Jan 29, 20233 min read

Gem and Josh’s stylish textured cake and dessert table, suitable for gluten-free and nut-free diets

Updated: Sep 19, 2023

If you don’t think gluten free wedding cakes can be tasty and look good, then I want to introduce you to Gem and Josh’s wedding at The Fire Pit Camp. They needed their wedding cake to cater to a number of dietary requirements, but still wanted it to look like a piece of art - and why should they have to sacrifice one for the other?! I loved working with them on their textured cake and being part of their navy and copper wedding theme.

Luxurious, industrial textured cake design

I love recreating interesting textures like stonework, granite and marble in cake format, so much so that textured cakes have become my signature style! Gem had seen some of my designs online and also loved the blend of artistic and industrial in cake format, so we knew we wanted to incorporate this vibe from day one.

The ‘textured’ element of Gem and Josh’s textured cake came from sugarpaste, a soft, sweet icing that’s perfect for shaping. I used it to give each layer an oversized crown, which added to the dynamic feel of the design. To fit with their wedding colour scheme, I made the tall three-tier cake in navy sugarpaste, and picked out the textural details, including the edge of each tier, in a luxurious copper.

To add further impact and height, I arranged a selection of fresh and dried flowers and pampas grasses to the top two tiers. This also brought a soft edge to the industrial vibe.

And of course, a textured cake isn’t all about the aesthetics! Gem and Josh chose two mouth-wateringly, lip-smackingly indulgent flavours for their cake: white chocolate and raspberry, and triple chocolate.

Coeliac-friendly wedding cake

Gemma has coeliac disease and her son is allergic to nuts, so it was imperative that the cake and treats were safe for all.

For so long, those who are coeliac or gluten-free have been told they have to settle for a cake they can eat, but does not taste or look nice. Or, even worse, to just cut their losses and go for a cake they can’t eat, but that everyone else will enjoy! As a coeliac myself, I was frustrated with the amount of people I saw having to settle, and so I created a range of gluten-free versions of my bestselling flavours. (Obviously, Gemma and Josh’s happiness was paramount…but as a total aside, it was a rare treat to be able to eat the leftover gluten-free cake trimmings, rather than have to let them go to waste!)

Navy and copper dessert table

In addition to their textured cake, Gemma and Josh wanted to wow their guests with a dessert table. To adorn the table I also provided mini baked donuts with a navy chocolate drip and copper dragées, and – the pièce de résistance – mini pots of salted caramel with tiny wooden spoons. Show me someone who doesn’t want to eat a little pot of gooey, delicious caramel as dancefloor fuel, and I’ll show you a liar…

Making your cake the focal point

The Fire Pit Camp is a family-run, sustainability-focused glamping wedding venue in the heart of Norfolk. It’s one of my favourite settings for a wedding anyway because it’s so ruddy gorgeous, but this was especially true at Gemma and Josh’s wedding day.

As I walked into The Fire Pit Camp, I was greeted with a fully styled area for the cake and dessert table. The wonderful Jo from Little Jem Weddings had created a gorgeous multi-level cake display area using log slices and vintage tea chests. She’d also created a backdrop of paper pinwheels in navy and metallic copper, with added foliage and twinkling fairy lights, which you can see in the back of the beautiful photos by Andy Dane.

I absolutely LOVED this setup, as it really made the cake a focal point. It’s always great to work on a wedding where the cake is given its own perfectly considered and styled setting, rather than a white table in a corner near a fire exit…if you’re going to invest in a beautiful, showstopping cake, you want it to actually be part of the show!

"Beautiful cake, truly a piece of artwork and tasted amazing. We were so grateful that despite being gluten/nut free, taste wasn’t compromised whatsoever!"

Looking for a textured cake for your wedding day?

If, like Gem and Josh, you’re looking for a textured cake for your wedding day, then I’d absolutely love to chat! You can get in touch to talk all things cake here, or alternatively check out some more of my designs here.