The art of dressing your cake

If you are like me and feel that cakes are important, worth looking forward to, perhaps even in a class (food group) of their own then you’re going to need a professional eye: someone who knows how to make that stunningly beautiful cake become a grand focal point of the room.

This was a job for Philippa Cakes. Who else could possibly tackle this task — it’s in the name, after all! So I had a chat with Philippa over a cup of tea and some cake, and finally steered the conversation around to how this might be done…

“A pretty cake will look pretty wherever you put it. But, a styled and dressed cake will look stunning and create a stir your guests will be talking about long after the honeymoon. A wedding cake should be adored, worshipped and put on a pedestal for all your guests to admire.”

She had me at “worshipped” and I let her continue.

“Sometimes, no matter how good the cake, it can underwhelm. Cakes don't just sing on their own — they need backing vocals.”

Following a quick chorus of the shoop-shoop song, which we sang as "It's in his cake", Philippa’s staging advice poured forth during what may have been a two or three-slice conversation! Here are the main points, abridged of non-cake related tangents.

Elevation

Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington but your cake… give the girl some height! The right elevation makes it stand out on a table. A cake on a pedestal will shine above the clutter and a ‘cake stand’ can actually be anything. Traditional stands from the back of nan's cupboard for a traditional look; a raw edge slice of wood or an apple crate to carry your rustic theme.

A tall, modern stand creates a contemporary impact, plated metal glistening with the prominence of a golden award or the romance of the Eiffel Tower.

Think outside the box and imagine what your personal mode of self-expression looks like when it’s lifting up a cake.

Colour, Texture and Line

Talking of Paris, Philippa is a fan of the chiffon scarf artfully draped to soften the edges and create a colourful drama. Use fabric to add flow and movement around your cake. Create a sweeping line drawing the gaze of your (now drooling) guests up from the tablecloth to that elevated base. The soft fabric belies the strength of the stand and injects a colour that could be a grounding purple or an airy floating blue. Ask the rainbow for inspiration.

Decor

For a cake, a girl’s best friends are flowers, candles and glassware. Imagine those layers of texture creating a pop of colour and excitement like a gathered crowd around the spectacle. People are drawn to movement and with all those layers of height and texture, you will instantly start to draw people towards your masterpiece-centrepiece.

“When you put it like that, Philippa, it sounds quite simple!”

Philippa scoffed, and I had to agree that I probably wouldn’t find it so easy to do as it was to jot down in my notebook. Fortunately, she was not finished and shared some of the starting points for the determined cake dresser, as follows:

• Visit TKMaxx for a fabulous selection of colourful cake stands
• Look at plant pot stands- they can really add some colour and interest
• Go rustic! Scour the Internet or nan's shed for anything that has the right vibe! Apple crates, boxes, suitcases, upturned vases...
• Trawl charity shops for coloured glassware and interesting shaped vases and plant pots
• Throw the rulebook out the window and have fun
• Find something that adds height, texture and interest and you'll be well on your way

Before outstaying my welcome I thanked Philippa and headed off, wondering if I should find some savoury food to complement the sweetness I had just consumed.