15 Wedding Cake Trends for 2025 We Can't Want to Sink Our (Sweet) Teeth Into

These cakes are on the cutting edge of confection perfection.
Sweet Wedding Cake Trends You'll Love
Photos, From Left to Right: Ayla Rae Weddings, Jenn Emerling, Hannah Quintana Photography, Roxanne Rosensteel, Cait Swithers,Design: Tiana Crispino
cathryn haight the knot
by
Cathryn Haight
  • Cathryn is an editor at The Knot, where she focuses on all things planning—from inspiration and design, to traditions, to invitations.
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Cathryn spent years as a food editor
  • Cathryn holds a bachelor's degree from Trinity College and a certificate in publishing from Columbia University
Updated Nov 15, 2024

When I consider trending wedding cakes throughout the years, every dessert falls into one of two camps. The first: An aesthetic that's unequivocally of the moment, pushing the boundaries of shape and design. The second: A nostalgic callback to weddings of a bygone decade. The top 2025 wedding cake trends offer "something old and something new," but all embrace a "more is more" mantra.

You'll see sweets that skew sculptural, towering and table-spanning, with ample texture and piles of berries and blooms tucked into pockets of frosting. And while lambeth cakes aren't going anywhere, you'll see the puffy rows of buttercream on less heart-shaped 1950s-inspired cakes and instead decking out tiered stunners that look plucked from the 1980s (cake toppers included). And finally, we always knew wedding cakes were art, but it's nice to see them treated as such as entire "installations" of fruit, flowers and more come to life around cakes, almost as if its design is trailing across the table. Look below to see what some of the most impressive bakers and cake designers in the industry have to say about au courant confections and wedding trends in 2025.

We tapped pro bakers from across the country to weigh in on the latest on-trend wedding cakes sure to make a splash in 2025. See the short list here:

  1. Large-Format, Unique Shapes
  2. Expansive Cake Vignettes
  3. '80s Cake Toppers and Accessories
  4. Wiggled and Wavy Piping
  5. Wide and Flat Cakes
  6. Fruit Over Flowers
  7. Texture and Organic Shapes
  8. Vintage-y Lambeth Cakes
  9. Either Full Color or All White
  10. Classic Flavor Pairings
  11. Multicultural Cake Flavors
  12. Delicate False Flowers
  13. Veggie-Adorned Cakes
  14. Giving Bakers Creative Freedom
  15. Skill-Based Cakes

1. Large-Format, Unique Shapes

Oversized wedding cake designs, especially those that come together in an unexpected shape. Envision everything from squares stacked askew, to nearly ceiling-scraping tiered confections. Even asymmetrical shapes are coming to light. "I think we'll continue to see large-format cakes, especially in unique shapes, that cover the table," says Roxanne Rosensteel, a baker and pastry maker based in Santa Barbara, California known for making Rachel Karten's iconic giant sheet cake last year. Rosensteel continues: "In this same vein, I think we'll see more custom builds for the cakes, so it feels like a truly personalized experience. I've also been seeing very tall tiered cakes–as tall as the couple! The more tiers the better, in an almost Dr. Seuss fashion." Amanda Nguyen of Butter& in San Francisco, California also notes that "table-runner cakes will remain a popular statement."

2. Expansive Cake Vignettes

Have you noticed that the top trending cake decorations are those that encompass the entire cake table? Enter: cake vignettes. I coined this term on the heels of the "cake meadows" trend, which consists of plopping a cake amidst a bevy of blooms, as wedding cakes aren't just being surrounded by fresh flowers. Rather, they are framed by trailing ribbons, cascading piles of fruit, flickering candles and cascading linens.

"Looking ahead to 2025, I believe we'll see even more elaborate installations that enhance the cake's presence, turning it into a true centerpiece of the celebration," says María Amaría, a baker based in Mexico City. "Expect beautifully styled tables with a cohesive, stunning aesthetic that'll elevate the overall experience and give the cake the attention it deserves." Rosensteel echoes the sentiment: "It's about creating a unique moment and it's a really effective way to inject some fun and style into the reception, from luxurious fruit arrangements like a Renaissance painting to Thiebaud-esque repetitious arrangements."

