Our Favorite Wedding Cakes of 2023

White Frosted Wedding Cake with Flower and Fruit Details — Photo by Kate Headley

If you were to ask couples to spotlight the most memorable aspect of their wedding, many would likely point out their vow exchange, their first dance, or a portion of the night where they were able to let loose on the dance floor. But as we looked back on the weddings we featured in 2023, we noticed another element that many duos deemed worthy of praise—their wedding cakes. This year, there were a myriad of newlyweds who dedicated a significant amount of time to this famous dessert, presenting beautiful, modern, and elegant confections that made a mark at their celebrations.

Some opted for white, multi-tier cakes beautifully decorated with fresh blooms, while others decided to ditch tradition and serve uniquely hued desserts in shades of black, dark green, and blue. Others even skipped having a cake altogether in favor of their preferred treats. In all, we saw some of the most beautiful wedding cakes (and cake alternatives) these past several months, and are truly excited to spotlight some of our favorite confections that have been featured on Brides.

Ahead, here’s every wedding cake we absolutely loved in 2023. If you're currently planning your dessert menu—regardless if you're hoping to serve a cutting cake, a five-tier treat, or a dummy confection for décor purposes—use these examples as inspiration to help inspire your own design.

01 of 20

A Floral Funfetti Creation

a two-tier white cake decorated with wildflowers — Photo by Belathee Photography

What’s fun, sweet, and floral all over? The answer is simple: Kacey and Aaron's two-tier wedding cake, which was served at their Bridgerton-inspired wedding in Connecticut. Aside from the delicious flavor—funfetti with cream cheese mousse—the duo also chose pressed pink florals to decorate their confection, which was a nod to their summery pink, green, and pastel wedding color palette.

02 of 20

A Chic Trio of Cakes

two white wedding cakes decorated with pink peonies and fresh blooms — Photo by Corey Tenold

For their dinner party wedding in New York City, Josh and Hannah opted to serve a trio of cakes from their favorite bakery in Manhattan. Each cake was decorated with fresh blooms, and featured layers of ladyfingers (which were soaked in vanilla syrup), fresh strawberries, and mascarpone cream. It was the perfect dessert for a chic event!

03 of 20

A Semi-Naked Floral Design

three-tier semi-naked cake decorated with fresh white flowers — Photo by Dani Toscano

To decorate their semi-naked cake, Kianna and Hayden perfectly adorned their three-tier confection with fresh white blooms. Not pictured: Two knockout cake flavors—vanilla and chocolate sea salt caramel—which fed 120 guests at their Santa Barbara wedding.

04 of 20

A Non-Traditional Wedding Dessert

For those who don’t love cake, take a cue from Esther and Daniel who decided to serve a croquembouche instead of a traditional wedding confection. The couple took their love of non-traditional desserts a step further by serving an assortment of treats throughout their reception, including lemon tartlets with toasted meringue, mixed berry galettes, chocolate shortbread cookies, and chocolate budino tartlets with chocolate rye crust and cocoa nibs. Yum!

05 of 20

A Wedding-Birthday Celebration

a multi-tier funfetti wedding birthday cake — PHOTO BY EMILY NICOLE PHOTO

While you and your spouse should have a few similarities (after all, you are choosing to spend the rest of your lives together), not many people can say they share the same birthday as their partner. Evie and Drew can, however! To commemorate their unique connection—the day they were born—the duo decided to serve a naked, funfetti wedding cake, modeled after their favorite birthday confection, for guests to enjoy.

06 of 20

An Elegant Floral Confection

three-tier wedding cake decorated with pressed flowers — Photo by Hipster Wedding

Trang and Đại’s wedding was a flower-inspired celebration filled with wild daisies, Queen Anne's lace flowers, and lavender, to name a few. So, it was only right that they served a three-tier cake decorated with fresh, pressed petals. As seen above, their confection turned out to be an elegant dessert that effortlessly fit right into their greenhouse fête.

07 of 20

A Hexagonal Dummy Cake

hexagonal-shaped wedding cake decorated with vines — PHOTO BY JACQUI COLE

Cat and Patrick's cake stands out for two reasons: It's hexagonal and it was primarily made out of foam! While the duo did serve an almond-salted caramel treat for their guests to snack on, the actual confection pictured above—a beautifully decorated dummy cake with three-dimensional blooms—was primarily put on display for photo and aesthetic purposes.

08 of 20

A Hand-Painted Work of Art

three-tier wedding cake with hand-painted details and sugar flowers — PHOTO BY JANET LIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Self-proclaimed foodies, Bao-Tram and Tuan knew they wanted to provide their guests with the ultimate food and dessert experience. So, to complement their flavorful lemon cake, the couple chose to decorate their confection with a gorgeous hand-painted design. With the help of their baker, Honey Crumb Cake, Bao-Tram and Tuan served a three-tiered dessert adorned with an assortment of white and pink pastel sugar flowers.

09 of 20

A Uniquely Flavored Dessert

five-tier wedding cake decorated with vines, roses, and mini lemons — PHOTO BY JANINE LICARE PHOTOGRAPHY

While Elizabeth and Brad's cake seemed like a classic confection adorned with railing clematis vines and organic florals, their dessert was actually anything but ordinary. Why? Well, the couple decided to serve five tiers of pink Champagne and banana bread-flavored cake—a combination many don’t hear of, or taste, very often.

