20 Purple Wedding Cake Ideas for a Striking Look

Five-tier white lace wedding cake with purple sugar flowers cascading down the design — Photo by Jose Villa

While an all-white wedding cake will forever be a timeless look, choosing a confection with a vibrant hue is a surefire way to impress your guests. If purple is part of your color scheme, serving a purple wedding cake as the main dessert of the evening will set your nuptials apart from the rest. With its versatile nature, painting or adorning your sugar fix in lavender, plum, violet, or other shades will suit any wedding theme or season, from rustic celebrations in the fall to glamorous ballroom soirées in the spring.

When it comes to choosing your cake design, you can either go all out with a completely purple base or elevate a white background with purple garnishes. A multi-tier confection covered in purple buttercream or fondant is an unexpected display that will instantly grab everyone’s attention. Meanwhile, purple flowers, berries, or hand-painted illustrations will add more visual intrigue to a simple white cake. To really up the ante, you can also infuse other colors and textures to the design.

If you’re looking for more ways to use purple in your after-dinner treat, we’ve compiled a list of some ideas to inspire you. Ahead, 20 purple wedding cake ideas that will give any confection a pop of color.

01 of 20

Engulf It in Buttercream

Buttercream cake with a mauve color and fruit accents — Photo by Especially Amy

Buttercream is a classic choice to frost your dessert, but instead of the typical white hue, why not switch things up with purple? An ombré mauve design is a trend-setting way to animate ripples of icing. For the cherry on top, adorn with figs and posies in purples tones.

02 of 20

Dress It Up With Pink Accents

Nardine's seven-tier ruffled cake with pink and purple feathers, pampas grass, and flowers — Photo by Rafal Ostrowski

If you’re looking for a fun complimentary color to purple, try pink. Together, these bright hues evoke a playful, cheery look, especially for spring or summer celebrations. At blogger Nardine Marie’s wedding, pampas grass, feathers, and baby’s breath in purple and pink tones appeared as if they were growing out of a seven-tier cake, which enhanced the intricate piping and edible pearls on the confection.

03 of 20

Incorporate a Cascade of Flowers

Taylor and Vlad's wedding cake with live purple, pink, and white florals — Photo by Amber Gress Photography

One of the best ways to accentuate any cake is with florals. A cascade of blooms in purple shades across your cake will draw the eye from the top to the bottom of your design. Since orchids are the largest bloom here, purple becomes the most pronounced hue. To offer a natural contrast, pair with pink roses and white peonies.

04 of 20

Feature Floating Tiers

Paola and Mario's deluxe floating cake covered in orchids and white, mauve, and purple roses — Photo by Paulina Bichara

Purple is already striking enough on its own, but when you use the shade to decorate floating tiers, your guests will really be blown away. Here, a lucite stand and plates in the same transparent material separate each tier, creating a “floating” illusion that emphasizes height. Against a white foundation, purple roses and peonies stand out, and they coordinate with the purple hydrangea surrounding it. We love this elevated option for glamorous or modern nuptials.

05 of 20

Choose a Watercolor Base

Watercolor four-tier wedding cake with purple flowers — Photo by Jen Huang Bogan

With hand-painted brushstrokes, your wedding cake will instantly become a masterpiece. A lilac wash of color painted across your indulgence will help produce a dreamy and romantic setting for your reception. Decorate with small edible flowers and real blooms in purple tones for a delicate touch.

06 of 20

Adorn a Naked Cake

Two-tier naked wedding cake with fresh purple flowers and sunflowers — Courtesy of Blushing Cook

By design, naked cakes don't normally come in a hue, but you can use florals to give them color. This charming cake embraces purple with lavender, lilacs, and other purple wildflowers along with a statement sunflower for a bright pop.

07 of 20

Embrace a Ruffled Texture

A ruffled purple cake with gold piping and flowers — Photo by Dos Mas en la Mesa

Color isn’t the only way to make your cake come to life. Tiers of ruffles will instantly demand attention by highlighting texture, depth, and visual appeal. With a backsplash of plum, mauve, and pink paired with gilded accents, a ruffled cake becomes romantic yet mysterious. To make the color and texture pop, display your cake on a black tablecloth.

08 of 20

Select Square-Shaped Tiers

Naked square wedding cake with purple flowers — Photo by Bina Terré

Round tiers are the most common choice for wedding cakes, but square angles with straight lines feel contemporary and sophisticated. Here, different shades of purple dramatize an angular semi-naked cake featuring a light wash of color. We especially love how the confection is topped with a purple macaron and presented on a spread of wildflowers for a whimsical look.

09 of 20

Integrate Sugar Flowers

A five-tiered Mexican wedding cake with cascading purple flowers. — Photo by Jose Villa

Using natural floral and fauna to trim your cake is stunning, but there’s a possibility that the buds could wilt. Not to mention, real blooms aren’t edible. For an alternative that delivers the same aesthetic results (with a more palatable taste!), ask your baker to use purple fondant flowers. On a background of lace, this spread of fluffy and vibrant florals creates an appearance that’s both classic and lavish.