3. '80s Cake Toppers and Accessories

From pairs of sweet swans to the classic couple standing in a ruffled-tulle heart, '80s-style toppers are crowning cakes once again. Kitschy cakes have been on the rise as trending cake designs for the past couple of years and these classic, vintage additions feel like a darling callback to the weddings of our parents. In the same vein, tier spacers like the neoclassical columns that propped up the cakes of the '80s will be back in style alongside the aforementioned wedding cake topper trends. "I wouldn't be surprised if we see lots of tiers next year, as well as a throwback to dividers/spacers in tiered cakes," says Rosensteel.

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4. Wiggled and Wavy Piping

Wavy piping, ruffled buttercream and squiggly meringue accents brought unique dimension to wedding cakes in 2024 and they are still making waves as trending cake design elements in 2025. Pamela Thibodeux of Deaux Baker in Blanco, Texas is a master of these surrealism-inspired designs, which are all one-of-a-kind. "The basket weave piping technique with my signature wavy look around the circumference of my cakes stemmed from the inspiration of 1920s women's hair styles—the short bobs with their finger waves I was extremely mesmerized by," says Thibodeaux, who references Josephine Baker and Bette Davis as inspiration. "I love the sensual and feminine look it adds, but how it also creates depth and structure. Each ribbon belt is different to emphasize the individuality of my cakes and to the corresponding client. No two cakes are ever alike."

5. Wide and Flat Cakes

We're used to seeing wedding cakes grow tall, but what about wide? "Giant, single-tiered cakes will be increasing in popularity, and just wider cakes in general," says Rebecca Pham of Becca Cakes in Houston, Texas. "We think larger and wider tiered cakes will also become more popular versus the smaller cakes that were trendy these last few years." María Amaría also suggests that these low-profile cakes are amongst the most significant trends in wedding cake ideas, set to gain popularity as the year progresses. This could be in response to last year's wedding sheet cake trend as well as the millefoglie—Italy's answer to a traditional wedding cake—gaining in popularity from destination weddings and beyond. "We are getting so many requests for millefoglie—they're such a fun (and delicious) alternative to a classic tiered cake," says Edith Meyer of Edith Meyer Wedding Cakes in Santa Cruz County, California.

6. Fruit Over Flowers

Funky florals were all over the "garden patch" cakes of 2024, but the trending cakes of 2025 are instead bedecked with berries, citrus and stone fruits. "I'm seeing a big shift away from whimsical floral decor, in lieu of fresh and candied fruit like jewels embedded in a crown, or blanket of raspberries," says Rosensteel. A few fresh blooms might be scattered here and there, but the focus is truly on the fruit. Olivia Vickers of Olive + Aries in Austin, Texas seconds this notion: "I think we will be seeing fruits displayed in a bountiful manner, along with pops of cherries on vintage cakes."

7. Texture and Organic Shapes

We saw a little texture in 2024, but it takes on a whole new definition for modern wedding cakes in 2025. Along with adding monochromatic texture in a cake's buttercream background, innovative materials will be layered to create a mixed media art-like look and an overall unique cake design. "We'll see textures created with innovative techniques like wafer paper and edible silk, adding depth, elegance and uniqueness to cake designs," says María Amaría. "I also feel that buttercream will shine through with a more organic, raw presence, combined with various techniques and textures—incorporating other materials like pearls, velvet spray and more—creating a dynamic and multi-dimensional look."

8. Vintage-y Lambeth Cakes

Hyper-maximalist, lambeth-style cakes are still holding strong as a current wedding cake trend. These vintage cakes with chunky piping feel equal parts funky and classic—and can skew more toward either end of the spectrum depending on the color palette. Cotton candy colors like pink and blue evoke a mid-century pastel vibe, while an all-white cake feels like '80s elegance. Either option looks great studded with shiny maraschino cherries.

