Jewish Wedding Cake Traditions: What You Need To Know

While the wedding cake is not a traditional part of Jewish weddings, it is becoming increasingly popular. Some more religious Jewish people, such as Chassidic and Yeshivish couples, do not have a wedding cake, but many secular Jewish couples opt for one. Kosher wedding cakes are also becoming more common, with an increasing number of wedding cake designers creating original and creative cakes for Jewish weddings.

Kosher wedding cakes

Another bakery, By the Way Bakery, offers gluten-free, dairy-free, and kosher pareve wedding cakes with six different layer options: chocolate, vanilla, lemon, coconut, carrot, and red velvet; and five different frosting options: chocolate, vanilla chiffon, vanilla bean, pareve "cream cheese", and lemon.

Wedding cake alternatives

While wedding cakes are a common feature of weddings, some couples may prefer to opt for alternative desserts. This could be due to personal preference, cultural traditions, or simply wanting to try something different. Here are some unique and creative wedding cake alternatives:

Macaron Towers

Macaron towers are a stylish and delicious option for couples who want something different from a traditional wedding cake. They can be customised to match the wedding colours and provide a sophisticated French touch to the celebration.

Cheese Cake

For couples who prefer savoury over sweet, a cake made of stacked cheese wheels can be a unique and tasty option. It can be decorated with crackers, breads, chutneys, spreads, and fruits, and served with dessert wines, offering a savoury twist to the usual wedding cake.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a popular alternative, offering a variety of flavours and the option to personalise them with messages or photos. They can be displayed creatively, such as in the shape of the couple's monogram or arranged in a colourful display.

Wedding Pie

A wedding pie is an excellent choice for couples who want to skip the traditional cake. Adding a small cake stand elevates the classic American dessert. Pies can also be served in mini portions, allowing guests to sample different flavours.

Donut Wall

Donut walls have gained popularity, offering a fun and interactive way to display donuts. They can be customised to match the wedding colours and provide a unique twist to the traditional cake.

Ice Cream

Ice cream is a perfect choice for summer weddings, offering a refreshing treat for guests. Couples can set up an ice cream cart or sundae bar, providing various flavours and toppings for a personalised touch.

Croquembouche

Croquembouche is a traditional French wedding cake made of cream puffs and spun sugar. It can be decorated with chocolate or icing to match the wedding colours, providing a stylish and elegant alternative to the classic cake.

Candy Bar

Creating a candy bar with a variety of treats is a fun way to satisfy guests' sweet tooth. Couples can choose their favourite candies or match the treats to their wedding colours, providing a playful and interactive dessert option.

DIY Desserts

Involving guests in the dessert-making process can be entertaining and engaging. Couples can set up waffle, cookie, or ice cream bars, allowing guests to create their own sweet treats.

Cultural Desserts

Couples can pay homage to their heritage or a meaningful location by incorporating cultural desserts. For example, Italian millefoglie, French croquembouche, Spanish custard cakes, or German apple strudel can be unique and meaningful alternatives.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Ultimately, the wedding dessert should reflect the couple's personality and preferences, whether it's a sweet or savoury treat, a cultural tradition, or a creative twist on a classic.

Wedding cake traditions

The wedding cake has become a symbol of weddings, almost rivalling the wedding ring itself. It is often seen as an essential part of the wedding, with many couples adorning their wedding receptions with these "skyscrapers of sweetness".

However, in the kosher wedding world, the cake has not risen to this level of prominence and likely won't. Most Yeshivish and Chassidic couples do not have a wedding cake, nor do they make a ritual out of cutting the cake and feeding it to each other.

That being said, more and more couples are choosing to include a wedding cake in their celebrations, and there is a growing number of wedding cake designers creating original, creative, and whimsical wedding cakes. These cakes can be simple and sleek or elaborate and extravagant, reflecting the couple's aesthetic and unique love story.

