The Naked Cake has been around for a long time but the credit for the creation of this rustic looking cake goes to Christina Tosi! The naked cake popularity really started making the wedding scene around 2014-2015. Bakers everywhere have created many versions and artistic creations of this trend. The thing about a trend is that it comes and goes. This trend is here to stay for a while. This baker is still getting requests for The Naked Cake or a semi-covered version I like to call semi-naked cake.
What is a naked cake you ask? A naked cake that has no frosting covering the sides. It could have jam, caramel, fresh fruit, ganache, and frosting fillings between the layers. You see the beauty of the fresh cake and fillings. Some of the fillings are allowed to drip over the sides of the cake. Fresh fruit is artfully arranged on top of the layers and around the base. A semi-naked cake has what decorators refer to as a crumb coat. This is a thin layer of frosting to hold the crumbs in place to allow for a flawless final finish on the cake. This semi-naked finish also help to prevent the cake from drying out quickly.
There are a lot of reasons to love a naked or semi-naked cake. This cake style really shines at a rustic outdoor or barn wedding. Make it 2 tiers or more and add beautiful fresh flowers then you have a beauty fit to be called a wedding cake. Some would argue that it is not fit for a wedding. They argue that the trend is one that they would like to see disappear. Some do not like the unfinished look of the cake. Some argue that it looks messy. I for one am happy to make them! I feel like you need a bit of education so that you know what you are ordering and are not disappointed with the final results.
One thing for you to be aware of, the lack of frosting leads to a danger of the cake drying out quickly. For this reason, I suggest a semi-naked finish so that the cake gets some coverage to prevent dry stale cake. I also suggest picking a filling that adds to the moisture content like a fruit filling or syrup filling. When deciding on where and when to set up the cake it is good to think about the fact that the longer it is in the open air before cutting, the drier it will be. so shorten up the display time.
Some things to think about when ordering; the contrast between white buttercream and a chocolate cake really is beautiful. Add burgundy and cream flowers with a little green filler leaves at the base of the cake and you have a masterpiece. Carrot cake with apricot filling, a cream-colored cheesecake flavored buttercream finish, and fresh garden-grown zinnias and Dahlias in pinks and reds with some burgundy yarrow filler is a beautiful cake!
