​Big for 2020 is the trend for weddings with a carefree, sun-bleached, coastal vibe with a muted colour palette and everlasting blooms. It’s a modern evolution of previous popular natural, rustic styles, characterised by architectural seed pods, husks and white wood, softened by small coastal flowers and grasses and free form, flowing elements inspired by the sand and sea.  Expect to see lots of interesting coastal plants and seed pods made from sugar adorning sandy coloured cakes.

Eye-catching bows are everywhere this year - on shoes, in hair, on dresses - from exaggerated and sculptural to subtle and dainty. Wedding cake design often takes it’s cue from bridal fashion and a contemporary sugar bow is a bridal favourite which will instantly enrich an otherwise classic cake. ​

Over the past few years, geometry and tessellation have been extremely popular in wedding cake design, being both simple and effective and providing a more masculine contrast to some of the softer design elements which can often dominate.  However it’s a trend which is evolving and becoming more decorative with bolder colour choices, mosaics and patterned tiles coming through in more ornate designs.  ​

Brides dreaming of a modern fairy-tale wedding will be loving the bold and billowing blouson sleeves and full, flouncy skirts that bridal designers have been experimenting with recently and it’s those frothy frocks of layered tulle that have translated into wedding cake design with weightless, paper like ruffling the key to unlocking this avant-garde, voluminous look.   ​

​Minimalism has dominated the culture for years and this is equally true in the world of wedding cake design.  But for something memorable and remarkable, maximalism is finally having it’s moment.  A wedding is an ephemeral, joyous celebration of love and romance captured in a single day of individual expression.  It’s unlike any other day when you can get away with anything because it really is all about you, so we’re going to be seeing couples embracing colourful, abstract, exotically decorated wedding cakes incorporating graphic prints, clashing patterns and textures for a playful, visual delight.

​Painted cakes with pretty floral designs continue to be popular but increasingly couples wanting a cake with artistic expression will be finding their inspiration in a wider variety of illustrative styles often with a personal meaning.  Expect to see cakes with clear, engaging, creative illustration influenced by everything from children’s books to graphic novels, pen & ink to computer graphics.

Marbled cakes have been a wedding favourite for a while but in 2020 we’re going to see the trend develop beyond marble into different stone effects.  In particular we predict that cakes everywhere will be rocking terrazzo, that jewel like material made from marble chips set into cement.  

One of the best things about being a cake designer is discovering wonderful stories about people and the things they have done.  Some stories are well known, some are private and others get lost in the past.  The story of Elizabeth Raffald was one I had never heard before but as soon as I found it, I was hooked.

250 years ago in Manchester, Elizabeth, a former housekeeper at Arley Hall in Cheshire first advertised her book of original recipes called The Experienced English Housekeeper.  

Amongst her many innovative recipes, the book contained her recipe for Bride Cake, the blueprint of the modern wedding cake - a rich fruit cake decorated with two types of icing, almond icing (marzipan) and what later, when used to decorate Queen Victoria’s wedding cake became known as royal icing.  The book was published many times and was so influential, The Queen herself is known to have copied sections of it into her diaries.

This is what first intrigued me but there is much more to Elizabeth’s story, for as well as being a cook and a mother, she was an enterprising woman who achieved many things during her life and had a huge impact on Mancunian Society.  Yet reading her story, I was struck that I, born in Greater Manchester and a student of cake decorating at Salford College was not aware of her; sadly even in Manchester she is a largely forgotten figure, with little in the way of commemoration. 

Perhaps her influence is why the cities of Manchester, and it’s neighbour Salford have such a strong association with the development of cake decorating. Pioneers of the art of royal icing such as Audrey Holding, Lindsay John Bradshaw, Nadene Hurst and Ernest Schulbe all studied or worked in the area. The Confectionery School of Art in Withington (run by Ernest Schulbe), Salford College and Tameside College have all held reputations as being outstanding places for learning sugarcraft.  It seems fitting that the wedding cake itself originated in this area!