For Jewish couples, there are options for kosher, lactose-free, and gluten-free cakes, ensuring that everyone can enjoy a delicious wedding cake. Some couples may choose to have a cake that reflects their personalities, such as a novelty cake featuring something they love or a cake with their wedding logo or monogram.

Ultimately, the decision to include a wedding cake in a Jewish wedding comes down to personal preference, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Whether a couple chooses to have a traditional cake, a unique alternative, or no cake at all, the important thing is that it feels right for them.

Wedding cake suppliers

While it is not a traditional part of a Jewish wedding, many Jewish couples today choose to have a wedding cake. If you're looking for a wedding cake supplier for your Jewish wedding, there are a number of specialist suppliers who can provide a kosher cake.

By the Way Bakery

By the Way Bakery is a gluten-free, dairy-free, and kosher pareve bakery with locations in New York City, Westchester County, and Connecticut. They have been working with OK Kosher, one of the world's most respected kosher certification agencies, since 2016. They offer a range of layer and frosting options, including chocolate, vanilla, lemon, coconut, carrot, and red velvet, and can create anything from a simple 2-tier cake to an elaborate 4-tier cake.

Ellen Jane Desserts

Based in Toronto, Ellen Jane Desserts creates delicious, beautiful, hand-made, Kosher, and lactose-free cakes. They cater to both secular and Modern Orthodox couples and can make wedding cakes pareve, meaning they do not contain milk or meat ingredients.

Gallery of Cakes of Aventura, FL

Supervised by KM – Kosher Miami, Gallery of Cakes of Aventura, FL, creates bright, happy, and colorful kosher wedding cakes.

Chantilly

Chantilly is a popular bakery in New York known for its elegant and contemporary kosher wedding cakes.

Zelda's of Skokie, IL

Zelda's of Skokie, IL, creates kosher wedding cakes with a hypnotic chocolate swirl effect.

Edible Gems by Sarelle

Also in the Chicago area, Sarelle Weiner of Edible Gems by Sarelle designs extraordinary and whimsical kosher wedding cakes and pastries.

No matter which supplier you choose, you can be sure to find a kosher wedding cake that reflects your unique style and personality.

Wedding cake designs

Although it is not a Jewish wedding tradition to have a wedding cake, many Jewish couples choose to have one. Wedding cakes are becoming increasingly popular at Jewish weddings, with more and more couples adorning their wedding receptions with these "skyscrapers of sweetness".

When deciding on a wedding cake design, some couples choose to make it reflect who they are as a couple and let it symbolise their story or embrace the theme of their wedding. For example, a couple might choose to incorporate their favourite board game into their cake design, such as a Monopoly cake, a backgammon cake, or a Scrabble cake. Alternatively, if the couple has a wedding logo or monogram, they might choose to have cupcakes displayed in their monogram design or have it iced onto a cake.

For those who prefer something more unique and unusual, there are many alternative wedding dessert ideas to consider. Here are some creative ideas to get you started:

• A novelty cake featuring something the couple loves, such as a life-size cow cake for those who adore cow print.
• A chocolate biscuit cake, such as the one requested by Prince William for his wedding, which was said to be a childhood favourite.
• A macaron tower in the wedding colours.
• A cake made of cheese rounds, surrounded by crackers, breads, chutneys, spreads, and fruit, served with dessert wines.
• A Croquembouche, a traditional French wedding cake consisting of a tower of profiteroles held together with spun sugar, which can be decorated with chocolate or icing in the wedding colours.
• Donuts decorated in the wedding colours.
• Personalised cupcakes and cookies with a message or photo from the couple to their guests.
• DIY desserts, such as waffle, cookie, or ice cream bars, where guests can create their own sweet treats.
• A fake cake made out of something the couple loves, such as a cake made from cans of beer.

Whether it's a traditional tiered cake or a unique alternative dessert, there are endless possibilities for wedding cake designs that reflect the couple's personality and style.

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