A sparkling snowflake wedding cake brings a magical touch to a beautiful winter wedding. The exquisite snowflake wedding cake above is by cake designer Makiko Searle of Maki’s Cakes and subtly incorporates a very pale blue icing as a backdrop for a pristine white snowflake cascade.
The key to creating the perfect snowflake wedding cake is to make the snowflakes really stand out, by increasing the size of the snowflakes and using a variety of snowflake shapes and designs. Nothing lets a snowflake cake down more than each and every snowflake being cut from the exact same cutter! Aside from sugarcraft cutters, there is also a great selection of cookie cutters in snowflake shapes on the market which are bigger in size and available in different shapes. (You’ll find a selection here: Snowflake Cutters.)
As with Maki’s cake design, the two wedding cakes above also feature super-sized snowflakes in lots of different shapes. The superb cake above left is by the legendary cake designer Sylvia Weinstock (as featured in InStyle Magazine). As well as using gumpaste snowflakes, Sylvia very cleverly created a wonderfully snowy effect using three different textures – gumpaste snowflakes, piped-on snowflakes and embossed snowflakes for a stunning 3D effect.
You’ll find a tutorial here to teach you how to pipe snowflakes, as well as a selection of Snowflake Stencils and tools for Snowflake Embossing
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To the right of Sylvia Weinstock’s cake above is a design by Cake Central contributor, Sugarrush 74, which is another perfect example of a stand-out snowflake wedding cake.
Below left we have a beautiful single tier snowflake cake from Southern Living Magazine.
And Style Me Pretty has featured the cake design below right, a Scandinavian influenced wedding cake with rows of snowflake motifs arranged in a fair-isle pattern for an unusual take on the snowflake theme.
Another fantastic way to bring some winter sparkle to your snowflake cake design is to use a silver and white colour palette. Again, it gives the snowflakes greater prominence in the cake design, especially for photos. (For tips and techniques on creating metallic finishes, see our features on Metallic Gold Cakes and Silver Anniversary and Wedding Cakes.)
We have two beautiful examples below – on the right from Zoe Clark of The Cake Parlour, and the image on the left, from acclaimed wedding photographers Sal & Bella. Zoe Clarke provides full instructions on how to make this silver snowflake cake in her book: Chic & Unique Celebration Cakes
Below right, IncrEdible Endings have used a star tip to pipe hanging icicles in buttercream for an extra textured effect on their beautiful snowflake cake.
Zoe Clark’s feathered design (below left) shows what a versatile medium wafer paper is – its feather light, stiffened qualities superb for creating frozen effects for winter cake designs.
Cat Collins of The Cake Whisperer uses snowflake cut-outs beautifully tucked between sprays of winter blooms and foliage in her chic and elegant winter wedding cake designs below.
The fantastic winter wedding cake below by Rachel Teufel of Intricate Icings was designed around a snowflake theme and inspired by the fabulous Jenny Packham wedding gown below right. (Cake photo by Revert Photo).
(Rachel also has an excellent class available on Craftsy which teaches how to incorporate wedding dress details into a sophisticated cake design. You can find more details here: Rachael Teufel- Cake Design Made Simple: The Wedding Dress )
To take your vintage and snowflake themes to the max, you could also consider incorporating vintage snowflake brooches in your cake design, as Scrumdiddly UK have done with their sparkling design below.
Snowflake brooches add a simple seasonal touch to the on-trend designs below – a silver metallic cake design from Sweet Bea’s (below left) and a textured frilled design from Fantasy Frostings (below right).
Extra details can be added to the snowflake cut-outs by using the ends of your piping tips to cut out tiny circles/ovals for a more lacy, intricate snowflake design.
You’ll find a fondant/gumpaste snowflake tutorial here from Jacque Wainwright of Cake & Cupcakes TV showing you how. Plus, Wedding Cakes For You have a beautiful royal icing snowflakes tutorial here.
Isomalt is also a great medium to make snowflakes, using moulds instead of cutters, and adds a truly “frozen” look with a great example below right from Lindy Smith. (For more on working with isomalt, see our earlier feature on jewelled wedding cakes.)
The ancient art of quilling has become a popular new trend in cake decorating with a beautiful curled snowflake pattern (above left) enhanced with tiny pearls (image via Pinterest). (See our previous feature on Quilled Cake Designs here.)
Catherine Beddall of Catherine’s Cakery, Ottawa has created the superb quilled snowflake design (below) against a soft aqua iced backdrop, accented with delicate piping around the edges for a beautiful winter cake design.
You’ll find a basic quilled snowflake tutorial (no longer available0 here from Wilton.
A spectacular single over-sized snowflake crafted from wafer paper adorns the wonderful winter cake (below left) by Tanya Halas of Cake Heart Custom Cakes & Cookies (inspired by the papercraft of Little Miss Halas Junior).
On the right, cookie cutter-sized snowflakes add a showy yet simple decoration to this all-white cake from Southern Living.
For more winter wedding cake ideas, see our earlier features: Jewelled & Beaded Winter Wedding Cakes, Winter Wedding Cake Trends, Rustic Winter Wedding Cakes, Winter Berry Cakes, Winter Woodland Wedding Cakes, Stag’s Head & Deer Cakes, Bas Relief Cake Decorating and Novelty Winter Wedding Cakes.
And for more on seasonal cakes, see our features: Chic Christmas Cake Decorating, Novelty Christmas Cakes, Christmas Desserts & Treats , How to Make A Gingerbread House, Classic Christmas Cake Decorating, Novelty Christmas Cakes for Kids, Gingerbread Houses, Christmas in Pastels and New Year’s Eve Cakes.
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