To break with tradition, Francina Stewart of One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn, New York, created ombre layers of cake and then covered them with beads of cream cheese buttercream. The end result is charmingly retro, with a homemade quality that makes you want to sneak a swipe of frosting.

Hidden beneath the swooping white frosting of this tiered dessert are stunning scarlet layers infused with buttermilk and cocoa. For added flavor, we've substituted a tangy cream-cheese frosting for the standard flour-based icing, spreading it between each layer and outside, and adorning it with gum-paste magnolias.

Inside of this ikat and French silk ribbon cake, alternating layers of red velvet cake and white buttercream echo the ribbon's stripes (we stacked two of these five-layer tiers).

Fresh figs pop against a sheet of snowy fondant on this red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and also complemented the natural vibe of this outdoor reception.

At this wedding, a pair of smaller cakes, this one red velvet, were accented with flowers to create an ethereal display.

Guests at this New York City wedding were served a coconut-flecked red velvet cake with sweet buttercream frosting that matched the wedding's principal hues: red and white.

The skilled bakers at Doughboys Los Angeles provided a whimsical take on classic red velvet cake.