Layer & Celebration Cakes

Celebration is essential—it is desired, expected, and welcomed. Few things feel as festive as a beautiful, irresistible cake at the centre of the table. Add lit candles or fresh, juicy fruit and the moment becomes even more alive, beautifully displayed by Fiona Cairns’ Strawberry and Elderflower Cake. With dried fruits, edible decorations or playful details, the cake naturally becomes the heart of the celebration, and you can not lose with this gorgeous Very Lemony Meringue Cake from the same author. When the cake is homemade, it carries even more meaning: care, affection and dedication are visible, and everyone notices. These cakes are the protagonists of birthdays, special gatherings and moments that ask for something memorable, imagine having an all-yellow cake at the center of the table like Woody’s Lemon cake by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Syrups, frostings, candles, flowers, people, music—it is pure joy!

When baking a birthday cake, it is important to consider whether it can safely remain on display as part of the décor. Cakes made with whipped cream or served in warm conditions generally require refrigeration and should be brought out approximately one hour before serving. While this may limit their time on display, many cakes are visually striking and designed to be a focal point, such as Nick Malgieri’s Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake. In these cases, certain elements of the decoration or structure can be adjusted to allow the cake to remain safely and attractively at the centre of the celebration.

This collection is part of An Introduction to... Cake