(Image: iStock)
My version of meditation is to look at pretty things on the internet, mostly stunning cakes. So here is just a little round up of some of the most beautiful cake trends of the year and a chance to show some of the AWESOME local talent some love!
1. Succulents – Not just for the garden, even our wedding cakes are water-wise these days. Saving water is always on trend
2. Bold colours – say goodbye to pastel ombre and hello bold colours and metallics
3. Local is lekker – whether it is indigenous sugar flowers or bead work we are out of our gourds for it! (And how cute is that butternut?)
4. Transcultural diffusion – drawing inspiration from the Day of the Dead and from Indigenous American cultures
ALSO SEE: 10 incredibly eye-catching cake creations
5. Get inspired by fashion! Using fabric and couture to inspire design
6. Is there an animal in the house? Chocolate feathers are THE trend at the moment, and make great flamingoes, and this list wouldn’t be complete without a unicorn or two!
7. Inspired by the earth and stars– check out the geode cakes, marble inspired gems and a glittering galaxy glaze
8. Fondant designs just keep evolving, bringing us fresh takes on ruffles, using art deco geometric patterns and providing the canvas for the most eye-popping painted cakes
ALSO READ: How to make the perfect, flop-proof chocolate fondant
9. Say goodbye to fondant and hello to butter icing, naked cakes and ganache drips, for those that are “so over fondant” take heart fresh modern tasty cakes are here!
10. Big cakes – and just in case you missed it, I like big cakes and I cannot lie, our own Dot Klerk won the Cake Masters Award for Best Showpiece cake for her life sized elephants!
Follow Julie (cake decorater and teacher) on Twitter @AskJulieDonald where she gives quick answers to all your baking questions