Junior Rasmussen
Ombre wedding cakes are a fun and creative way to add a splash of colour to your special day. Whether you're a baking novice or a seasoned pro, ombre cakes are a great choice as they can be as simple or as intricate as you like. You can choose one colour in varying hues or go for a rainbow effect. This guide will take you through the steps to create a beautiful ombre wedding cake, from mixing the perfect frosting to assembling the layers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of layers | Four |
| Flavour | Chocolate |
| Frosting | Vanilla buttercream |
| Frosting colour | Pink, lilac, red, purple |
| Frosting consistency | Soft, smooth and spreadable |
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What You'll Learn
How to make ombre frosting
To make an ombre wedding cake, you will need to make a few different colours of frosting. First, make a large batch of frosting by creaming butter until it is well mixed, then gradually adding sugar and beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix through, then slowly stream in milk until the frosting is soft, smooth and spreadable.
Remove about a third of the frosting and divide it between two smaller bowls. Place a few drops of red colouring in one bowl and a few drops of purple colouring in the other bowl, mixing until well combined. You can add more colouring if you want a more intense colour.
Now you can assemble the cake. Place one layer of cake on a stand and spread with frosting using an offset spatula. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until you reach the final layer of cake. Starting at the bottom, spread the darkest frosting around the bottom third of the cake, making sure it is relatively thick. Don't smooth it yet. Next, add the middle-coloured frosting to the middle third of the cake, again dolloping it on and making sure it doesn't drip into the darker frosting. Finally, coat the top and the remaining top third of the cake with the lightest frosting. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides and tops of the cake, scraping off any excess frosting as necessary.
You can be very creative with the use of colour when making an ombre cake. You can use one colour in varying hues or saturation, or a rainbow of colours.
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How to layer an ombre cake
Ombre cakes are made using variegated colours, usually one colour in varying hues or saturation, or a rainbow of colours. You can be very creative with the use of colour as a theme for a wedding cake.
To layer an ombre cake, first, make sure the cakes have cooled, then use a knife to level the top of each cake. To make the frosting, add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and cream the butter until it is well mixed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix through. Slowly stream in the milk until the frosting is soft, smooth and spreadable. Remove 1/3 of the frosting from the bowl and divide it between 2 smaller bowls. Place a few drops of red colouring in one bowl and a few drops of purple colouring into the other bowl. Mix the frosting until well mixed and add more colouring if you want a more intense colour.
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand and use an offset spatula to spread with frosting. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until you reach the final layer of cake. Starting at the bottom, spread the red frosting around the bottom third of the cake. You will need it relatively thick to start with so it's best to sort of dollop it on. Don't smooth it yet. Next, add the lilac frosting to the middle third of the cake and again dollop it on, making sure it doesn't drip into the red frosting. Finally, coat the top and the remaining top third of the cake with the pink frosting. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides and tops of the cake, scraping off any excess frosting as necessary.
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How to level cakes before frosting
To make an ombre wedding cake, you will need to bake a cake, level it, and then add frosting.
Cakes can bake with a rounded dome top, which can make for a lopsided layer cake. To prevent this, you can use cake strips to prevent severe doming. However, if your cakes still puff up in the centre, you will need to level out the top before frosting. This is done by slicing a thin and even layer off the top of the cake to reveal a flat surface. You can use a tool called a cake leveller or a knife to do this. It is important to wait until the cakes have cooled before levelling and frosting.
How to frost an ombre wedding cake
First, make your frosting by creaming butter, gradually adding sugar, and then beating until light and fluffy. Next, add vanilla extract and slowly stream in milk until the frosting is soft, smooth and spreadable. Remove 1/3 of the frosting and divide it between two smaller bowls. Place a few drops of red colouring in one bowl and a few drops of purple colouring in the other bowl. Mix the frostings until well mixed and add more colouring if you want a more intense colour. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand and spread with frosting using an offset spatula. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until you reach the final layer of cake. Starting at the bottom, spread the red frosting around the bottom third of the cake. You will need it relatively thick to start with so it's best to dollop it on. Don't smooth it yet. Next, add the lilac frosting to the middle third of the cake, again dolloping it on and making sure it doesn't drip into the red frosting. Finally, coat the top and the remaining top third of the cake with the pink frosting. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides and tops of the cake, scraping off any excess frosting as necessary.
