Many brides are moving away from the idea of a traditional cake altogether. So what alternative wedding cake ideas are available? Harpreet Baura from Crumbs! Couture reveals her top tips for alternative wedding cakes…
“Wedding cakes used to be big, white and rather generic in their design, gone are the days of the fruit cake covered in white Marzipan and decked with wedding flowers. Now couples want their cake to be a reflection of themselves, as with the other aspects of their wedding. Wedding cakes now need to be individual and tailor-made in order for them to fit in with the theming or colour scheme of the Bride and Groom’s vision for their big day. In fact, wedding cakes have become a crucial part of the wedding décor, needing to look and taste fantastic.
Cupcake Towers
The popularity of a cupcake tower as an alternative wedding cake is still going strong, and now the cupcakes are becoming more decorative than ever. Cupcake towers allow your guests to choose their own cupcake , meaning that each guests received a perfectly formed treat, rather than a portion of cake. We always suggest that our clients have a small cutting cake for the top tier of their cupcake stand, allowing them to have a “cake-cutting” picture as well as signal to their guests that it is time to tuck in!
Dessert tables
Dessert tables allow you to offer your guests a variety of sweet treats at your wedding, from mini-desserts and pavlovas to retro candy. They can incorporate anything you wish, however the most common elements are cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, macaroons, meringues, whoopie pies and candy. Dessert tables are the perfect set-up if you would like to accessorise and dress your wedding treats up. They are often so decorative that they can be considered a central feature of the event décor.
Cake Pops
Cake Pops are also knows as cake truffles on a stick. They originate from America but have become very popular among cake-lovers in the UK and they are great as an alternative wedding cake. They have endless decoration opportunities, meaning that you can personalise them to fit the theme of your wedding. They also make very clever wedding favours.
Real Cheese Cake
Having cakes that are stacked wheels of real cheese is a fantastic idea for an wedding cake. I had a real cheese cake at the evening part of my civil ceremony, as I wanted my guests to have something savoury to enjoy with their drinks as the night went on. Real cheese cakes are unusual, definitely provide a talking point as an alternative wedding cake and can be personalised with flowers and fruits.
Macaroon Towers
I have always loved macaroons, however they used to be hard to source in London. Several years ago, Laduree opened a counter in Harrods, and since then macaroons have shot up in popularity. Macaroons can be arranged on cone-shaped towers which will add a chic touch to any wedding or event.
Buttercream Cakes
We have seen an increasing number of brides requesting cakes to be iced in buttercream rather than fondant icing. Buttercream tastes great but also affords the cake a softer, less rigid look. Buttercream allows you to pipe your icing on in different ways, allowing you to create ruffles, ridges and curves. Perfect if you would like an alternative wedding cake that looks unique
Naked Cakes
With the Olympics over, we’re still on a British high. And what says British better than a lovely Victoria Sponge? Our most popular cake in recent months has been our giant Victoria Sponge cake, which can be made in anything from 2 tiers to 7 tiers and personalised with fruits, flowers or simply buttercream, jam and icing sugar. A fab alternative wedding cake idea, especially if you’re not a fan of icing.
