Naked and Semi Dressed Cakes

The "naked" wedding cake trend has been around now for a few years and it is increasing in popularity, at least in my area.  So some of you may be asking what is a naked cake?  It is called naked because it is un-iced.  There is usually some type of buttercream or filling between the cake layers but the top and sides remain un-iced.  Most of the time, the cake is decorated with fresh flowers, fruit, or both.

I actually like these cakes because I think they are lighter and less sweet.  One thing to keep in mind is that icing also serves to help keep the cake from drying out.  One thing I like to do when making these cakes is brush the layers and tops with a gelatin-sugar mixture that helps seal the cake and keep it from drying out so fast.

There are many variations of the naked cake.  It can be simply a naked cake with

a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  This one only has buttercream frosting between the cake layers and it does not extend onto the sides of the cake layers.

Another way to make a naked cake is to apply a kind of spackle effect.  On this one, I piped extra icing in between the layers and then used my bench scraper to swipe the excess onto the sides of the cake.











You may notice on the cake above, I piped a scalloped pattern of buttercream on the very top.









Finally, there is a semi-dressed or semi-naked cake.  On this cake, the sides are

left unfrosted, but a design is piped on.


















These naked cake designs work especially well for a rustic-themed wedding.  If you are getting married in the northwest MS area and like the look of these naked and semi-naked cakes, I would be happy to discuss the options with you.