The Wedding Cake Design Process: From First Ideas to a Finished Winter Wedding Cake
- Lydia Kraitman
- Feb 7
- 4 min read
February 7th 2026
Some weddings stay with you longer than others.
This one really did.
Harry is an old university friend. One of those people who has known you through questionable hair, worse style choices, and the years where you thought a bottle of wine counted as dinner. So when Harry and Suzy asked me to design their wedding cake, it felt personal in the best possible way. A privilege. And also mildly terrifying, in the way that only baking for people who really know you can be.
Their wedding took place on 1 November, with a ceremony at Fitzrovia Chapel and a reception at The NoMad Hotel in London. A winter wedding. Candlelight. Dark, moody interiors. Cocktails. Pearls. Black tie and Great Gatsby energy, without anyone fully committing to a feathered headpiece.
This post walks through the wedding cake design process, from those very first ideas through to the finished cake on the day.
Originally, the plan was cake and a dessert table. But venues get the final say, and The NoMad wasn’t able to accommodate a dessert table. So we pivoted. A cutting cake, paired with pre-portioned slices, served with cocktails before the dancing began. One of my favourite solutions, as it turns out.
Starting with a feeling, not a fixed plan
Suzy and Harry had a very clear vision for their wedding overall, but the cake itself was refreshingly open-ended. The words that kept coming up were Great Gatsby and pearls. They shared images of the venue, their flowers, inspiration for her dress, and the colour palette. No non-negotiables. Nothing they absolutely didn’t want. Just trust, which I never take lightly.
After our first chat, I put together an inspiration board with different cake designs, textures, floral elements, and finishes. From there, a direction started to form. Pearls. Sugar flowers. A floating tier. Something elegant, but with a bit of drama.
I then sketched four initial designs in different colourways. Same idea, different moods. They chose their favourite, and that became our starting point.
Letting the design evolve
The very first version of the cake was navy blue. Beautiful on paper. But once we really considered the venue, it became clear it might disappear into an already dark, atmospheric space. No one wants a cake that politely blends into the background.
So we adjusted.
The base became lighter. Texture was added. Gold leaf came into play to catch the light and echo the interior details of Fitzrovia Chapel. Sugar pearls became more generous and playful. Berries were added later, bringing depth and softness, and tying in beautifully with the wedding flowers.
This part of the wedding cake design process is often where everything starts to click, once the venue, florals, and overall atmosphere come together.
In total, I shared five variations as the design evolved. With and without pearls. With and without texture. Different tones. Different balances. This stage matters more than people realise. You do not need to know exactly what your cake will look like at the beginning. Sometimes it only reveals itself once the rest of the wedding starts to settle.
They loved the final design. Which is always the goal.
Flavours, allergens, and why pre-portioned slices help everyone
The tasting took place six months before the wedding. They tried all twelve flavours in one of my tasting boxes. Their final choices changed roughly three times, which is completely normal, and were only fully locked in about six weeks before the day.
Originally, they planned to rule out nuts due to allergy concerns. But once we moved to pre-portioned slices, everything changed. Because slices are prepared separately, we were able to offer both nut-free and nut-containing flavours, while keeping cross-contamination carefully controlled.
In the end, they chose chocolate fudge, blueberry white chocolate and lavender, and carrot apple and hazelnut.
The chocolate and carrot felt seasonal and comforting. The blueberry was something a bit unexpected and fun.
This is one of the biggest advantages of a cutting cake with pre-portioned slices. More flexibility. More flavour choice. Fewer compromises.
The final cake
The cutting cake itself was three tiers, with a floating tier in the middle. An eight inch base, a six inch middle, and a four inch top tier. The finish was clean and elegant, with texture on the base tier, sugar flowers cascading across the cake, sugar pearl chains, gold leaf, and sugar berries woven through the design.
The pre-portioned slices were finished with Swiss meringue buttercream to match.
One discreet but very important detail was added to the back of the cake. Their initials, in gold, marking where the real cake insert was hidden. A small thing. Extremely useful. Especially after a cocktail or two.
On the day
The cake was set up by the bar, framed by a beautiful staircase. The venue had a designated wedding area, and setup was smooth. There was a brief moment of panic when it turned out a cake stand was needed last minute. Luckily, I always have stands available to rent, because experience has taught me that something like this will always happen eventually.
When it came time to serve the cake, the staff walked the bar with plated slices while the main room was transformed from dinner to dancing. Guests ate cake with cocktails. Honestly, I cannot recommend this enough.
Looking back
This cake changed a lot from its first sketch. And that is exactly why it works.
It is a perfect example of how the wedding cake design process can evolve into something far more personal than a fixed plan. How venue, flowers, season, and practical considerations can all shape a better final result. It also shows how cutting cakes can solve allergen concerns, simplify logistics, and still feel thoughtful and intentional.
And personally, it meant a great deal to be part of this one. To make something beautiful for friends. To be trusted. To watch it all come together in such a stunning space.
If there is one thing I hope couples take from this, it is this. You do not need to have a fully formed plan for your cake at the start. You just need to be open to the process. And ideally, willing to trust someone who gets a little too excited about pearls and floating tiers.
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