A wedding cake can be the centre of your reception. The design, colour, and flavours can set the tone for your theme, and it's often the first thing your guests see. And while traditional white wedding cakes are beautiful (and delicious), there are so many fun things you can do to add pops of colour to your main dessert. From fresh flowers to hand-painted cake tiers to adding fresh fruit, simple wedding cakes are a thing of the past. If you want an attention-grabbing cake that's both stunning to look at and irresistible to eat, we worked with our friends at Be Inspired PR [1] to collect 20 creative ways you can add colour to your cake in subtle and over-the-top ways — straight from wedding event planners and cake decorators. Keep scrolling to see them all now, but be prepared to have a serious cake craving immediately after reading.
Go Ombré
"For a more classic look, add fresh florals that match your decor or a slight ombré colouring to keep it more muted." — Jamie & Stephanie, Event Planners at Cape Cod Celebrations
Event planner: Cape Cod Celebrations [3]
Cake: Chatham Bars Inn
Have a Cascade of Flowers
"Paint a tier. An eye-catching way to add colour to your cake is to have a tier or two hand painted by your cake designer. This can be a pattern from your invitation suite, a beautiful cascade of flowers, or some other motif that is special to you as a couple." — Randi Smith, Founder, Sugar Euphoria [4]
Event planner: Cape Cod Celebrations [5]
Cake: Relish First Mate Photo
Fresh Florals
"There are many ways to add colour to a wedding cake in a tasteful and elegant way. Fresh floral blooms are the first idea to come to mind, as they can be matched to the centrepiece and other decor. An ombre cake design can be extremely beautiful as well, for brides who really want to focus on colour. Another idea would be to add a colourful or patterned linen to the cake table or creative decor on the cake table or pedestal." — Valarie Falvey, Kirk Brides Wedding Planning
Event planner: Kirkbrides [6]
Florals: Plantscaping
Cake: Hummingbird Cake Shop
Classic and Beautiful
"I love a wedding cake that's too beautiful to eat, picture perfect, and so captivating it creates a crowd of spectators." — AJ Williams, Founder & Creative Director, AJ Events
Event planner: Kirkbrides [7]
Florals: Plantscaping
Cake: Wild Flower Bakery
Edible Images
"Use edible images or wafer paper. If you have a really intricate design and/or really specific colour palette, consider decorating a tier with an edible images or wafer paper. You may be thinking of the sugar sheets that were on your birthday cakes as a kid, but the technology has come so far that you can get a crisp, seamless image." — Randi Smith, Founder, Sugar Euphoria [8]
Event planner: Kirkbrides [9]
Cake: Hummingbird Cake Shop
Funfetti
"From florals to sprinkles, there are so many ways to add colour to a classic wedding cake. To add some fun and pops of colour, either go for a naked funfetti cake or add rainbow sprinkles to cover the frosting." — Jamie & Stephanie, Event Planners at Cape Cod Celebrations
Event planner: Cape Cod Celebrations [10]
Cake: Morin's Catering
Pops of Gold
"A little more daring way [to add a pop of colour to your cake] is to actually go with a coloured frosting selection - you could embed an ombre inspiration or even some gold accents to really plus up the design." — HoneyFitz Events
Event planner: HoneyFitz Events [11]
Classic and Clean
"We love keeping cakes classic, clean, modern, and beautiful! In this case, simple and delicious is usually the way to go!" — Shannon and Vikki, All You Need is Love Events
Event planner: All You Need is Love Events [12]
Colourful Flowers
"Cutting your cake is one of the most traditional parts of your day - up there with your first kiss and first dance! Your wedding cake can be an outlet of expression and fun - you can select the more traditional route or something a little more daring. A timeless way to add a pop of colour is through flowers!" — HoneyFitz Events
Event planner: All You Need is Love Events [13]
Hand-Painted Details
