Now’s the time to pull out all the stops with a showstopper wedding cake. Take inspiration from these 10 delicious alternatives to the traditional wedding cake.
When you choose your wedding cake flavours, you have to choose with both head and heart in mind. Your heart, because you want to love your cake so much you could eat every slice. Your head, because your guests should really get a look in too!
The benefit of working with a dedicated wedding cake baker is that you can create a bespoke cake together to suit your tastes perfectly – both inside the tiers and in the outer decoration too.
Edible Flowers
Pretty, fresh, full of flavour… edible flowers are the perfect finishing touch – both for the look and taste – of any and every summer wedding cake. Try the edible varieties of pansies, nasturtiums or violas for a whimsical, fairytale finish.
Recreate this look with these edible flowers and butterflies:
Feeling Fruity
While this cake makes strawberries the centrepiece, feel free to use them purely decoratively too. Berries won’t lose their good looks while on display, but they will add a sweet and fresh flavour twist when guests tuck into your cake. They make brilliant additions to buttercream, too!
READ MORE: Botanical wedding cakes
Calling All Chocoholics
Master chocolatiers will also be able to cover your cake entirely in chocolate. Go for a smooth, sleek chocolate collar or spheres, which can be stencilled for even more detail, or cover the cake in a sea of contemporary chocolate shards.
Like this? You’ll love these 13 chocolate wedding cakes to make your mouth water.
Recreate this look yourself with these spherical cake tins:
Happy Tiers
Whether your cake is iced or naked, the layers inside don’t have to be the same. Popular combinations include Victoria sandwich, chocolate, lemon or fruit tiers. There are wilder options out there, though. One of our featured couples even chose the exotic flavours of a Persian love cake!
Say Cheese
Savoury cakes benefit from clever flavour combinations as much as sweet ones. From the types of cheese to the range of crackers, chutneys, relishes and even artisan breads – try caramelised red onion or date and walnut – these are essential finishing touches for your cheese feast.
Fill Up
Remember that your sponge and filling flavours needn’t be the same. Team raspberry with pistachio, coffee with caramel, red velvet with white chocolate. Plus, buttercream, ganache, conserves and caramels are all up for grabs.
Decadent Drips
Whether it’s milk, dark or white chocolate oozing down the side of a freshly baked cake, it’s pretty indulgent. Caramel too, for that matter. You can add colouring to the drip to match your theme, with metallics adding bags of style.
Recreate this look with your own meringue drops:
Go Nuts
As long as neither you nor your guests are allergic, nuts offer a textural and tasty wedding cake topping. Crunchy peanuts and milk chocolate or macadamia nuts with white chocolate are perfect pairings to be sprinkled over your cake’s top and sides.
Recreate this look with these key pieces:
Ruffled Up
Buttercream is also big news for the exterior decoration of wedding cakes, being piped into all manner of pretty ruffles, scallops and swirls. It can be flavoured with extracts, syrups and fresh ingredients to tailor your cake to your tastes.
Awesomely Alternative
You can always opt for a cake that isn’t, strictly speaking, a real cake. Why not choose macarons in an assortment of flavours and colours? Or there’s the option of having a kransekage for a marzipan hit. Doughnuts are also a great option for simple, sugary bliss.
Create your own macaron tower with this macaron kit:
Read More:
- 14 of the best wedding cake toppers
- Wedding cake topper inspiration
- Autumn wedding cake and topper ideas
- 5 alternative wedding cake ideas for your big day
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