English summer Cake
Sticky Ginger Layer Cake with Caramel Apple Butter
Project concept
This signature project celebrates the gentle, grounding beauty of an English summer day.
It begins not with a recipe, but with a mood: the kind you feel in your chest when sunlight dapples through fruit trees and bees hum softly across wildflower beds.
The concept for this shoot was shaped around a slow afternoon garden gathering.
A Sticky Ginger and Caramel Apple butter Cake takes centre stage, surrounded by the textures, colours, and rituals that evoke summer's quiet abundance.
Creative Approach
Inspired by cottage gardens and the slow rhythm of countryside living,
this shoot tells the story of a warm afternoon where time seems to stretch.
Wildflowers picked that morning spill over mismatched vessels.
Antique linens drape softly over weathered tables.
The cake is rich, spiced, and impossibly tender & it seduces the guests
to lean in, linger, and savour.
The visual tone is romantic and timeless.
Sunlight through leaves, aged surfaces, and handmade details
infuse each frame with nostalgia and intimacy.
Storytelling goals
Create a transportive mood of English summer stillness.
Celebrate seasonal beauty through wildflowers and slow rituals.
Make the cake feel like a centerpiece of connection, not just food.
Blend still life and storytelling to elevate everyday moments.
Shot-list breakdown
1. Cake Story
Hero image of the sticky ginger layer cake topped with garden blooms.
Macro textures of buttercream, apple butter layers, and sliced interiors.
A full tabletop scene: antique cutlery, melting orchard cocktails, vintage plates.
2. Wildflowers & Cottage Textures
Loose wildflowers in amber jars on rustic wooden surfaces.
Natural light through lace, petals scattered across books and wood.
3. Human Connection
A woman in soft linen, hands arranging flowers or pouring drinks.
Candid, quiet gestures: slicing the cake, setting a table.
4. Detail & Texture
Close-ups of linen, old cookbooks, cutlery with patina.
Summer light falling across uneven surfaces, creating warmth and depth.
Colour & Styling Direction
Colour Palette:
Apricot, blush pink, creamy ivory, soft green.
Anchored by earth tones: terracotta, antique gold, blue-grey.
Styling Elements:
Hand-thrown ceramics, weathered props, natural linen.
Loosely gathered florals, seasonal fruits, and aged wood textures.
Avoid anything overly polished — imperfections add soul.
Results
This project is a love letter to slow gatherings, seasonal desserts, and storytelling through image.
It invites the viewer to feel something: the quiet joy of a shared slice of cake, the weight of warm sun on your shoulders, and the comfort of knowing summer always comes back around.
Ready to bring your brand’s story to life through evocative imagery? Let’s connect!
Let’s work together
Whether it’s destionation photography, lifestlye product photography or videography or an Instagram partnership, I’d love to hear more about what you had in mind! Let’s get in touch.
For partnership opportunities, please reach out directly to suze@gourmetglow.co.uk