When a bride may consider anything from oyster gray to shell pink for her gown, her choice of cake may veer from the traditional as well. Still, there is nothing quite as romantic as a pure-white cake.

Applique Cake
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.

Dogwood Cake
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.

Meringue Bouquet
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.

Coconut Swirl
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.

White Chocolate Tower
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.

Bubble Cake
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.