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Sweet Natured

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See our gallery of gorgeous cakes and confections inspired by Charleston's most charming features and locations.

White chocolate cake layered with white chocolate mousse blended with raspberry purée, iced in vanilla almond buttercream, and covered in vanilla fondant. Wrapped in vines and handmade sugar flowers. Serves 45 ($405), designed by Ashley Bakery. Photograph by Roo Way

If you’re fortunate enough to have backyard blooming with jasmine, you can add the real deal to a plain cake to trim costs. Featured cake serves 45 ($405), designed by Ashley Bakery. Photograph by Roo Way

With the organic look of blossoms like these, make sure you use a similarly organic cake stand, too. Featured cake serves 45 ($405), designed by Ashley Bakery. Photograph by Roo Way

Mimic Mother Nature’s beauty with a natural mix of buds and open roses. Featured cake serves 140 ($950), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Roo Way

Almond cake layered with raspberry jam, iced with buttercream, and covered in pale pink fondant with white trim. Accented with handcrafted sugar flowers. Serves 140 ($950), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Roo Way

Want to dress up your cake but wary of design overload? Add a handful of sugar roses in a matching hue for a sweet and subtle touch. Featured cake serves 140 ($950), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Roo Way

On a tight budget? Add delicately crafted paper roses instead of handmade sugar versions for an unexpected flair. Featured cake serves 140 ($950), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Roo Way

Carolina butter pecan cake layered with orange blossom marmalade creme, iced and covered in praline Italian buttercream. Adorned with hand-sculpted sugar mag-nolia blooms and fondant appliqués. Serves 170 ($1,750), designed by Elaine’s Events—Cakes of Distinction. Photograph by Roo Way

Are you a DIY bride? If sugar flowers are out of your league, try crafting florals out of polymer clay and arrange them around a load-bearing cake stand. Featured cake serves 170 ($1,750), designed by Elaine’s Events—Cakes of Distinction. Photograph by Roo Way

If you opt out of fondant, make sure your cake can support the topper you choose. These sugar magnolias (crafted on wire stems inserted into the layers) are the perfect weight for delicate buttercream. Serves 170 ($1,750), designed by Elaine’s Events—Cakes of Distinction. Photograph by Roo Way

Embroidered butterflies and lace patterns from an 1870s Charleston wedding cake tablecloth informed this cake covered with vanilla almond buttercream and pale coral vanilla fondant, filled with Manjari chocolate ganache and toffee bits, then decorated with hand-cut and piped gumpaste details. Serves 116 ($814), designed by Ashley Bakery. Photographed at the Governor Thomas Bennett House by Roo Way

Curlicues, swirls, and scrollwork lifted from an 1830s cake “saw” formed the basis of this cake’s decorative elements. The rich chocolate pound cake is filled with white chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries covered in pale taupe fondant and decorated with a run sugar coronet, more than 100 run sugar appliqués, and 200 gumpaste flowers. Serves 150 ($3,000), designed by Jean-Paul Creative cakes. Photographed at the Governor Thomas Bennett House by Roo Way

Peonies, vines, and lovebirds in their palette of gold, crimson, blue, and fern green on this cake were taken from a pair of 1800 Derby plates. The butter cake is filled with fresh raspberries, Italian buttercream, and creme de cocoa, then covered in Italian butte cream and decorated with piped designs. Serves: 135 ($975), designed by Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal. Photographed at the Governor Thomas Bennett House by Roo Way

Daisies and fern-like fronds etched in a set of Edwardian era champagne flutes inspired this cake’s look. The champagne-infused white cake is filled with fluffy black poppyseeded Chantilly cream, iced in buttercream, covered in snow white fondant, and dressed with sugared white fondant flowers and greens, and whisper-thin black ribbon. Serves 175 ($1,182), designed by Elaine’s Events. Photographed at the Governor Thomas Bennett House by Roo Way

Almond cake with fresh raspberry filling covered in cream cheese icing and wrapped in fondant. Decorated with piped pinstripes and accented with sugar paste daisies. Serves 150 ($1,175), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Matthew Scott

Italian cream cake with cream cheese icing wrapped in white fondant. Decorated with pearlized bands of sugar paste, then covered with a cascading shower of handmade lilac gum paste blossoms, and accented with two piped icing butterflies. Serves 150 ($1,185), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Matthew Scott

Lemon cake with lemon curd filling covered with buttercream and wrapped in buttercup fondant. Decorated with rows of white sugar paste leaves (inspired by Battenburg lace) and handmade gum paste tulips and stephanotis blossoms. Serves 150 ($1,075), designed by Jean-Paul creative cakes. Photograph by Matthew Scott

Homemade poundcake with blueberry filling covered in buttercream and then wrapped in robin’s egg fondant. Decorated with white piped icing in a scrollwork lace pattern modeled after vintage photos of British desserts. Accented with handmade gum paste stephanotis blossoms. Serves 300 ($2,500), designed by Jean-Paul Creative Cakes. Photograph by Matthew Scott