Looking for something different to the traditional tiered wedding cake? If you want something that looks as good as it tastes and will have all your guests talking for years to come, this is for you. Aside from the magical Croquembouche, cute cake pops and interestingly named ‘inside out cakes’, there are some truly imaginative and very different types of wedding cake now out there, as stunning as they are delicious. Here are my top five alternative wedding cake ideas.
Macaroons
Macaroons make a gorgeous change from fruitcake and were perhaps the start of the latest alternative biscuit wedding cake trend. Most usually round sandwiches of pastel coloured biscuit cakes, they are held together with a sweet creamy filling. The beauty of the macaroon is, quite apart from tasting melt-in-the-mouth and deliciously sweet, they can be any colour you wish and almost any shape. Macaroons may be arranged into a rainbow of layers or made into pretty love heart shapes, decorated with tiny rose buds, icing swirls or gems. Made into a teetering tower as eye-catching as any tall tiered traditional wedding cake they’re hard to beat when it comes to alternative wedding cakes.
Biscuit wedding cakes
Biscuit wedding cakes are the “in-thing” since Prince William asked for a “chocolate biscuit wedding cake”, pictured above – made including approximately 1700 McVities biscuits! There are several variations on the biscuit wedding cake ranging from the extravagant large royal wedding cake to the many delicate cakes made of layers of biscuit held together by buttery, creamy icing, into tiny individual tiered wedding cake shapes. The cutting of the cake might not be quite what it would be with a fruit or sponge but it is very unusual and creates a real talking point for a memorable wedding reception.
Strawberry tarts
Image courtesy of Maison Blanc
Strawberries are perfect for weddings and not simply because they are beautifully red heart-shaped fruits of juicy deliciousness! Individual strawberry tarts and cakes are fast becoming a delicious new alternative to the old fashioned iced fruit cake and when you think about how good they are for you, they seem even more appealing. Layers or vibrantly red strawberry tarts topped with whipped cream or smaller individual strawberry cakes of strawberry mousse, jelly and sponge, decorated with fresh strawberries and cream are the perfect addition to a red wedding colour scheme. At Aradia and Jono’s real wedding, they had a whole table of gorgeous strawberry filled Victoria sponges, an ideal addition to an English summer garden party wedding.
Cupcakes wraps and stands
Image courtesy of Crumbs And Doilies
Little individual iced cupcakes have, in recent years, become the hottest new trend in alternative wedding cakes – and you can see why. They’re small and sweet, pretty and presentable and if you want to still have the impressive height that comes with displaying a traditional tiered wedding cake, they can be arranged to stunning effect atop a tall tiered cupcake stand. Have them iced in your wedding colours or decorated in keeping with your theme, with delicate rice paper butterflies perched on the top of each, sugar roses or simply glitter for that extra sparkle.
Cheese wedding cakes
Image from Lisa & Ben’s real wedding
The savoury wedding cake is as different as it gets. Cheese wedding cakes are the ultimate stylish cheeseboard, made to resemble a multi-tiered wedding cake but with wheels of hard speciality cheeses presented with flowers, foliage and fruit as decoration. Often served in addition to the traditional wedding cake, they can be presented instead of a sweet cake and, as such, are certainly a cheaper option to the traditional multi-tiered iced fruit cake.
And if you think that’s different… The next big thing in alternative wedding cakes is the pork pie wedding cake… Just add English mustard. We kid you not!
For anyone who fancies having an alternative wedding cake but still wants to have the essential cutting of the cake moment and be able to send a piece of iced fruit cake to grandma – simple – have both!
Find more great ideas on our Inspiration wedding cake pages!