She is truly one of Manchester’s greats and deserves much more notoriety than she currently enjoys; fortunately, thanks to the tireless work of local writer, researcher and founder of the Elizabeth Raffald Society, Suze Appleton she has a chance of being remembered by future generations.  

One of my missions as a modern cake designer is to make sure the traditional skills of sugarcraft continue to be used, practised and passed on and I just couldn’t let the 250th anniversary of Elizabeth’s book and her original wedding cake recipe, pass by without commemorating her with a cake of her own! So with the help of Suze Appleton and the generosity of Arley Hall, a celebration of her remarkable achievements was held earlier this year.  We were delighted that Channel 4 agreed to send The Extreme Cake Makers crew along to film the making of the cake and the subsequent event which has given us a chance to introduce more people to this formidable woman.

If you want to find out more about the fascinating life of Elizabeth Raffald then head to The Elizabeth Raffald Society

It was a bold and seductive colour palette chosen by this couple for their summer wedding at Dorfold Hall.  Drawn in by the warm embrace of marsala, the marquee couldn't have looked more inviting, beautifully dressed by Red Floral Architecture.  Their wedding cake had handmade sugar flowers to match and was framed by a beatiful floral arch.

Earlier this year we were asked to make a cake to celebrate Christmas at The Piece Hall in Halifax. The Grade I listed Piece Hall, originally opened on January 1st 1779 and is the only intact surviving example of a north country cloth market. It is one of Britain's outstanding Georgian buildings. When The Piece Hall was built, West Yorkshire was the largest production area of woven woollen Kersey cloth in England.  Kersey cloth had a reputation for being hardwearing, weatherproof and good value.  These properties made it popular for coats and cloaks and it was often used to make soldiers' coats, sailors' jackets and Cavalry cloaks. For the weavers of West Yorkshire, preparing the yarn provided work for all the family and a weaver could make a piece (a 30 yard length of fabric) on a loom at home in about a week, leaving enough spare time for some farming.

Trade for the cloth, often dyed blue or red, took place each Saturday. The Piece Hall was open from 8am to 9:45am for the delivery of cloth and for clothiers to open their rooms. Trading began at 10 o'clock and ended promptly at 12 noon. To make sure that every clothier had an equal chance any merchant who entered the market place before 10 o'clock or persisted in negotiations after noon was fined. Time, from 12.30 to 4pm, was allowed for the removal of cloth sold after which the market was closed and remained empty until the next market day.

Following a multi-million pound transformation project, this magnificent building with it's vast open-air courtyard has now re-opened as a world class cultural, heritage and leisure destination operated by The Piece Hall Trust, a charity which exists to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the environment by preserving The Piece Hall. 

Our challenge with this cake was to somehow represent the history of The Piece Hall and the weavers of West Yorkshire, whilst at the same time celebrating Christmas.  The cake we donated to The Piece Hall tells a special children's tale about how Father Christmas got his red coat, inspired by this historic site. The story is called 'A Coat for Christmas' and was handwritten in full on the cake.

List of references
https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/wtw/index.html
https://www.thepiecehall.co.uk/
​http://www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/p.html

The storytellers.

Photography: John Nassari
Planner and Wardrobe Stylist: Raspberry Bespoke Events
Location: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
Cakes: The Frostery
Model: Charleen Meredith
Hair and Makeup: Botias Hair & Makeup 
Floral Design: Rob Van Helden
Linen: Over the Top Linen Rentals
Crockery: Whitehouse Crockery
Lighting: That Event Company
Stationery: Ananya Cards
Wedding Decor: Wedding Day Hire
Bridal gown: Le Spose di Giò
Table: Farley
​Shoes: Charlotte Mills

The Northern stars
​
Magpie king - Red floral architecture
Queen of Christmas - Amy Gee Boss Model Management
Crown jeweller - Eleventh Heaven by Ann McKavney
Sugar Plum fairy - Suzanne Thorp at The Frostery
Plates and sorcery - Whitehouse Event Crockery
Potions and powders - Flossy & Leigh Bridal Hair and Makeup Company
Shining stars - Typical Type
Silk and lace - Knutsford Wedding Gallery
Magical moving pictures - Marry Me Films
​