Flavor Guide: The Best Spring & Summer Cake Flavors

We are firm believers that you can eat any flavor of cake any time in the year and it will be the right choice. Especially for your wedding. You should choose your absolute favorite cake flavor so that it is something you can look forward to tasting and sharing with your loved ones. 

That being said, it can be fun to think of different flavor combinations that fit well with the season. Spring and summer weddings can be a great time to introduce bright citrus flavors and local seasonal fruits to add something special and memorable to your wedding cake. Traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate are never out of season and are always great choices, but we wanted to share a few more unique flavors that we think are perfect for the spring and summer seasons.

Lemon

Lemon is a flavor that immediately comes to mind because it is fresh and bright, just like spring. Lemon sponge cake has a light crumb texture and a refreshing citrus flavor that pairs well with a variety of fillings. If you want an extra kick of citrus, lemon cake can be paired with a lemon curd filling that is smooth and rich and so delightfully full of lemon flavor. Other fruit fillings also complement lemon cake beautifully. Raspberry is a classic combination with lemon, but some other more unique fruit combinations include blueberry, blackberry, huckleberry, and cherry. 

Earl Grey

Earl grey cake is a more unique cake flavor that combines slightly smoky floral undertones with light citrus overtones. Infused with vanilla and earl grey tea, this flavor is a fun twist on a traditional cake. If you want to keep it simple and let the earl grey flavor shine, a vanilla cream filling is a great option that enhances the cake flavor without overpowering it. Because earl grey has some light citrus notes already, a citrus filling such as lemon curd or orange curd is also a great choice (especially in the spring and summer months). Some other fillings that go well with earl grey cake include blackberry, huckleberry, and chocolate ganache.

Carrot

Carrot cake may just be the official cake flavor of spring. There is something about the snow melting and everything turning green that makes carrot cake a necessity! The addition of carrot makes for a slightly more dense crumb texture, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg make this cake taste warm and welcoming. Cream cheese frosting is the traditional filling in carrot cake, and the slight tanginess of the cream cheese complements carrot cake perfectly. A couple of other fillings that marry well with carrot cake are salted caramel ganache and vanilla Bavarian cream.

Lavender

As flowers bloom throughout spring and summer, there is something that just feels right about having a floral flavored cake! Lavender cake is perfect for this, as vanilla and lavender flavors blend together to create a cake that is complexly flavorful. The floral notes in lavender cake pair well with almost any fruit filling, including raspberry, blackberry, huckleberry, lemon curd, and cherry. Vanilla cream and cream cheese frosting also work well as fillings that uplift the cake flavors without overtaking them. If you want a more unique pairing, chocolate ganache is also amazing with lavender, as the slight bitterness of the chocolate beautifully balances the sweet floral flavors of the cake.

Pistachio

Pistachio is a flavor that is becoming more and more popular in all kinds of desserts, and cakes are no exception. Pistachio cake has a light crumb texture that is enhanced by ground pistachios that add a salty nuttiness to the flavor. This nuttiness is complemented well with a little bit sweeter filling, like toasted white chocolate ganache or a honey-flavored buttercream. Cream cheese frosting is also a popular filling choice, as the sweet, tangy flavor plays nicely with pistachio cake. Pistachio is a versatile flavor that also nicely balances fruit flavors like raspberry and strawberry.

Coconut

Coconut cake is luxuriously rich, with a slightly more dense crumb texture. Especially popular in the spring, the deep aromatic coconut flavor pairs well with a variety of fillings. A personal favorite of ours is to double up on coconut, and use a coconut cream filling that adds to the flavor while balancing a lighter element. Simpler fillings that enhance and pair well with coconut cake include vanilla Bavarian cream and cream cheese frosting, as both add amazing flavors without being overpowering. Fruit fillings like raspberry and blackberry also marry beautifully with coconut, adding a fresh, bright notes to the cake.

Spring and summer months are filled with color and life, and we love creating flavors that reflect these things. Creativity can be reflected in every element of a cake, and we hope that these flavor combinations help inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to cake flavors!