Consider the color white. Radiant and pure, its greatest strength lies in its simplicity. White is pristinely absent of color, but upon closer examination it contains multitudes. Sir Isaac Newton’s experiments with white light revealed a brilliant spectrum of colors in equal measure—a dazzling array so perfectly proportioned, the naked eye detects nothing. White is a paradox, a canvas so kaleidoscopic it appears blank.

For cake designers, what better place to begin the creative process? A blank background compels the imagination to dream of what could be. Designers are drawn to white’s ability to showcase their work in its purest form. White hides nothing. The most elemental features of cake design—shape, light and shadow—are pushed to the forefront on a white cake. Designers who embrace white soon discover how such a simple color becomes complex.

Setting the Tone

More than any other color, white straddles the line between traditional and modern—and often finds a way to be a little bit of both. “We love white-on-white cakes,” says Heather Leavitt, owner of Sweet Heather Anne, a cake studio based in Ann Arbor, MI, “I can make a very modern design, but then it still has that traditional feel.” White on its own is classic. Think white picket fences or crisp white sheets. But there’s room for interpretation. Play with shapes, patterns and materials, and white can be modern, it can be sexy. It can even be subversive.

Each choice a designer makes has an impact on the overall tone of a cake. A white cake can take on a romantic mood with intricate piped-on lacework or an organic feel with rustically applied buttercream. White cakes appear more modern by using geometric patterns and clean, minimal detailing. Designers can push the boundaries past where they might have gone if the cake was done in color. Leavitt describes a recent cake, “One of my favorite designs that we did last year was just this very simple geometric pattern, shown right, that was made out of triangles…basically there was a positive and negative space of triangles, but all of it was white, and the whole cake was just this pattern. And it was gorgeous.”

THE Paradox OF WHITE

BY JUNITA BOGNANNI

COLOR STORY

To introduce our new column on color, what better place to start than with

white—so deceptively simple, pure and stark.

JAN | FEB 2015 americancakedecorating.com 33

Heather Leavitt of Sweet Heather Anne notes that if she had done this geometric design in color, the cake would have been very bold, “but white-on-white made it more elegant.” | Photography: Jennifer Togal

LEFT: Piped lattice work and dimensional lacework contrast with a sleek, undecorated tier, creating a mood of modern romance. Cake by Heather Leavitt, Sweet Heather Anne. | Photography: Cyn Kain

40 americancakedecorating.com JAN | FEB 2015 JAN | FEB 2015 americancakedecorating.com 41

Focus on Technique

Monochromatic doesn’t have to mean monotonous. From white sugar flowers to piped lace to wafer paper cutouts, there’s a lot to choose from depending on the mood you’re hoping to create. White-on-white cakes can also bring an opportunity to focus on more complex techniques. For Toba Garrett, the dean of the professional cake decorating program at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, white cakes have the upper hand when using advanced piping, “especially for presenting classic techniques, such as Australian and Oriental stringwork or Lambeth-style cake artistry.” This incredibly detailed pipework appears even more refined in a neutral palette.

Designers incorporate different finishes and textures to achieve a particular look. Last year Leavitt created a cake with ribbons of fondant in alternating gloss and matte textures. “It was essentially the same color,” she says, “[but] the gloss was a warmer white than the matte.” The subtle differences in color gave more depth to the surface of the cake, creating a beautiful geometric pattern. Leavitt often works texture into her white-on-white cakes. “Rustic textures are pretty popular right now…it’s easy to do it in a buttercream or you could…cover a cake in fondant and then make a texture on it with royal icing.” For textures

that emulate fabric, like linen or lace, white works as a particularly good backdrop as well. “We tend to utilize white-on-white textures in general, even if there’s color on the cake… It’s a really nice way to have a beautiful texture, but it’s not overwhelming other things,” says Leavitt.

Design Challenges

But sometimes these subtle fabric textures are more difficult to achieve in white, which offers little inherent contrast. The best remedy is to experiment with different techniques until the light texture goes from subtle to striking. Another option is to work in additional design elements that may highlight the texture. “I make use of ornaments, such as sugar flowers, a fan, ribbons, and/or three-dimensional objects to create light and flattering shadow,” says Garrett.

Another challenge to working with white is that with a pale palette lighting the cake for photography can be an issue. Guests will likely experience the cake as the designer intended, but to capture the detail in photos, Garrett offers some tips. “If I want a neutral color to be flattering for lighting, I choose a gray or textured background or a soft palette-color background.”

The Future of White

What’s in store for white-on-white cakes? For people with respect for tradition, a simple white cake will never go out of style. And for those interested in updating a classic for modern tastes, nothing’s out of the question. Experiments with wafer paper cutouts, geometric fondant shapes and intricate piping demonstrate how much room for interpretation there is. Using just light, shadow and shape, a white cake can be a purer artistic expression than any color could hope to be. ACD

A student in Toba Garrett’s course Techniques and Art of Professional Cake Decorating course at the Institute of Culinary Education, practicing her extension stringwork, a classic white-on-white technique. | Photography: Institute of Culinary Education

Four differently flavored cakes were decorated with different textures in buttcream for this dessert buffet, complemented by cookies decorated with royal icing. Dessert buffet by Heather Leavitt, Sweet Heather Anne. | Photography: JLB Photography

Junita Bognanni is a freelance writer and food stylist based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. You can find more of her writing about food and travel at www.cannolipepperoni.com.

Top Trends in White-on-White:White sugar flowers

Wafer paper cutouts

Geometric patterns and shapes

Piped lace

Rustic textures with buttercream and fondant

Alternating glossy and matte finishes

Fabric-like texture that echo a bride’s dress

FURTHER READING:

Brilliant: White in Design by Linda O’Keeffe

Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers by Linda Holtzschue

Above: pinterest.com/junita/acd-color-a-whiter-shade-of-pale/