Naked Cake, a return to traditional cake

I have never been a great follower of fashion, and perhaps for this reason I have never made a cake with fondant or cupcakes with coatings or creams that do not taste like anything, despite their success. You will not have seen on the web or recipes or products or material for it. I admit that it is quite an art to make them, but they simply do not go with me. But there is a fashion that I definitely join, and it is the fashion of naked cakes .

Literally naked cake means naked cake . Naked because it shows itself as it is, and without any of those coverings that I was telling you about. It is a cake that is characterized by showing the cake on two or more floors and in the most traditional way.

The fact that they are stripped of such additions does not mean that they are not joyful. In fact, they attract attention due to their natural decorations and bright colors provided by fruits (what more natural?), and they can usually be filled with cream, cream or chocolate.

There are those who make them more perfect and well finished, and those who show them with a casual disorder that gives them their own irresistible character (these are the ones that suit me!). They can be so fruity or so unpolished that they even seem decadent... although that doesn't take away from their authentic flavor. They all have their appeal, their touch, their natural and traditional touch.

The naked cakes are hitting very hard in the United States. The network is filling up with creations, and it's a pleasure to see them. And not only the network: the success is such that it is even being the fashion in many weddings , where the wedding cake returns to its traditional starting point, forgetting the fondants and showing the cakes of a lifetime.

Because clearly, this new fashion is a call to the traditional (yes, what Claudia&Julia loves so much !) or, if you want, it is a counter-fashion: it is the tendency to go against the current of everything that is pastry fondant and excess sugar.

The best thing about naked cakes or naked cakes is that anyone can make them : either with a standard round mold or with a bundt mold , and taking a recipe as simple as the typical yogurt or the most basic cake you know. You can then easily raise it to two floors, to later decorate it with cream, chocolate or simply give it a snowy touch of icing sugar. The finishing touch? Some strawberries to decorate in a discreet way, a combination of two fruits of different colors... or the most varied, colorful and abundant combination of fruits that you have to accompany it!

I have always thought that the way of preparing and presenting a dish says a lot about the cook, and I see it even more evident in a naked cake . Therefore, I encourage you to prepare yours, while I tell you: "show me how you finish your naked cake , and I'll tell you how you are!".

Here you have a sample of two different finishes: the recipe is the same, but it is up to each one to finish it in a more daring or more sober way (photos by Pemberley Cup and Cakes).

If you want to see some naked cakes recipes to inspire you, you can visit:

• Victoria sponge cake , for those looking for a basic, delicious and spongy cake
• Chocolate and zucchini naked cake with cherries , a naked cake recipe that is pure temptation
• Carrot cake , so as not to feel too bad for eating cake
• Eton Mess Cake , a fine sample of naked cake made using the Angel Bundt mould .
• Red fruit summer naked cake , the perfect mix of red fruit and cream.