Cake’: A beautifully decorated two-tiered cake where each tier visually represented a significant aspect of the couple’s relationship – perhaps a hand-painted scene of where they met or sugar flowers matching the bouquet from their proposal. The flavours would be their personal favourites.
‘The Minimalist Monogram’: A single-tiered elegant cake with a focus on clean lines and a sophisticated texture. The personalization would come through a beautifully crafted sugar or metallic monogram of their initials and a subtle flavour infusion that holds special meaning for them.
‘The Destination Delight’: A small, intricately decorated cake reflecting the theme or a specific element of their honeymoon destination. For example, a cake with tropical sugar flowers if they are going to Bali or a cake with a Parisian-inspired design if they are heading to France.
‘The Favors Cake’: Instead of traditional favours, couples might opt for several beautifully packaged single-serving artisanal cakes with different flavours and designs, each acting as a personalized takeaway for their guests.
Chef Anurag Bainola adds, “Smaller cakes allow for flavour depth, custom details, and storytelling — things mass-produced cakes just can’t offer. Smaller cakes allow for multiple variations so you don’t need to settle on one flavour for 100 guests. With a strong story to narrate and not playing safe with plain vanilla, we see our guests going for flavours like – Lemon thyme + blueberry compote, Pistachio cardamom with rose buttercream, Black sesame with yuzu curd, Masala chai with brown sugar glaze.”
Flavours of Fusion
Offbeat Ingredients are being explored by the bakers to add unique flavours and textures. Indian
- Spices Infusions – Infusing cake batters and creams with subtle notes of saffron, cardamom, ginger, and even a hint of star anise for a warm and aromatic touch.
- Local and Seasonal Fruits beyond the usual mango, like figs, guavas, and even jackfruit (in a subtle, processed form), adds a unique local flavour
- Likewise, out of staple nuts and seeds, chefs are exploring the use of roasted cashews in praline form, candied lotus seeds (makhana) for a crunchy element, and even incorporating the subtle nuttiness of charoli seeds.
- Another hot trend is Indian Sweets Inspired Flavors: inspired by classic Indian desserts, such as a rasmalai-flavoured cake with a milky saffron soak or a gulab jamun-flavoured cake with a rose syrup reduction.
Abhishek Gupta, Executive Chef, The Leela Ambience Gurugram says, “Now a days offbeat ingredients are being used raspberry with dark chocolate, saffron white chocolate ganache with pistachio cake, lavender white chocolate ganache, elderflower lemon cream, pan with salted caramel which are a match with Indian and European palates.”
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