10 of 20

Play With Multiple Hues

Tiffany and Will's three-tier wedding cake with a cascade of purple, pink, and yellow flowers — Photo by Sasithon Photography

If your color palette has a range of vivacious hues, consider painting the rainbow on your confection. In addition to purple, various flowers in pink, orange, and yellow tones will turn a five-tier white cake into a work of art. It’s bold without going too overboard.

11 of 20

Settle on a Single Tier

One-tier wedding cake with purple flowers on stand — Photo by Adriana Rivera

Single-tier cakes are practical for weddings with a small guest list or for couples who are supplementing with a larger dessert spread, but downscaling the size doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the presentation. Violets mixed with greenery will enrich a small cake in an elegant and effortless way without overpowering it. These vivid blooms are also the perfect accompaniment to a semi-naked cake, so the exposed interior is still visible.

12 of 20

Debut Your Monogram

Naturi and Two's four-tier purple, white, and gold wedding cake with monogram on a cake stand surrounded by florals. — Photo by Stanlo Photography

Although purple makes a splash on any cake, the bright hue can also play a supporting role. When singer-songwriter Naturi Naughton got married to Two Lewis, their joint initials engraved in gold were the star of their indulgence. Purple piping and silver sequins highlighted the monogram, set against a lilac backdrop. The couple also featured shades of purple within the flowers that embellished their cake.

13 of 20

Cover It With Fondant

Mauve wedding cake with hand-painted and real flowers — Photo by Nicole Berrett Photography

With a sleek and smooth texture, fondant is a sought-after choice for wedding cakes. The top two tiers of this cake are covered in mauve fondant. Without any add-ons, the color is able to have its own moment. The hand-painted flowers on the bottom level and a waterfall of blooms across the center make this design perfect for nuptials in the warmer months.

14 of 20

Channel Color-Blocking

Stephanie and Jason's three-tier white cake with a cascade of flowers — Photo by KT Merry

Ombré color palettes have been making their way into the wedding world—including the grand dessert. If you want to combine purple with other similar hues, consider implementing color-blocking into your cake. This design starts with pink flowers near the top and then transitions to blue in the center and purple at the base. Ice your tiers in white, so the background doesn’t clash with the gradient.

15 of 20

Trim With Lavender

White three-tier wedding cake with olive leaves and lavender — Photo by Lilli Kad

Give a buttercream cake a pop of purple by lining the edges of your dessert with lavender. Not only does this purple plant evoke a calming scent, but it also radiates a rustic look. To really go all out, infuse lavender into your cake flavor. With olive leaves along the rim, this is an amazing option for a destination wedding in Italy.

16 of 20

Consider a Rustic Look

Single-Tiered White Wedding Cake with Fresh Pansies — Photo by Meraki Photo Co.

Are you drawn to a relaxed atmosphere with natural accents and pared-back details at a barn or vineyard? Purple pansies pressed on a single-tier cake will capture the homey, laid-back feel of rustic weddings. Display your dessert on a wooden stand to drive your theme home.

17 of 20

Combine With Greenery

Annie and Spencer's four-tier wedding cake with purple florals and greenery — Photo by Olivia Leigh Photographie

Yes, flowers are usually a go-to décor element on many couples’ wedding cake designs, but combined with greenery, your sweet will really reflect the great outdoors. Purple florals are displayed in a spiral fashion around this cake, while sprigs of greenery increase the organic nature. Whether you’re saying “I do” in a backyard, courtyard, or garden, including the local foliage surrounding you will enhance your presentation.

18 of 20

Match Your Table Arrangements

Casey and Ben's three-tier cake with cascade of purple flowers — Photo by Christine Brizendine of Dabble Me This

The most successful weddings are the ones that showcase a cohesive design. On this cake, purple, blue, white, and pink blooms match similar varieties in a vase beside it, which heightens the colorful and lush effect.

19 of 20

Garnish With Fruit

Purple wedding cake with fig accents — Photo by Gabrielle Desmarchais

The color purple is also naturally found in seasonal berries. Figs give this single-tier confection smothered in purple buttercream an organic touch. Since this vibrant fruit is freshest between June and September, this would be a beautiful and flavorful choice for a summer wedding. With purple flowers and a cylindrical shape, this dessert is truly one of a kind.

20 of 20

Make It Moody

Roberson and Anthony's wedding cake with green fondant and purple flowers — Photo by Les Loups

Depending on the shade of purple, your cake can be as bright or as moody as you’d like. At this glamorous New York City wedding, flowers in dark purple tones were spread across a green cake with gold edges. In a dimly-lit room, the colors looked even darker.

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