A confession first of all today everyone: I’ve been gazing at the images for this wedding blog post (possibly dribbling a little) for quite a long time. I should have been typing but a mixture of admiration and hunger stopped me in my tracks! Today I’m sharing the best wedding cakes I’ve seen all year – seriously these are damned impressive and then some!

My favourite! Au Naturale is a stack of Madagascan vanilla sponge filled with vanilla buttercream and fruity raspberry jam, with a long glossy red ribbon bow, which draped down the length of the cake creates a bold and striking focal point.
Designer wedding cakes from Cakes by Beth
Designer Beth is modest about her wedding cakes, and I suspect she’s blushing already but I really do admire her creativity, attention to detail and the passion she pours into her wedding cakes business. Beth is based in the North West, has exhibited and given demonstrations at top events like The Cake & Bake Show and designed cakes for high profile events and many, many weddings.
She’s also a friend and a lovely, down-to-earth, inspiring person to know. Oh, and did I mention her cakes? Here’s your introduction to the 2013 wedding cakes collection from Cakes by Beth. Enjoy! Claire xxx

White Swan wedding cake – a tall, elegant and very feminine cake with billowing, frothy ruffles in pure white. The sides of the tiers are covered with feathered ruffle strips, and a fabric-style ruffled rose cascade pours down the side of the cake. Incredibly detailed and beautiful!

The Drawing Room – a five tier wedding cake for 2013 with a striking colour palette. The inspiration for the design came from grand rooms in country house estates with picture rails, striped wallpaper and beautiful rose gardens.

Vertical Magnolias – a classic wedding cake with a twist! Based on a plain white three tier design, but with subtle differences that make it stand out. The tiers are offset to create a flat vertical face down one side, which is then decorated with a line of simple magnolia flowers. Each tier is iced with rectangular panels to create soft vertical lines, and then trimmed with a simple rope edge.

Antoinette – inspired by Marie Antoinette’s decadent outfits and famous opulent lifestyle. A fresh colour palette of sugary pastels, including dusky pink, duck egg blue and vanilla, on a fresh white background. The base tier is inspired by the full ruffled underskirts of the time, with a raw silk textured half height tier above, and the top two tiers are draped in a hand-piped lace pattern, complete with frilled edge. Beth balanced out the pink by adding a simple pink bow

Meiji – inspired by the Japanese Meiji period this cake features a bit of a twist to the classic cherry blossom style by using leafy shards, and has a modern spin on the classic four tier structure with the top three tiers very similar in diameter, with a wider base tier in a pop of lipstick pink

Fantasy Forest Birdcage – My other favourite! Beth is renowned for her birdcage wedding cakes and this fantasy forest cake is black with dark gold cake details, hibiscus flowers, bright green vines and turquoise and orange hand painted flower details. The overall feel is that of a mysterious and unexplored paradise.

French Riviera – Art Deco with a difference. This striking wedding cake incorporates nautical details and Mediterranean colours (raspberry red, dark teal and mustard) inspired by the south of France, and art deco shapes with bold, simple sketched flowers. A bright, modern cake with a nod to the 1930s.
The photography is by the magnificent Chris Hanley Photography, who I’m very excited to know is working closely with Beth on other, secret things… but that’s all I know! The suspense is killing me… I think I need cake.
Claire x
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6 COMMENTS
chris hanley
7 years ago
Beth is Dr Cake. You should have smelt our studio on the day we shot the cakes….heavenly. Yes there are plans afoot Ms Gould, its a shame you are now so far away because you’d have got a free front row seat in the studio for whats going to happen on Sunday x
Claire Gould
7 years ago
AUTHORDr Cake… I love it. I can only imagine how amazing the studio must have been on the day of your shoot Chris, I saw the photos on Beth’s blog (and of your biscuits!)
I wish I could have been there. Although would the cakes have been safe?!
Whatever you’re up to will be fantastic, I hope there will be tweets appearing on Sunday! Have fun 🙂
C x
Wedding Cakes Brighton
7 years ago
Beautiful cakes Claire. You got talent. The birdcage is just an art.. well done and we are looking forward to new posts with pictures of your cakes 🙂 xxx
Claire Gould
7 years ago
AUTHORWell what can I say, Wedding Cakes Brighton – it’s a lovely comment and kind of you to stop by.
I certainly do have talent.
And they’re stunning cakes.
Sadly I don’t have a houseful of these, which I most certainly would if I could bake. At all. I burnt some pasta the other day, would you believe.
The clue is in the name I think: Cakes by Beth. More clues here if you’re struggling… http://www.cakesbybeth.co.uk/
Adam Johnson
7 years ago
She’s just the best isn’t she? World fame beckons.
Beth Mottershead (Cakes by Beth)
7 years ago
Thanks so much for the lovely post, Claire! And thank you everyone for your lovely comments, I’m so glad you like my new designs! xxx