Wedding cakes are no longer big and white with a standard tiered design. As weddings become more personalised, more brides and grooms are customizing their cake, leading to the rise of the non-cake trend. If you are looking to make your wedding non-traditional and give your guests a taste of your personality, have a look at our top 10 alternatives to the traditional wedding cake for some inspiration.
1. Cheese
Cheese wedding cakes have become increasingly popular in Ireland. They consist of several cheeses arranged above each other in the same way as the tiers of traditional wedding cakes. Coming up with your own range of tiered cheeses is not a daunting task. To make the stacked cheeses more presentable as a wedding cake, decorate them with a selection of flowers or fruits to complement them.
2. Macarons
Many Irish brides and grooms have been bitten by the macaron bug. These petite French treats come in a variety of flavours. You can choose to request your favourite flavour or a combination of two or more flavours from your supplier. A macaron tower produces a wonderful colour display and will add elegance to any wedding reception.
3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are usually thought of as a breakfast or snack food. However, with a bit of creativity in filling and presentation, these inexpensive bites can make a great addition to your wedding reception. Stack doughnuts on top of each other, without forgetting the bride and groom doughnut topper, to create an impressive wedding cake alternative.
(image: Pinterest)
4. Cake pops
If you are the playful type, you should consider cake pops. These cakes on sticks are dipped in frosting and decorated with anything you desire such as chocolate chips, candy coating or icing and sprinkles. You can have them in many different textures, flavours and colours. You can consider having the pops in a colour that matches your wedding colours or in a mixture of bright colours to create an eclectic and vibrant display.
5. Croquembouche
The croquembouche has become a hot trend in recent years. This traditional French confection is made from fluffy pastries that are held together by caramel syrup and form a magnificent tower. You can decorate it using spun sugar ribbons or drizzle it with caramel or chocolate.
6. Dessert table
A dessert table has something for all tastes. It features a buffet of desserts such as petite pies, candies, cake pops and puddings just to name a few. Guests can easily pick their preferred treats from the assortment provided. Dessert tables are great for accommodating guests with allergies. For example, you can provide egg-free and gluten-free snacks to cater to the needs of guests with specific allergies. You can hire a professional to put the table together or make it a DIY project.
7. Cupcakes
Cupcakes took the wedding scene by storm a few years back and don’t seem like fading away anytime soon. Cupcakes stacked on tiered stands are great alternatives to the traditional cake. You can have a small cake on the top of the cupcake tower so as to participate in the tradition of cutting the cake. Cupcakes also make great gifts for guests as they leave the wedding.
(images: www.kitchme.com)
8. Pancakes
Pancakes are becoming a wedding trend. Dining rules may not classify them as desserts, but rules can always be broken. If you’re looking to spice up your casual wedding ceremony, pancakes can be a great addition to your reception.
9. Cookies
Tiered cookie cakes are a new trend that is quickly picking up. They are easy to stack up and personalise. Consider using your favourite kind of cookies and having them frosted in your wedding colours. You can offer some chilled milk to go along with them.
10. Pies
If you’re a staunch member of team pie, why not stand out from the crowd by offering pies instead of the traditional large cakes? You have so many pies to choose from such as apple, pecan, cherry, lime, lemon, banoffee and blackberry. You can stack tiers of pies to look like a cake or offer a selection of pies on your dessert table and let your guests choose on their own. Pies can be served with custard or ice cream.
All images: Depositphotos unless otherwise stated
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