HIS CAKE: The Groom’s Cake

While chocolate has been the most popular choice for groom’s cakes, other “manly” flavors—red velvet, carrot, and spice cake—are also becoming favorites. But let’s face it—everyone loves chocolate, so if you want to stick with the old standby, try giving it a little twist. “Many couples choose a coffee-flavored filling like espresso ganache, or hazelnut, both are delicious,” says Rita Dadaian of Cakes Couture (973-763-9143; cakescouture.com).

Charmaine Jones of Cake Diva in Hoboken (201-216-0123; cakediva.com) recommends celebrating your heritage, and has seen a recent trend in grooms wanting to pay homage to their ethnicity. “I’ve made cakes in the shape of everything from an African drum to a Celtic cross,” she says.

Other great ideas are to spotlight a groom’s hobby or one of his favorite things. Jones created the shape of a Hennessy bottle and power tools; while Joanne Gusweiler of Cocoluxe in Peapack (908-781-5554; cocoluxepastry.com) has created a car’s motor engine and a trout to accommodate a groom’s wishes.

HER CAKE: The Wedding Cake

Pick a flavor—any flavor. Gone are the days of white cake and vanilla buttercream frosting. In fact, the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing a flavor for your wedding cake. Some of Jones’s favorites for fall/winter include pink champagne cake with coconut filling, chocolate cake with brandy cream, and pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling. And don’t think you have to give up on fruit in the cooler months: lemon cake with lemon filling is a tasty treat anytime of year.

Be bold with color. You don’t need to rely solely on flowers to add a boost of color to your cake—now the entire confection can be designed in your favorite hues. Have your baker tint the frosting to match the centerpieces or bridesmaids dresses, or ask to have a special design painted onto the cake. One bride that Dadaian worked with actually designed her own fabric swatches, which were then printed onto the cake.

Give it dual purpose. One of Jones’s celebrity clients had several small cakes designed as gift boxes for her winter wedding, and placed one on each table in lieu of floral centerpieces. “The cake doesn’t just stand off to the side anymore—it is a piece of art that ties into the entire concept of the wedding,” says Jones.