50th Anniversary Cakes

50th anniversary cakes are an important part of any anniversary celebration. After all, who doesn’t love dessert? There is a variety of 50th wedding anniversary cakes that you can serve at your party.

Make the cake unique and personal by choosing special flavors, colors, decorations and toppers. Here are a few 50th anniversary cake ideas to get you started:

• Flavor: Order a cake that is the flavor of the couple’s favorite kind of cake. If the two prefer different flavors, you can have the cake combine these flavors in a variety of ways. A sheet cake can usually be split half and half and a tiered cake can have a different flavor on each layer (or on alternating layers if the cake has more than two). If you want slightly more creative ways to combine the two flavors, try marble cake or layer cakes that alternate between the two (if they complement each other well). This is a cute idea because it shows how even when the two differ, they still go together!

• Recreate: Order the same kind of cake that the couple enjoyed on their wedding night. If this is not possible or if you want to order another flavor of cake but go with the reenactment idea, you could also just reproduce the look of the cake (i.e. same frosting colors, similar decorations, etc.).

• Color: If you are looking for ideas for color, remember that 50th wedding anniversary cakes should include some element of gold. This can be light gold frosting, shiny gold text, gold flowers, or other gold accents. It is the couple’s golden anniversary, after all!

• Topper: Traditionally, small figurines of the bride and groom sit atop a wedding cake. For a 50th anniversary cake topper, you can use these as well. A fun idea is to make older, cartoon-like statuettes of the couple. Some bakeries can make great marzipan cake toppers in this style, so be sure to ask your vendor what his or her abilities are. Another idea is to just place a gold “50” at the top. Or, if you are making your own cake and want a topper, choose a nice picture of the couple and print it out. Then, stick it to the cardboard and prop it up on top of the cake. You’ll probably need another, smaller piece of cardboard to rest it on so that it stands up straight on the cake. You can do this by cutting a square of cardboard and then cutting it in half. Place each triangle upright in a straight line on the cake and then rest the picture against them. If you want to eliminate the brown color of the cardboard backing, just add some gold foil, paper, or paint to the back of it (or any color that maintains your color scheme).

• Decoration: If you want to decorate but don’t want to use a topper, a photo of the couple printed directly on to the cake is a great way to incorporate a personal touch on a smaller or single-tier cake, such as a sheet cake or a small circular cake. Many bakeries and grocery stores can print pictures onto cakes, so be sure to ask!

• Shape: You can also get the cake itself to spell out “50,” either by buying special number-shaped cake pans and making it yourself (available at party supply stores) or by asking your baker to do so.

The ideas above are simply a few starting points. Don’t feel pressured to order a big cake, especially if you’re having a small party. Individual cakes, cupcakes or other smaller desserts can also be delicious endings to fantastic parties. No matter what you choose to serve, the dessert is sure to be a hit.