Clusters of spiky petals of soft meringue top the layers of this cake. The same meringue, spread smooth, covers the sides.

A cascade of 60 piped meringue flowers tumbles down a stack of rectangular tiers for the Ribbon Rose Cake -- each tier is edged in a pristine border. Each rose on this cake is piped with a single, continuous squeeze onto a flower nail and baked before being affixed to the cake with royal icing.

When the weather is cold, bare branches sparkle with frozen crystalline droplets, creating a luminous, icy white that can set the tone for a sophisticated snowy wedding. When accented with shades of pale gray and glittering silver, this purest of whites seems to glow, recalling the soft light of a winter afternoon.

A simple cake frosted with white buttercream rises from a sea of blown-sugar bubbles that mimic both the color and the festive air of Champagne. Piped buttercream dots on the cake continue the effervescent theme.

The delicate gum-paste flowers and royal-icing beading on this elegant cake evoke classic white-on-white embroidery. The ornate three-letter monogram was copied from the hemstitched runner.

Any cake frosted in buttercream can be decorated with crisp meringue flowers in shades of white. On this cake, some flowers are piped in one piece and baked in the oven, while others are piped petal by petal, baked, assembled with more meringue, and baked again -- the overall effect is that of a heavily embroidered bodice. The finished flowers, which are easy to cut through, add a delicious crunch to each slice.

The quiet shimmer of white sweets gives this cake a romantic air. The candies are scattered across tiers dusted in sparkling sugar. The sweets include rock candy, gumdrops, almond dragees, wafers, chocolate candies, and more.

The egg yolk-based Lord Baltimore cake (right) may have been created to use leftover ingredients from the Lady Baltimore cake (left), which is egg white-based. The latter cake became popular when Owen Wister described it in his 1906 novel, Lady Baltimore.

The simple geometry of the Lines and Dots Cake, capped with a fondant button, was inspired by Martha's first "Weddings" book. Variegated stripes of royal icing accentuate the verticality of the cake. The tiny dots are whipped chocolate ganache.

Five tiers of varying heights and shapes combine with ornate decoration to give this cake its regal appearance. Underneath the smooth, dense fondant coating is delicate white cake -- royal-icing piping over the fondant is enhanced further with white-chocolate ruffled rosettes.

Dotted with meringue blossoms, this quirky cake has a 1960s feeling. Although flowers are traditional decorations for wedding cakes, these are a bit less formal than the usual piped or gum-paste posies. The cake is made with seven tiers coated with Swiss meringue buttercream and decorated with about four dozen meringue daisies.

The seven-tier coconut cake, frosted with buttercream, candied coconut, and two different types of coconut flakes, will take your guests' breath away. The cake's height and champagne-colored satin ribbon give it a stately appearance, while the scattered coconut provides a lighter feel, combining both formal and casual elements. With fewer tiers, the same cake would be appropriate for a less formal affair.

Hidden beneath the swooping white frosting of this tiered dessert are stunning scarlet layers infused with buttermilk and cocoa.

Simple designs, like the luscious buttercream blooms atop these tiny cakes, can make a big impression. Just three inches high, these beauties could be the highlight of a dessert buffet or be served at each place.

This chic confection features black lace licorice wrapped around pristine tiers covered in fondant. We set it on a painted wooden cake board that's 16 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. You'll need a fine-tip natural-bristle paintbrush to attach the licorice laces.

This eyelet sampler -- with its cutouts, flowers, and pristine whiteness -- evokes summer as prettily as a billowing cotton dress. Each fondant-covered tier presents a different eyelet. Cake, Wendy Kromer.

Sugar-paste roses are fashioned to look like fabric flowers -- they add a touch of haute couture to a cake based on finely quilted cotton matelasse. The leaves (fondant formed in a silicone mold) contrast with the textured bands (made by pressing fondant onto a grid) wrapping the tiers. The oval shape of the confection makes it appear slightly different from every angle. The cake board is covered with fondant and edged in a vintage silk ribbon.

The visual elements of this cake are a fanciful reinterpretation of a Corinthian column, an element first seen in Greece during the fifth century B.C. Acanthus leaves made of fondant bring an organic touch to the gently graduated tiers, preventing the marble-white finish from becoming too austere. The column's fluting is created by carefully pressing an offset spatula into the fondant.

In this cake, the cantilevered tiers are a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright. Styrofoam separators supporting the tiers are hidden behind undulating walls of fondant inspired by the work of the contemporary architect Frank Gehry.

This airy and moist vanilla sponge cake has a thin layer of apricot jam inside and is covered with buttercream; piped dots and fresh cattleyas lend elegance. The cake board was cut from teak (the cake itself rests on a cardboard layer).

This white cake was adorned with sari roses, marigolds, and virbunum berries and set on a stand made of terra-cotta tile.

Techniques used by dressmakers to turn fabric into flowers inspired this sophisticated cake. A combination of fondant and white chocolate both envelops the cake and decorates it. Prim buttercream dots frame the designs.

At first glance, this cake appears to be monochromatic, but the edges of all of the gum-paste petals are actually brushed with powdered coloring in a mix of moss green and pale pink.

No special talent is needed to create this luscious-looking confection -- just swirls of fluffy seven-minute icing applied to a snow-white cake. Freshly shaved coconut falls where it may, while tiny fresh mums adorn the cake and sweet peas and ranunculuses dress the table.

Tightly curled tempered-white-chocolate cigarettes create a fortress of three cake layers, which are topped with golden raspberries. A sifting of powdered sugar keeps the raspberries in the color theme.

This wedding cake, covered in buttercream and fondant, has lacy ferns piped all around it.