Melbourne is a city celebrated for its rich culture and diversity – reflected in its food, experiences and the vibrant people who call it home. As wedding cakes remain a staple at any reception, it’s only fitting they represent the couple’s unique story. More couples are moving away from traditional designs, choosing custom cakes that honour their heritage and bring a deeply personal and sentimental touch to their special day. Melbourne Wedding & Bride’s Josephine Day sits down with Lindsay Robinson, the owner and lead cake designer at Top Tier Cake Supplies, to explore this meaningful trend and how to make your cake truly yours.
Dating back to ancient Rome, wedding cakes have always played a meaningful role in wedding celebrations – bringing people together and symbolising unity, joy and new beginnings. While the tradition remains, wedding cakes have since evolved into edible works of art that spark conversation, turn heads and add a stunning centrepiece to any reception. Robinson is a qualified pastry chef who has been baking and decorating sweet treats since 2007. “Top Tier Cake Supplies specialises in all things cake, offering decorating supplies and both group and private classes. Our specialities include wedding cakes and themed birthday cakes, and we love working with clients to bring their cake dreams to life,” he says. From traditional flavourings and colour palettes to meaningful symbols and culturally significant designs, couples today have countless ways to honour their heritage through cake. With the right guidance, your wedding cake becomes more than a dessert, and rather a reflection of who you are.
Image courtesy of Top Tier Cake Supplies.
THE BASICS
Creating and designing wedding cakes is a true passion for Robinson, who finds the process behind each creation incredibly rewarding. “We get to work with a client and come up with a concept and see it through to completion. No two cakes are the same, which as creators is music to our ears. We always love having the opportunity to create something unique,” he explains.
So, what goes into turning a cake idea into a showstopping masterpiece? For Robinson, it starts with open and collaborative communication. He works closely with couples to understand their vision, style and story, ensuring the final design reflects who they are. “Our creative process is to work with couples one-on-one to provide the best support. We garner as much information to come up with a concept that couples feel represents them individually.”
With years of experience under his belt, Robinson knows that practice refines creativity, and he welcomes flexibility in his designs, adapting when needed to suit evolving ideas. He believes a strong, well-understood concept forms the foundation for the most successful outcomes. Hence why the initial consultation is so crucial – it allows him to build a clear picture of each couple’s dream cake, ensuring that what he creates is not only beautiful and delicious, but also deeply personal and meaningful.
A SLICE OF CULTURE
For couples looking to incorporate elements of their culture into their wedding cake, the process can feel overwhelming at first. Knowing where to begin is often the biggest challenge, but discussing your ideas openly with your baker and focusing on the basics can make all the difference. Robinson approaches this by using couples’ extensive wish lists as a starting point, consulting closely to understand their vision and build a strong foundation to work from. “We ask as many questions as possible and work with couples to support them in creating their dream cake. We have worked with many couples over the years from a diverse range of cultures,” he describes.
For those wanting to blend multiple cultures in their cake design, Robinson advises gathering inspiration and doing research is invaluable. “We work with couples and often advise that they bring a mood board of cakes that they like and from there we can start to offer advice on colours, flavours etc,” he adds. “We believe that proper communication and encouraging a flow of ideas will lead to decisions and their dream cake.”
Robinson recalls a standout project where culture played a central role, creating a replica of the Parthenon for a Greek wedding inspired by My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “We had not done a cake of this size or magnitude before and it was certainly a challenge transporting the cake to its venue, but we loved it,” he shares.
BAKING PERFECTION
No project is too big or too small for Robinson and his team, as their goal is to create a wedding cake that couples will cherish and look back on with beautiful, fond memories. “We absolutely love bringing others’ dreams to life. It’s a big part of why we do what we do. One of our favourite things is to see photos of the cake and how it contributed to the big day,” he states.
For couples wanting to include their heritage through their wedding sweets, Robinson is fully supportive and encourages them to embrace their cultural roots. For those seeking a more modern approach, he offers practical advice. “Our advice would be to collect as much inspiration as possible, whether that be in images, colour themes, scents or even just words.” He emphasises that gathering these elements helps uncover what truly resonates with the couple, making the cake a celebration of their love and uniqueness.
Robinson also stresses the importance of booking your cake well in advance to allow time for accurate scheduling and any requested design changes, ensuring the final creation is perfect for the special day.