Beach Themed Wedding Cakes
Often used at destination weddings or unions in tropical locales, beach theme wedding cakes are a unique way to celebrate natural beauty and break with tradition. They don't often require decorations that are too elaborate, so they are affordable for many couples, and they fit well with almost all wedding color and decoration themes.
Beach Theme Wedding Cakes
The most common beach theme wedding cakes incorporate shells or waves, but there are plenty of other ways to call the setting to mind. Consider asking a decorator to work up a design that includes coral, seaweed, sand, or pretty beach creatures.
Coral
Coral is one of the most beautiful ocean features and is seldom used in cakes. That's unfortunate because its intricate designs, vibrant colors, and natural beauty make it a phenomenal choice for a special occasion dessert. Many engaged couples skip coral when thinking about how to present a cake with a beach theme because they may not realize that coral comes in an incredible variety of patterns and shapes. Although an initial thought from brides and grooms is that a cake would look strange when studded with buttercream coral formations, coral is actually a fantastic fit due to the lovely, understated designs that pair well with flowers and more traditional wedding cake decorations.
Seaweed
Seaweed does not scream "elegant" and "classy" to most people, and it certainly isn't a conventional decoration choice for a wedding cake. However, a skilled decorator can make soft green icing wisps and curves look lovely on any cake, especially against a stark white buttercream background. The design choice is especially appropriate for a spring wedding or a celebration that uses any shade of green as part of its color scheme.
Check out a few pictures of different types of seaweed to get ideas for how your finished cake could look. Bring your favorites to a decorator, and consider fleshing out the beach theme further by adding starfish or shells made with royal icing or gum paste to your cake.
Sand
Nothing illustrates a beach theme better than sand. Although no guest wants to feast on a grainy, rough slice of wedding cake, brides and grooms don't have to worry about that because the majority of "sand cakes" are light, moist, and flavorful. Professional cake decorators can call upon a variety of choices to create the illusion of a cake covered with sand. Finely ground and tinted granulated sugar is one option, along with finely crumbled sugar cookies or shortbread. Crushed amaretti cookies, ginger cookies, or sweet graham crackers intensify the texture variations within the cake and can enhance simple flavors like vanilla and almond.
Beach Creatures
The typical engaged couple doesn't want a fondant dolphin leaping over the top of their cake or a jagged crab crawling along its edges. However, there's a wide variety of more subdued marine life forms that can add unique touches to a cake without making it look tacky. Starfish, seahorses, and sand dollars are three classic examples. A cake clothed in soft waves of light blue buttercream or tiers of smooth, pastel green fondant highlight their relatively bare-bones, skeletal looks and make for a magnificent presentation.
If you do choose a cake that features some form of marine life, make sure to pick a decorator who is up to snuff, because the detail work involved can be significant and is easy to botch.
While beach theme wedding cakes aren't for everyone, they're usually a huge hit with guests and a fun and interesting way to spice up any reception. Be creative when thinking about designs, and enjoy the process.
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