Ombre Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide To Baking Perfection

Ombre cakes are a beautiful and creative way to add a pop of colour to your wedding. The gradual increase and decrease in colour from one layer to the next creates a stunning visual effect that is sure to impress your guests. The good news is that ombre cakes are not as difficult to make as they look! All you need is a few simple ingredients and tools, and you can create a show-stopping cake that is sure to be the talk of your wedding.

Choosing your cake

The first step in making an ombre wedding cake is to choose your cake recipe. You can use a simple vanilla cake recipe, or get creative with flavours such as lemon or chocolate. If you're short on time, a store-bought cake mix will also work. Just make sure you have enough batter to make multiple layers—usually, four layers are enough for an ombre effect, but you can add more if you want a taller cake.

Next, you'll need to decide on the size of your cake. Most ombre cakes are made with 6-inch, 7-inch, or 8-inch cake pans. If you're making a three-layer cake, you'll need three pans of the same size. For a four-layer cake, you'll need four pans. You can also use different-sized pans to create a taller or shorter cake.

Once you've chosen your recipe and pan size, it's time to bake your cake layers. Follow your chosen recipe's instructions for baking, and be sure to let the layers cool completely before moving on to the next step.

While your cake layers are baking and cooling, you can make your frosting. A classic option is vanilla buttercream, but you can also get creative with flavours like chocolate or fruit. It's important to choose a frosting with good structural integrity, as you'll be doing a lot of mixing and piping. Avoid cream cheese or whipped cream-based frostings, as they can become thin and runny. You'll need enough frosting for a crumb coat and the decorative coloured layers.

Now it's time to assemble your cake. Use a dab of frosting to stick the first layer to your cake board or plate. Start with the darkest layer on the bottom and work your way up to the lightest colour. Spread an even layer of frosting between each cake layer, and then add a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to trap any loose crumbs. This is called a crumb coat. Chill the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set the frosting.

With your cake assembled and chilled, you're ready to start creating the ombre effect! Divide your frosting into three or four bowls, depending on how many different colours you want to use. Remember, an ombre cake usually features one colour in varying hues, but you can also experiment with different colours. Add your food colouring to each bowl, starting with a small amount and increasing gradually until you achieve the desired shade.

Now, it's time to pipe the frosting onto your cake. Start with the darkest colour on the bottom and work your way up, piping horizontal bands of frosting around the cake. It's okay if it's a little uneven, as you'll be blending and smoothing the colours later. Continue piping and blending until you reach the top of the cake, using a lighter shade of frosting for each new layer.

Finally, use an offset spatula to smooth out the frosting and blend the colours together. Hold the spatula parallel to the cake and gently glide it across the surface to create a smooth, ombre effect. And that's it! You've created a beautiful ombre wedding cake.

Picking your frosting

The frosting you choose for your ombre wedding cake is important, as it will be fussed with quite a bit when mixing the colours. You want a frosting that has some structural integrity, but is also tasty. Avoid frostings with a cream cheese or whipped cream base, as these can become too thin and weepy with too much mixing.

Italian Buttercream

This frosting is a great option for your ombre wedding cake, as it has a stable structure and a tasty flavour. It is also not too sweet, so it won't overpower the flavours of the cake.

American Buttercream

American Buttercream is another good choice for an ombre cake, as it has a similar structure to Italian Buttercream but is a bit sweeter. If you're looking for a frosting that is a bit more indulgent, this could be a good option.

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

If you're looking for a dairy-free option, a vegan chocolate frosting is a great choice. It will add a rich, chocolatey flavour to your cake and can be made with plant-based milk and butter alternatives.

Cream Cheese Frosting

While cream cheese frosting should be avoided for an ombre cake, as it can become too thin, it could be a good option if you're looking for a tangy, creamy frosting for a different cake project.

Hybrid Buttercream

If you're looking for something in between American and Swiss meringue buttercream, hybrid buttercream is a good choice. It's a less sweet option that is stable enough to pipe and decorate.