"The lambeth- or vintage-style wedding cake took over in 2024 and we think it'll continue to be huge in 2025," says Pham. "There are so many ways to execute them, from piping patterns, to color combinations and more that they can keep feeling unique, even though more and more couples are choosing this trend."

9. Either Full Color or All White

Two opposing color paths that are gaining traction as wedding cake trends of 2025: "I'm seeing cakes veer in opposite directions when it comes to color: Both traditionalists (all white) and novelty-seekers (all the bold colors)," says Jasmine Rae de Lung of Jasmine Rae Cakes in San Francisco, California. "I haven't fielded a request for a light neutral or blush cake in a very long time, but I'm seeing lots of greens. About 40% of my cakes this year featured green pretty heavily." Other experts also note a lean toward the bold. "Couples are wanting to introduce color to their wedding cakes more and more," says Vickers. Think: juicy pinks, oranges, rich greens and punchy blues.

10. Classic Flavor Pairings

"I think people are starting toward traditional flavor pairings, drawing inspiration from classic European desserts," says Rosensteel. "I see a lot of what's considered (very) old becoming new again, like Mont Blanc, fraisiers and opera cake." Pham also says that a classic berries and cream combo with vanilla cake is on the rise in terms of wedding cake flavors: "Everyone loves the Whole Foods Berry Chantilly cake and after the whole controversy of them trying to take it away, we think everyone is dying to have this type of flavor. White cake with fresh fruit is always going to be really appealing to guests."

Opera cake with chocolate and coffee
Photo: Getty Images

11. Multicultural Cake Flavors

Nguyen notes that "more multi-cultural flavors from Southeast Asian and South Asian traditions" will be making their way into frostings and sponges. And if you categorized these 2025 wedding cakes trends as too good to eat, you'd miss out on tastes like coconut, mango and herbaceous and vanilla-y pandan.

12. Delicate False Flowers

Bunches of blooms have been seemingly sprouting from wedding cakes all year, but blossoms crafted from frosting and sugar are proving to be a new wedding cake trend. "We're not talking about real flowers, we're talking about delicate, beautiful, edible flowers topping a cake," says Alyce Dulaney of Alyce in Flourland in Denver, Colorado. "Those flowers could be made with a palette knife, sugar flowers, or expert buttercream piping so you can have your cake and eat it too." Meyer mentions: "We have a number of 2025 cakes that will have sugar wildflowers to match the reception flowers. Often wildflowers are too delicate to use on a cake, as they wilt quickly when picked, so recreating them in sugar ensures that they look as vibrant and lovely as those in the bouquets and table arrangements."

small green floral wedding cake
Photo: Brie Thomason Photography,Cake: Honey Bakes Cakery

13. Veggie-Adorned Cakes

Fruit isn't the only design element making its way onto cakes from the produce aisle. Vegetables are topping tiers and getting tucked on the edge of cake layers. The ruffled texture of cabbage, angular shape of artichokes or delicate silhouette of garlic scapes are a feast for the eye and we've seen them grace tablescapes too, so why not extend that garden-fresh aesthetic to your dessert table in an unexpected way.

14. Giving Bakers Creative Freedom

Couples are choosing vendors they're truly passionate about in 2025—and that includes bakers. "I'm seeing a lot of clients surrendering control of the design, often even to the point of being surprised," says de Lung. "As weddings become more personal and community-oriented, moving away from the picturesque albums of the pre-pandemic decade, couples are seeing the people they choose as creative collaborators." A baker's prowess and creativity is bundled into the cost of a wedding cake, so consider it part of the full package.

15. Skill-Based Cakes

"Cakes that don't appear fussy have been dominating the trends since the pandemic, but cakes that require more skill and craftsmanship are starting to find their way back into popularity," says de Lung. Keep an eye out for high-touch, delicate and elaborate designs in 2025 and be sure to add a query about it to your list of questions to ask a baker as you set out to find a cake designer.

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