When you think of cake for weddings, birthdays or other celebrations a dark cake maybe isn’t neccesarily a first thought. Maybe nice old chocolate cake might hit the spot, but move over Mr Hum Drum Chocolate cake, reveal centre stage a rich dark fudgey chocolate cake made with a hint of coffee, or a delectable Guinness cake resplendent with a dreamy cream cheese topping. More often than not my special celebration orders are requests for my gingerbread cake and cinnamon frosting which has been a favourite for the past couple of years, along with new pal Salted Caramel and its glorious cascade of molten caramel with crunches of sea salt.  They’re partnering up on some occasions too – nothing says we’re having a party like calorific abandonment and pure cakery hedonism!!

To whet the appetite we have firstly have a couple of cupcakes and big cakes after my own heart, we’ve added caramel popcorn, halved Maltesers, crunchie bars, fudge and other sweet treats with a good glug of caramel on a caramel cake and matching buttercream.

Smartened up these topped cakes can be simply stunning with some precise dribbling and piping, crowned with buttery crumble on a sticky toffee inspired cake.

A meeting in the middle from the naked cake fascination that still holds true and cake tables is a pudding cake.  Think of your favourite comfort puds and pile ’em up with Chantilly cream and beautifully shiny toffee sauce.  something for everyone, it’s a sure-fire winner!

If there are no allergy sufferers amongst your number (of which we could cater for undoubtedly) there’s a rather smashing peanut thing going on out there. Peanutty hot drinks have been hitting the shops and Reese’s Peanut Cups are over here and have no fear. We love ’em.  Perfect for your fellow nut lovers out there.

More dark and brooding naked cakes, there’s plenty for everyone to whet all appetites.

If cultured and swish is favoured how about this immaculate black fondant covered cake with our favourite gold leaf technique on the base cake, simply stunning.  Evergreens compliment the black and gold to perfection. Adorable.

Still comfortably in its groove is the faithful naked cake of 2014/15.  It’s a look that’s still going strong as a tall, dark silhouette adorned with seasonal fruits and blooms.

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If these or any of the other cakes on our site or blog have captured you imagination contact us on 07932 874576 or email us on bunsoffun@hotmail.co.uk.

 Winner of Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 2015 ‘Gingerbread Lighthouse’

The post Dark Cake Trends 2016 appeared first on EDIBLE ART BY BUNS OF FUN BAKERY.

In the words of Jesse ‘this week we ‘ave mostly been playing around with’

…some fancy-pants cakery techniques and adapting our dummy Wedding cake, the one we used for the Most Curious Wedding Show. Our ‘One-Cake-Four-Ways‘.

I love that working for myself means I can try my hand at anything and attack with aplomb once the boys are in bed and certain styles have rather caught my eye recently. Some of them you have seen me create already and some are some of the Top 10 styles for cakes right now, some are still to come. Other than that I’m quite comforted by Pintrest and leading blog bods that I’m giving you guys cakes and designs that are bang on trend. I’ve covered this before so some of you will know we have already ticked off the metallic cake with the gold leaf and edible lace effect, naked cakes – tick, woodland & butter-cream wedding cakes and ombre (usually a single graded colour in fondant, ruffles or buttercream) we have one lined up in the next month for a Christening for you.

Scenario oNE:

This large white cake has been the object of our affection, it’s a double height 10″ round cake with an 8″ round set right off centre to the back lines touching ‘2 o’clock’ as you look at it.  I was fortunate enough to have some very special authentic vintage lace ribbon, released from a languished 30 year retirement in my Mothers sewing box.  Our green fingered pals, namely the clever petal pixie at Flower30, Sharon, who did rather a dashing job (literally after a mercy call from me when another florist was unable to) siting some beautifully fresh succulents and a twirl here and there of jasmine foliage on the accommodating ledge.

Scenario Two:

To adapt the cake as it sits we tried a combination of white-on-white with some gold, a sort of homage to Gustav Klimt – a favourite when studying Art & Design in Amersham back in the day. I prepared and cut vanilla rice wafer paper overlays and pressed gold leaf to create a stunning effect.  Feathery on the eye but with enough structure to carry a pleasing fascinator of florals or greenery or you could keep it chic and simple with white ribbon trim.  On a tiered cake this would be a gorgeous topper if smaller with a simple fondant iced layer as the base tier.

Scenario Three:

I have been hopping foot to foot to try my hand at black board or chalk-boarding, depending on which side of The Big Pond you currently reside. To start with we had mixed results – towards the end of my dabble the only viable piece of black that was left resulted in me getting a stream of confidence and the old Art & Design blood started to flow pretty sweetly. I’d say I’m pretty comfortable about my next one – So much so I can’t wait to get going on the next black board cake in 2015.  Any design can be applied whether it’s short and sweet with a statement plaque or more elaborate and a total cover of black board.  Which ever way you choose it’s as fun, stylish and individual as you are!

 Scenario Four:

I love painted cake! It’s my new favourite thing! I have discovered this and like a dog loves catching a ball this is one technique I’m going to revisit again and again. There are so many ways for your cake artist to decorate it becomes dizzying to try to capture them. Designs can be so simple in that you could depict a small scene in the centre of the wall of your cake or you could have the whole surface pigmented as a colour wash or go mad and go wild and jazz in up in hot colours all getting cosy. Amazing.

pic courtesy The Natural Wedding Company.

What Next:

Our Bucket List of Things Bun of Fun have lined up for 2015:

We love monogrammed and geometric cakes, they are precise pieces of art work preciously placed upon silken smooth fondant or Royal icing with edges to cut yourself on, something similar can be seen later on with Buns of Fun – like all good things you have to wait and it’s all coming in 2015

I’m also a fan of the more organic but meaningful ruffled and painted or illustrated cakes. Meaningful in that you kinda need to know where you’re going with it before committing to ruffle or paint. You need a starting point and a forward plan or it’s just going to look too unstructured and a little too crazy to love maybe…

So what have you got line up for this year – What else would you like to see?  We’d love to hear your hopes & plans.

As usual we look forward to helping you with your forth coming event.

Emma

Facebook: Buns of Fun  Mobile: 07932 874576  Twitter & Pintrest: @BunsoffunEmma

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