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5 min
08/01/2026
We are moving forward from vanilla and red velvet cakes to colourful, bold, nostalgic flavours of saffron, pistachios, cardamon, rose, or thandai in the Indian wedding cake landscape from mithai. The new generation baker integrates regional flavours into the style of layered cakes in the form of sponge cakes, mousses, fillings and accessible buttercreams, while still allowing for a creative, culturally inspired, to flourish. We are travelling away from familiar flavours of mithai and going into a new style of cake.
A modern Indian wedding cake is more than just dessert; it is a cultural occasion. Couples are looking for a cake that feels personal, ties back to their heritage, and is nostalgic while also representing a cultural identity. This means it is up to the bakers to problem-solve how to flavour the cake with signature mithai, chai, or fusion-like, raspberry thandai, steamlining the sentimentality with the classic saffron, cardamom, rose, gulkand, and pistachio flavours as they layer tall, tiered cakes with modern stylings. Madeline cakes soaked in flavoured milks like rasmalai, paired with flavours like pistachio praline, rose or cardamom flavoured buttercream, play with nostalgia, contemporary techniques, and scent or identifiable Indian flavours in a culturally global style. The outcome is a dessert with a flavour that tells a love story.
The flavours found within traditional Indian desserts are very warm, aromatic, and layered. When you think of flavours from Indian desserts - saffron, pistachio, cardamom, rose, gulkand, or even some mithai like rasmalai and motichoor - you can see they already contain those flavour characteristics found in some great pastries; fat/sweetness/ fragrance/depth. As such, bakers do not need to feel like they are overwhelming a cake with these flavours by utilising them in sponges, creams, and fillings. What they're actually doing is allowing the cake to be a more articulated version of itself. Imagine a cardamom-scented sponge cake soaking up little sweetness with milk or rose cream squeezed into layers with pistachio; that is a saffron mousse sitting like silk and a vanilla-almond crumble. These won't feel like fusion; they will feel like an upgrade to something you may have eaten your entire life.
Saffron, cardamom, and pistachio are the signature flavours in Indian-style wedding cakes. Each offers a unique flavour to the cake. Saffron is both a taste and a luxury. Something as simple as a saffron milk soak, or saffron-infused cream, can elevate any cake from basic to celebratory. Cardamom is the subtle star; it performs in the same space as vanilla, but adds personality and warmth. Pistachio adds richness, colour, and a gentle nuttiness that complements butter-based cakes, mousses, and pralines incredibly well.
Then there is the cast of supporting players, including rose, gulkand, thandai, motichoor crumbs, jaggery caramel, and even paan—they’re not gimmicks; if utilised properly, they elevate a simple tier cake to a piece that appears and feels like an edible tribute to Indian culture
The primary change is in technique. Rather than simply mixing mithai into cake batter, bakers reinterpret mithai flavours in pastry elements such as light sponges, structured mousses, soaking syrups, flavoured buttercreams or crunchy textures.
A popular example is the rasmalai-inspired tier, which consists of saffron-cardamom sponges that are soaked in sweet milk and layered with pistachio cream. Another trend is pista/rose, where layers of pistachio sponge are offset by rose diplomat cream (or rose buttercream). Gulkand ganache has also become a go-to, especially for establishing structure for middle layers.
Then there is motichoor cake—everyone's favourite Indian fusion cake. Instead of mixing boondi into the batter, bakers will alternate layers of sponge with motichoor crumbs and serve alongside saffron cream or almond praline for texture. It's a fun indulgence without being too heavy.
Cakes with an Indian influence naturally elicit elegance in design, think muted gold accents, cream tiers, pistachio greens, marigold-like textures, or saffron-coloured brush strokes. Flowers, especially edible roses, marigolds, and baby's breath, seem to be becoming the preferred garnish. The more modern designs tend to lean towards minimalism, using clean tiers with gentle colour washes or gold leaf application.
Some couples even choose mandala piping, jaali patterns or traditional motifs. However, most of the styles today continue to balance Indian design inspiration with modern-day finesse.
These styles are not solely relegated to weddings alone. Birthday cakes are getting the same facelift for the same reason: they still want nostalgia, just in a newer form. A saffron-pista cake with rose cream feels just as celebratory in marking the 21st birthday as it does in a wedding. Flavours like cardamom, kesar, or a light paan mousse are all seen as homey flavours, taste like memories, just at a heightened experience.
They're especially appealing to those who want something less cloyingly sweet, heavy or simply something with a little more meaning than the typical bakery shortcake vanilla, etc flavours.
In contemporary Indian weddings, the wedding cake is a lot more than dessert - it is truly a mirror of who we are now as a culture. We are international, but we believe in our heritage. We always love technique, but flavour nostalgia still keeps us grounded. And where better to strike that balance than in weddings themselves, rich with meaning and sentimentality.
As long as Indian celebrations continue to advance, so will Indian wedding cakes. More flavours will emerge. More techniques will infiltrate. More memories will make their way into each tier. That is the reason this trend feels less like a trend - and more like the beginning of something permanent.
