1. 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

2. 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/