Inspiration Board: Icingless cakes

Momofuku Milk Bar

I’ve been noticing a trend developing lately. Perhaps, you have too. What is this trend, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Icingless Cakes. Yep, that’s right, cakes without an exterior layer of icing. Frankly, I’m not sure how I feel about this trend. The part of me that loves innovation is loving it, but the other part of me, the part of me that licks excess icing off my plate, isn’t completely sold on the idea. I know that there are plenty of delicious icingless cakes in the world (bundt cake, crumb cake, etc), but a wedding cake without icing? Will it be dry? Boring? Tasteless? I just don’t know! But, really, the flavor issue aside, there is something else that worries me about these cakes, a purely aesthetic problem that arises when you remove the protective outer layer of a cake. Take away the icing and what you’re now dealing with is, essentially, a nude cake and every flaw is exposed for the world to see. Icingless cakes just look messy. Even when created by professionals, they still look messy. Yes, there is something charming about their rustic appearance, but do you want to spend hundreds of dollars on a wedding cake and have it look sloppy or undone? Don’t get me wrong. I’m anxious to try one of these cakes and part of me thinks they’re awesome, but I’m just not sure if I would shell out a lot of money for one. What do you guys think?

Image by Natalie Bell