10 of 20

A Summer Garden Masterpiece

three-tiered buttercream wedding cake decorated with fresh flowers — PHOTO BY JESSICA MANGIA

“I had always imagined having a summer garden wedding with lots of beautiful flowers and al fresco dining, followed by a banging party,” Veronica shared about her wedding day inspiration—and that's exactly what she did, down to the details of her cake. The three-tiered beauty fully encompassed the bride's floral vision, while the inner flavors—vanilla sponge cake with whipped cream and red berry filling—added to the excitement of the festivities. “We were hoping to have leftovers, but it was so good that it got all eaten,” Veronica shared.

11 of 20

An Opulent Black Design

A four-tier black cake with gold leaf — Photo by Lena Mirisola

It’s not very often that we see a black wedding cake, but when we do, we are always in awe of the innovation and uniqueness of the confection. Case in point: Alyssa and Kirsten's four-tier dessert, which was adorned with white flowers and splattered gold leaf. The duo's cake flavors were just as awe-inspiring, to boot: Italian olive oil, marble mocha fudge, and Chantilly cake.

12 of 20

A Mediterranean-Inspired Confection

four-tier abstract white wedding cake — Photo by Jenny Quicksall

When Amma and Terrick chose to host their wedding in the French Riveria, they knew they wanted to incorporate the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea within their day-of details. So, to pay homage to the movement of the waves, the duo decided to work with Mon Annie Luxury Cakes to create a four-tier, all-white confection that featured wave-inspired sugar work.

13 of 20

A Pear and Fig Design

three-tiered semi-naked cake decorated with fresh flowers — PHOTO BY KATE HEADLEY

Semi-naked cakes were obviously a huge trend in 2023 (just count how many made our list this year). What separates Matalin and Sam's confection from the rest, however, is that it was decorated with whole fruits—fresh figs and Seckel pears—instead of just flowers. They even served a loaf of challah as the groom’s cake, which was further adorned with honeycomb and fresh figs. Talk about creative!

14 of 20

A Green, Gold, and Floral Treat

wedding cake in green fondant — Photo by Les Loups

Another iteration of a dark-hued wedding cake, Roberson and Anthony chose to serve a dark green, three-tiered confection for their richly glamorous wedding reception in New York City. Playing into the glam and opulent theme of their big day, the couple decorated their confection with sugar florals and gilded edges for a regal touch. The best part? Each tier featured its own flavor: almond sponge with raspberry purée, vanilla cardamom with poached pears, and chocolate sponge with chocolate ganache.

15 of 20

A Pleasant Surprise

three-tier buttercream cake with fresh fruit — Photo by Lisa Poggi

Julia and Jake might be surprised that their cake made our 2023 roundup, but only because they didn’t actually choose this treat for their wedding day. “Because we never did a walk-through or a food tasting, I forgot about the cake,” Julia shared about her planning experience. “The week of, I said, ‘Let’s do a simple cake with olive branches around the circumference.’” However, on the day of the reception, they ended up receiving this beautiful confection decorated with raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries. Though unexpected, it was a pleasant and welcomed surprise.

16 of 20

A Sumptuous Floral Design

Close Up of White Wedding Cake with White Flower Details — Photo by Michelle Beller

Emily and Willy did not hold back when it came to their wedding dessert, topping the list as one of the most sumptuous cake designs of 2023. The five-tier confection, which was inspired by the floral embellishments on Emily's custom veil, featured a lemon berry and chocolate chip cake, tied together with vanilla buttercream. It made a true statement both inside and out.

17 of 20

A Hand-Panted Cutting Cake

a cutting cake with hand-painted floral designs — Photo by Liz Zimbelman

High school sweethearts Janessa and James wanted to host an intimate celebration that honored and paid homage to their Native American culture and 15-year relationship. To do so, the duo chose an outdoor location near their Foresthill, California, home that lent itself to beautiful florals and earthy aesthetics—details that were incorporated into their petite cutting cake. We particularly love the hand-painted lavender which perfectly matched the purple buds that adorned their venue space.

18 of 20

A Pared-Back Treat

two-tier wedding cake with red and black flowers — Photo by Mashaida

After postponing their nuptials twice due to the pandemic, Angie and Eric decided to keep the details of their wedding small and opted for a cake that reflected the intimate nature of their celebration. They served a two-tier white confection decorated with red, pink, and dark purple blooms—a perfect representation of their pared-back fête.

19 of 20

A Free-Flowing Confection

sculptural wedding cake — Photo by Norman & Blake

Cam and Christina decided to take the unconventional route when designing their wedding cake, and while it was a bold move, it totally paid off! With the help of Jasmine Rae Cakes, the duo served one of the most unique and stunning desserts we've ever seen. “The ocean breeze color and free-flowing nature of the piece were reminiscent of our relationship: We are constantly moving and adapting to the situations around us,” the couple shared.

20 of 20

A Citrus-Adorned Dessert

two-tier wedding cake decorated with freeze dried oranges — Photo by Tara Johansen

Last, but certainly not least, Laura and Danny's citrus-adorned treat makes the list as one of the top cakes of 2023. The two-tier dessert was served to 27 guests; they enjoyed the confection during the couple's rustic dinner party celebration in Santa Barbara.

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