Crafting A Cheese Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

A cheese wedding cake is a selection of cheeses stacked to give the effect of a traditional tiered wedding cake. It is a quirky alternative to a traditional wedding cake, adding a refined yet rustic feel to your wedding. This guide will take you through the steps to make your own cheese wedding cake.

Choosing your cheeses

The cheese is the most important part of a cheese wedding cake, so it's worth spending time selecting a range of varieties that will create a well-balanced cake, both in terms of flavour and texture.

Types of cheese

A good place to start is by selecting a few different types of cheese, such as a hard cheese, a soft cheese, and a blue cheese. You could also include a goat's cheese and a crumbly cheese, such as Lancashire, Cheshire, or Wensleydale. It's important to taste the cheeses before you buy them, just as you would for a traditional cake.

Taste

You'll want to choose cheeses that you and your partner will enjoy, but also consider what your guests will like. If you know your guests aren't adventurous eaters, it's best to stick to crowd-pleasers like Brie and Camembert, which also happen to resemble a traditional white wedding cake, with their edible, white, bloomy rind. If you're confident your guests will be up for something different, you could try a pungent, meaty, washed-rind cheese like Taleggio or Raclette.

Texture

When it comes to assembling your cheese wedding cake, you'll need to consider the texture of each cheese and how well it will stack. The base of the cake should be the hardest and largest cheese, with the cheeses becoming softer as you move up the tiers. However, it's important to ensure that each layer can support the weight of the tier above it.

Colour

As well as taste and texture, colour is an important factor to consider when choosing your cheeses. A pop of colour will make your cake look extra special, and this can be achieved by including colourful cheeses, like Sparkenhoe Red Leicester or Shropshire Blue, or by decorating with fruit.

Smell

Don't forget to consider the smell of each cheese, and how this might interfere with the other cheeses in your cake.

Quantity

As a rule of thumb, you should plan for at least 70-100g of cheese per guest, or a minimum of 4kg per 50 guests. It's worth noting that harder cheeses tend to be the most popular, so you may want to order extra of these.

Dietary requirements

Remember to check whether any of your guests have any dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or vegan, and choose your cheeses accordingly.

How much cheese to buy

The amount of cheese you will need for your wedding cake will depend on the number of guests you are expecting, the types of cheese you want to include, and the size of your cake layers.

Amount of Cheese Per Guest

A good rule of thumb is to plan for 70-110g of cheese per guest. This amount is suitable if you are serving the cheese as part of a larger spread or as an accompaniment to the main meal. If the cheese will be the main part of a buffet, you may want to increase the amount to 150-200g per person. It is worth noting that not all guests will want cheese, and some, like small children, will have smaller portions.

Types of Cheese

It is recommended to include a variety of cheeses to suit different tastes. A good cheese wedding cake should include a mix of textures and flavours, with at least five different types of cheese. Harder cheeses are often the most popular, so you may want to include a larger quantity of these. Some suggested types of cheese to include are:

• Blue cheese (e.g. Cornish Blue, Stilton, Gorgonzola)
• Semi-firm cheese (e.g. Cornish Yarg)
• Harder cheeses (e.g. Cheddar)
• Textured cheese (e.g. Dorstone)
• Soft and creamy cheese (e.g. Brie, Camembert, Ismay, goat's cheese)

Size of Cake Layers

To achieve the traditional wedding cake look, your cheese cake should have 3-5 layers graduating from large to small, with a difference of about 4-8cm between each layer. The base layer should be the hardest and largest cheese, with the layers becoming softer and smaller as you move up the cake. The top layer should be the smallest and slightly taller, providing a nice platform for decorations such as flowers or figurines.

Stacking and styling

Now comes the fun part: assembling your cheese tower! The base of your cheese wheel wedding cake should be made of the hardest and largest cheese in your selection. As you move up the tower, the cheeses can become softer, as long as they can support the weight of the cheese above them. For the sizing, it's best to have wheels that vary in diameter by 4 to 8 inches. This will give your cake a nice tiered appearance and allow space for garnishes on each layer.

If you've got your heart set on a soft cheese for the lower layers, don't worry. There are a few tricks you can use to stop them from collapsing under the weight of the upper layers. For example, you could keep the cheese in its box, or cut a small hole in the centre of the wheel and place a stand, votive holder, or egg cup inside to support the layer above. You could also use glass tea-light holders between each layer to add height to your cake and give you more space to decorate.

Once your cheese tower is stacked, it's time to add your chosen fruits, flowers, and toppers. If you're going for a rustic look, consider adding edible flowers and lacy trim around the base of each tier. For an earthier wedding, use sprigs of herbs, miniature lady apples, and cascading champagne grapes. If your wedding is more formal, try mirrored accents and white ceramic flowers. Candles and ribbons are also great, inexpensive decorative elements that come in a rainbow of colours.

Decorations and accompaniments

The fun part about making your own cheese wedding cake is that you can decorate it however you like and accompany it with your favourite treats.

If you're going for a rustic/vintage chic vibe, try decorating the cheese cake with edible flowers and lacy trim around the base of each tier. For an earthier wedding, use sprigs of herbs, miniature lady apples, and cascading champagne grapes. If your wedding is more formal, try mirrored accents (like a monogrammed cake topper) and white ceramic flowers. Candles and ribbons are also easy, inexpensive decorative elements that come in a million colours to suit any theme or palette.

When it comes to accompaniments, crackers are always a good idea. Different fruit preserves (especially fig and apricot) are also lovely, especially in cute, individual jars that guests could take home as souvenirs. If your wedding is more casual, you could have a few jams in larger, communal jars (maybe mason jars?) at the centre of the table. Platters of fruit and crackers placed in the middle of the table also work well.

If you want to get creative, you could dress the cheese cake display with seasonal fruits, such as champagne grapes, figs, citrus, or stone fruits. You could also pair your cheeses with artisanal crackers, fresh fruits, fig jam, and honey to enhance the presentation and experience.

Serving suggestions

When it comes to serving your cheese wedding cake, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, make sure you bring the cheese to room temperature before serving – this will ensure it tastes its best. Take the cheese out of the fridge a couple of hours beforehand, but not too long, or it will become too soft.

You can serve the cheese as part of a cheese course between dinner and dessert, or as an alternative to a traditional cake after the main meal. If you're serving the cheese as a separate course, the waiting staff can cut and plate the cheese before serving it to your guests. Alternatively, you can display the cheese on a large board or cake stand with crackers, preserves, and fruit, and let your guests help themselves.

If you want to serve the cheese as you would a traditional wedding cake, cut a wedge from the top wheel and continue to do this on each layer, removing the wedges and placing them on a separate board. Then, cut the wedges into smaller portions and serve to your guests.

To decorate your cheese cake, you can use flowers, fresh fruit, dried fruit, herbs, mini bunting, cake toppers, greenery, nuts, honey, pretty labels, ribbons, and candles. You can also use crackers, preserves, and fruit to accompany the cheese. If you want to add height to your cake, you can use glass tea light holders between each layer.

When it comes to how much cheese you'll need, a good rule of thumb is to plan for at least double the quantity of a normal portion per guest. The standard serving size is 4 ounces per person, but this can be increased to 8 ounces or more if the cheese is the main part of the meal. For a normal cheese plate serving, aim for 70g-100g of cheese per person.

Frequently asked questions