There’s The Dress. The Flowers. The Venue. And there’s The Wedding Cake.

No two ways about it, your wedding cake acts as one of the centrepieces of your big day.

It’s going to be a real focal point at your bridal reception and a major photo opportunity when the time comes to cut it.

And of course, your cake is going to look beautiful – whatever the style you choose.

But what’s it going to taste like?

Back in the day, a wedding cake used to be literally a of fruit cake or possibly a vanilla sponge.

Well, that’s not we at Genuine Cakes call a choice. We offer just about every flavour you can think of: Red Velvet, Toffee, Honey Cake, Banoffee, Banana, Chocolate, Coffee, White Chocolate … and if you’re a bit of a traditionalist and still like fruit cake, there’s a flavour called Fruit Cake Without The Bits – which is literally just that.

And what about matching your cake flavour to the time of year?

If you’re having a wedding in spring, perhaps you want something fresh and tangy- maybe a lemon cake? A carrot cake or blueberry? You could even tie in your wedding cake flavours to your wedding theme – so if your theme is turquoise and brown, you could have a blue velvet cake or different layers in chocolate and rose flavour.

If you’re getting married in the warm summer months, then you don’t want to have anything heavy or cloying. We’d recommend maybe coconut and lime or coconut and pineapple, possibly raspberry ripple.

Autumn is a time to celebrate all the fruits that are ready to be harvested – and there are some rich flavours there. We think it’s the time for apple crumble flavour, pear, blackberry.

If you’re serving your wedding cake in a lieu of a dessert – maybe as part of a dessert table, then a traditional pudding flavoured wedding cake will give your guests a tasteful surprise.

Drinks and Dancing

One trend that’s come in along with the dancing after the wedding reception, is the practice of serving hot chocolate and mulled wine on a cold winter evening.

This is also the perfect time to offer your wedding cake to your guests who may be building up a bit of an appetite again or just fancy something a little sweet. In this instance we’ve recommend a cinnamon cake, maybe an Amaretto fruitcake, ginger and lime or a coffee cake.

Winter weather demands deep, rich flavours to warm you from the inside.

Your style of wedding day

Apart from the time of year, you could also consider matching your wedding cake flavour to your style of wedding day.

If you’re having a country garden style of wedding day why not think about having a nude cake? That’s when your cake is left un-iced – but the layers are sandwiched together with a flavoured filling and usually decorated with fresh fruits and berries.

Or again, you could echo the countryside in your wedding cake – maybe a rose flavour or blackberry.

If you’re having a chic city centre wedding day then something a little decadent is called for – red velvet, a rich chocolate cake … and if you really can’t decide, then remember you can have a cake with each layer in a different flavour. (And if you’re keeping an eye on costs you don’t need to have cake on every layer – you can have a false layer or two that’s iced to look just like the real thing.)

Our brides to-be-love coming in and sorting out tasting sessions with us. And a bit like your wedding dress, we recommend that you come in with an open mind – you may decide on a cake flavour that you’ve never considered but which is absolutely right for you.

Thanks to Genuine Cakes for today’s guest blog post. Genuine Cakes specializes in wedding cakes and bakes and decorates cakes for all occasions. All images via Genuine Cakes.