"Hand-painted cakes are one of our favourite ways to add colour to a wedding cake! Although pastel colours are used here, even bold colours that complement the couple's colour palette can look delicate on a hand-painted cake." — Victoria Miller, LUXE Atlanta Events
Event planner: Luxe Atlanta Events [14]
Colourful Cake Layers
"If you prefer a more traditional wedding cake but still want to add a pop of colour, consider playing with the colour of the cake layers and filling!" — Victoria Miller, LUXE Atlanta Events
Event planner: Luxe Atlanta Events [15]
Sugar Work
"The wedding cake is a great opportunity to have a 'wow' factor. It can be as beautiful as it is delicious, and a fun place to inject some colour! Think sugar flowers, gum paste details, or even a fully coloured cake. Get creative, and I can assure you that your guests will notice the confectionary creation!" — Nora Sheils, Founder of Bridal Bliss
Event planner: Bridal Bliss [16]
Cake Topper
"[Use] a cute cake topper. Long gone are the days when the cake topper was a porcelain bride and groom. Now couples can get creative with the topper. One example is figures of the couple's fur babies. Another idea is to use a colour acrylic or cool engraved topper." — Randi Smith, Founder, Sugar Euphoria [17]
Event planner: Feathered Arrow Events [18]
Cake topper: Creative Amme [19]
Florals: Shin Dig Chic [20]
Inedible Adornments
"Colour and texture on a wedding cake doesn't have to be icing and fondant (although that looks and tastes good too!). You can also add colour and texture and interest to your cake with a unique topper, or inedible adornments that support your hues and style. Get creative and let your white cake be your canvas!" — Danielle Aspromatis, Owner of d'Luxe Events
Event planner: Bridal Bliss [21]
Paint a Layer
"For more of an artistic approach, work with the cake designer to paint the cake or utilise the brush technique right onto the cake tiers." — Valarie Falvey, Kirk Brides Wedding Planning
Event planner: Bridal Bliss [22]
Add Texture
"There are a lot of great ways to make your cake a focal point of the design. Often times, the cake and dessert table are set up and seen by guests before dessert is ready to be served and it really can catch your guests' eye. The cake is oftentimes a part of our initial design process and I always tell clients to make the cake stand out whether it's using your wedding palette or adding sprinkles or different textures/materials. We even include cake florals so that it can be additionally decorated. Your cake is a work of art, so you might as well make it beautiful!" — Kari Dirksen, Owner + Lead Planner, Feathered Arrow Events
Event planner: Feathered Arrow Events [23]
Cake: Frost It Cakery [24]
Florals: Poppyhill Flowers [25]
Fresh Figs
"We elevated this gorgeous white two-tiered cake with seasonal figs and greenery to complement the wedding's fall decor. This added the perfect amount of natural colouring set against the brick backdrop." — Erin Sprinkel, Co-Owner of Sterling Social
Event planner: Sterling Social [26]
Colourful Frosting
"Tint the buttercream or fondant. If you want all over colour, then have your cake designer tint the buttercream or fondant. It will add a pop of colour to your cake table and will make a great statement piece to your decor. It also makes an interesting backdrop to any flowers you add. Make sure to bring swatches of the table lines and bridesmaids dresses, along with your wedding mood board to your cake tasting." — Randi Smith, Founder, Sugar Euphoria [27]
Cake: Sugar Euphoria [28]
Bold Table
"Add Flowers. Hands-down the easiest way to add colour to you cake is by using flowers. Whether you use fresh florals or bright blooms made of sugar, the pop of colour will be eye-catching, especially if you have a traditional white cake." — Randi Smith, Founder, Sugar Euphoria [29]
Cake: Sugar Euphoria [30]
Add Bright Fruit
"Add Fruit. Decorating with seasonal fruit can add varying hues to your wedding cake — vibrant citrus and berries in the spring and summertime or cranberries and pomegranates for winter. And an added bonus - they're edible!" — Randi Smith, Founder, Sugar Euphoria [31]
Cake: Sugar Euphoria [32]