Black and White Wedding Cakes

Why Black and White?

Black and white are popular wedding colors for many reasons. They are suitable for both casual and formal affairs, they can be easily accented with any brighter shades, and wedding accessories and decorations are easy to find in both black and white. For a wedding cake, however, black and white shades present a beautiful contrast that creates an elegant centerpiece for the wedding festivities.

Cake Design Ideas

There are many ways to design black and white wedding cakes, and couples can easily create a design to match patterns and themes for their wedding. Options include:

Simple Ribbon Design

• Simple black accents, such as dots, swirls, swags, or ribbons on a white cake
• Simple white accents on black icing for a more dramatic cake
• Alternating black and white layers
• Plain white layers separated by black ribbons
• Elaborate accents such as lace patterns, monograms, scrollwork, black and white sugar flowers, or repeating shapes
• Inedible black or white accents like pearls, feathers, or satin ribbons
• Grayscale black and white pictures airbrushed onto the cake
• Different contrasting accents on each layer of the cake
• A pure white cake with black table decorations
• Wild shapes and patterns, such as zebra stripes or black and white flames
• A simple cake with one-half black icing and one-half white icing with an angled division
• Pure white icing on a rich dark chocolate cake for a black and white contrast between the interior and exterior
• Dark chocolate black icing over a white sponge cake for an interior and exterior contrast

Pictures of Black and White Cakes

There are so many options for black and white cake designs that the best way to choose a suitable design is to view different photos and galleries. The following websites all feature different black and white cakes that can serve as inspiration for any couple’s monochrome cake.

• Maisie Fantaisie
• Tracey’s Cakes
• Celebrate Cakes
• Our One Heart
• Budget Dream Weddings
• Wedding Cakes and Birthday Cakes
• Black and White Weddings on Squidoo
• Flickr – Marbled Cake
• Cake America

Calla Lily Accents

• Brides.com

Accenting Black and White Wedding Cakes

While black and white cakes may be starkly elegant in their own simple way, many couples prefer to add a simple burst of color to the cake design. Because the majority of the cake is black and white, a splash of color becomes a dramatic statement and a daring design variation. This can be used to coordinate with the other decorations, bridal party dresses, or wedding accent colors. Popular ways to add accent colors without destroying the beauty of a black and white cake include:

• Decorating the cake table with rose petals or other flowers in colorful hues.
• Using a colored wedding cake top.
• Adding very small, simple colored accents to the cake itself, such as small colored rosebuds or beads that blend in with the design pattern.

The key to accenting a black and white cake is to not go overboard with the color. Small, simple accents in only one or two colors can emphasize the black and white theme without detracting from it, but too much color will make the cake seem poorly coordinated because it also has too much black and white.

Warnings About Monochrome Cakes

While black and white cakes may be sleek designs, they are not appropriate for every celebration. If the other wedding decorations, flowers, and dresses have a bright, lively color palette, using a black and white cake may seem drab or out of place. Couples must also be careful when photographing a black and white cake, because an inappropriate amount of light or camera flash can wash out delicate design details in the monochrome pattern. Using black and white film will not restore those details, either; it will just make the cake seem like more of a background object than the honored centerpiece it is.

Black and white wedding cakes are gorgeous creations that focus on the beauty of the wedding cake design rather than a riot of colors. Perfect for both sophisticated formal events and more casual gatherings, black and white cakes cleverly showcase the drama of the wedding with a minimalist, stunning palette..