Preparing your cake

To prepare your cake, you'll need to bake the layers, make the frosting, and assemble the cake. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Baking the Ombre Cake Layers:

• Prepare your cake batter according to your chosen recipe or a box mix.
• Divide the batter into separate bowls for each desired colour.
• Add gel food colouring to each bowl, creating increasingly deeper colours.
• Prepare your cake pans by lining them with parchment paper and greasing them if needed.
• Pour the coloured batter into the prepared pans, creating different layers of colour.
• Bake the cake layers according to your recipe's instructions.
• Allow the cake layers to cool before removing them from the pans.

Making the Frosting:

• While the cake layers bake and cool, prepare your frosting. You can use a variety of frostings, such as vanilla buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or hybrid buttercream.
• If making buttercream, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter until smooth, then mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar and heavy cream and continue mixing until you achieve the desired consistency.

Assembling the Ombre Cake:

• Start by stacking the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate, using a dab of frosting to help them adhere.
• Begin with the darkest or lightest layer, depending on your preference, and work your way up to the opposite colour.
• Spread an even layer of frosting between each cake layer using an offset spatula.
• Place the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost and create sharp corners.
• Add a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to cover the layers and smooth it using a bench scraper or spatula.
• Chill the cake in the fridge or freezer until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Now that your cake is assembled, it's time to create the ombre effect on the outside!

Choosing your colour palette

If you want your cake to have a smooth transition, opt for three to four colours that are adjacent in the colour family. For example, pink, red, orange, and yellow create a sunset-inspired palette. Alternatively, you can opt for light and dark hues of the same colour for a monochromatic look.

If you are making a four-layer cake, you can create subtle shade changes in one colour, for example, from light pink to bright fuchsia. You can also create layers of different shades of different colours, such as light pink, pink, light purple, and purple.

If you are making a three-layer cake, you can still create an ombre effect with three colours. For example, you can use light pink, pink, and bright fuchsia.

Remember to choose colours that complement your wedding theme and that will create a beautiful and vibrant addition to your special day.

Mixing the colours

Firstly, select your desired colour palette. For an ombre effect, choose three to four colours that are adjacent in the colour family, graduating from light to dark. This could be light pink, bright fuchsia, light purple, and standard purple, or you can opt for a monochromatic look with different hues of the same colour.

Next, prepare your frosting. Set aside a small amount of plain frosting for later adjustments. Divide the remaining frosting into three to four bowls, depending on the number of colours you want to mix. Add food colouring to each bowl, a little at a time, to achieve the desired shade. Repeat this process for all your colours. You can use gel food colouring or food colouring drops to create the ombre effect.

Now, it's time to prepare your piping bag. Place a medium or large round tip into the bag and snip off the end. Push the tip until it fits snugly inside the bag. Fold the bag over itself and place it into a tall glass to make filling easier. Start by filling the bag with the colour you want at the bottom of your cake. If you're creating a monochromatic gradient, begin with the darkest shade. Remove any air from the bag by gathering the frosting towards the tip with a straight edge.

Pipe a band of frosting onto the bottom of your chilled cake. It's okay if it's a little uneven as it will be smoothed out later. Once you've piped a full ring, empty the remaining frosting back into its bowl and refill the bag with the next colour. To create a smooth gradient, mix a small amount of the next adjacent colour into the remaining frosting. For example, if you started with red, add a small amount of orange to create a reddish-orange shade.

Repeat the piping process with the new colour, slightly overlapping the previous band. Empty the bag and mix the remaining frosting from the second colour with the third shade. Continue this process until you reach the final colour. If this is the colour for the top of your cake, save half of it for the final touch.

Using an offset spatula, spread the chosen colour for the top of your cake. Smooth it out gently, and don't worry if it blends slightly with the frosting on the sides.

Now, blend the colours together to create a seamless gradient. Use the tip of your offset spatula to create horizontal zig-zags in the frosting, helping to mix the different shades.

Finally, smooth out the frosting using a bench knife or a clean offset spatula. Hold your tool parallel to the cake and gently glide it across the colours to achieve an even finish. Remove any excess frosting that collects on the spatula as you work. If using a rotating cake stand, gently turn the cake as you smooth the frosting.

You've now successfully mixed and blended the colours for your ombre wedding cake!

Frequently asked questions