Naked Cake, a return to traditional cake

I have never been a big fan of trends, and perhaps that is why I have never made a fondant cake or cupcakes with frostings or creams that taste like nothing, despite their success. You will not have seen any recipes, products or materials for them on the web. I admit that making them is an art, but they are simply not my thing. But there is one trend that I definitely subscribe to, and that is the naked cake trend .

Literally, naked cake means naked cake . Naked because it is shown as it is, and without any of those coatings that I mentioned. It is a cake that is characterized by showing the sponge cake on two or more layers and in the most traditional way.

The fact that they are devoid of such additions does not mean that they are not cheerful. In fact, they attract attention due to their natural and brightly coloured decorations provided by the fruit (what could be more natural?), and they can usually be filled with cream, custard or chocolate.

There are those who make them more perfect and well finished, and those who display them with a casual disarray that gives them an irresistible character of their own (these are the ones I like!). They can have so much fruit or such a rough finish that they even seem decadent... although that does not take away from their authentic flavor. They all have their appeal, their touch, their natural and traditional point.

Naked cakes are a big hit in the United States. The internet is filling up with creations, and it's a pleasure to see them. And not just the internet: the success is such that it is even becoming the fashion at many weddings , where the wedding cake is returning to its traditional starting point, forgetting about fondants and showing traditional cakes.

Because clearly, this new trend is a call to tradition (yes, that which we at Claudia & Julia like so much !) or, if you prefer, it is a counter-trend: it is the tendency to go against the grain of everything that is fondant baking and excess sugar.

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

I have always thought that the way a dish is made and presented says a lot about the chef, and I see this even more clearly in a naked cake . Therefore, I encourage you to prepare your own, while I say to you: "show me how you finish your naked cake , and I will tell you what you are like!"

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

If you want to see some naked cake recipes for inspiration, you can visit:

• Victoria sponge cake , for those looking for a basic, delicious and fluffy cake
• Chocolate and zucchini naked cake with cherries , a naked cake recipe that is pure temptation
• Carrot cake , so you don't feel too bad about eating cake
• Eton Mess Cake , a good example of naked cake made with the Angel Bundt mold .
• Summery red fruit naked cake , the perfect mix of red fruit and cream.