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How to make buttercream frosting
To make an ombre wedding cake, you'll need to make buttercream frosting in different colours. You can make buttercream frosting by mixing butter, sugar, dairy and extract in any flavour you like. Here's a simple recipe:
Whip the butter and salt for about a minute using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You can use a hand mixer instead if needed. Sift in the confectioner’s sugar in several batches, beating on low after each addition. Scrape the bowl down and repeat the process. Add a tablespoon of the cream while mixing on low then add the vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency. You can add more cream or milk if desired for a thinner consistency. Sift your powdered sugar to avoid clogging piping tips.
Once you have your frosting, you can add food colouring to create the ombre effect. Start by mixing the frosting until well mixed and add more colouring if you want a more intense colour. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand and use an offset spatula to spread with frosting. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until you reach the final layer of cake.
For a four-layer cake, start at the bottom and spread red frosting around the bottom third of the cake. You will need it relatively thick to start with so it's best to dollop it on. Don't smooth it yet. Next, add lilac frosting to the middle third of the cake and again dollop it on, making sure it doesn't drip into the red frosting. Finally, coat the top and the remaining top third of the cake with pink frosting. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides and tops of the cake, scraping off any excess frosting as necessary.
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How to make an ombre cake look rustic
To make an ombre cake look rustic, you can be quite creative with the use of colour. You can use one colour in varying hues or saturation, or a rainbow of colours. The piping is quite easy to do and can be done imperfectly to achieve a rustic look.
To make the cake, you will need to first level the top of each cake with a knife. Then, make the frosting by creaming butter in a stand mixer until it is well mixed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix through. Slowly stream in the milk until the frosting is soft, smooth and spreadable. Remove 1/3 of the frosting and divide it between two smaller bowls. Add a few drops of red colouring to one bowl and a few drops of purple colouring to the other. Mix the frosting until well mixed and add more colouring if you want a more intense colour.
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand and use an offset spatula to spread with frosting. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until you reach the final layer of cake. Starting at the bottom, spread the red frosting around the bottom third of the cake. You will need it relatively thick to start with so it's best to dollop it on. Don't smooth it yet. Next, add the lilac frosting to the middle third of the cake, again dolloping it on and making sure it doesn't drip into the red frosting. Finally, coat the top and remaining top third of the cake with the pink frosting. Use the offset spatula to smooth the sides and tops of the cake, scraping off any excess frosting as necessary.
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Frequently asked questions
First, make the frosting by creaming butter and sugar, then adding vanilla extract and milk. Divide the frosting into three bowls and add food colouring to each – red, purple or lilac, and pink. Once the cakes have cooled, level the tops with a knife, then stack the layers, spreading frosting between each layer. Finally, spread the frosting around the outside of the cake, starting with red at the bottom, then lilac, then pink at the top. Smooth the sides and tops of the cake with an offset spatula, scraping off any excess frosting.
You can use any colours you like, but ombre cakes usually feature one colour in varying hues or saturation. For example, you could use red, lilac, and pink, or different shades of blue.
First, cream the butter until it is well mixed. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix through, then slowly stream in the milk until the frosting is soft, smooth and spreadable. Divide the frosting into three bowls and add food colouring to each.
Once the cakes have cooled, use a knife to level the tops of each cake. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat until you reach the final layer. Starting at the bottom, spread the darkest frosting around the bottom third of the cake, then add the middle colour to the middle third of the cake, and finally coat the top and remaining top third of the cake with the lightest colour. Smooth the sides and tops of the cake with an offset spatula, scraping off any excess frosting as necessary.
