Creative Alternatives To Wedding Cakes For Your Special Day

There are many alternatives to the traditional wedding cake. From the sweet to the savoury, there are options to suit all tastes and surprise your guests.

For those with a sweet tooth, there are decadent doughnuts, dainty macarons, cupcakes, wedding cookies, pies, waffles, pancakes, crepes, and even a Rice Krispie wedding cake.

If you're looking for something savoury, you could opt for a cake made from stacked wheels of cheese or a charcuterie-inspired display.

And if you're after something a little more unusual, how about a steak and potatoes cake or a churros wedding cake?

Whatever you choose, your wedding dessert is a chance to get creative and offer your guests a treat that reflects your personal style.

Wedding Cake Alternatives

Wedding pies

There are many different types of pies to choose from, including sweet and savoury options. For a classic dessert, you could opt for apple pie, pecan pie, or key lime pie. If you want something more unusual, you could try peanut butter pie, coconut macaroon pie, or s'mores pie. You could even have a selection of pies to give your guests a choice.

Pies can be served in a variety of ways. You could have a whole pie, mini pies, or pie pops. If you want to replicate the look of a tiered cake, you could present your pies on a tower. Adding a scoop of ice cream will also amplify the sensory experience.

If you want to incorporate the pie into your wedding aesthetic, you could use colourful flowers to adorn garden-themed weddings or serve the pies on a lucite stand for a glamorous celebration. For a rustic wedding, you could present the pies on slabs of birchwood and tie in garlands of evergreen.

If you're looking for a unique and memorable dessert for your wedding, wedding pies are a great option that your guests are sure to love.

Doughnut towers

If you're looking for a unique and extraordinary alternative to a wedding cake, a doughnut tower is a spectacular centrepiece and a perfect conversation starter for your celebration.

The Crosstown Doughnut Wedding Cake Tower, for example, offers 3, 5, or 7 tiers of doughnuts that can be delivered directly to your event with just a few days' notice. They can also add flowers and a custom topper/ornament to match your event.

The Enchanted Spring Doughnut Tower:

• Doughnut flavours: Coffee, Cardamom & Coconut, Rose & Pistachio, Hazelnut, Tarragon & Apple
• Suggested floral decoration: Roses
• Description: This tower begins with a cocoa sourdough doughnut filled with a creamy coffee and cardamom custard, dipped in a sweet coconut glaze and coated with coconut flakes. The next doughnut adds a delicate floral touch with its light rose icing and pistachio and rose custard, topped with a pistachio crumble. The final doughnut features a hazelnut praline icing, a fresh tangy green apple and tarragon gel, and a crunchy hazelnut topping. The inclusion of roses with their delicate petals and vibrant hues mirrors the subtle elegance of the rose and pistachio doughnut, while their colours echo the warm tones of the hazelnut, tarragon, and apple doughnut.

The Spiced Delight Doughnut Tower:

• Doughnut flavours: Sri Lankan Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Scroll, Tongan Vanilla Bean Glaze
• Suggested floral decoration: Chrysanthemums & Marigolds
• Description: This tower starts with a soft signature sourdough doughnut coated with cinnamon sugar, followed by a cinnamon scroll with warm spice and a sweet glaze. The final doughnut is topped with an elegant, pristine, and aromatic vanilla glaze. The vibrant chrysanthemums and marigolds enhance the spiced and vanilla notes, creating a harmonious blend ideal for a traditional wedding setting.

The Botanical Bliss Doughnut Tower:

• Doughnut flavours: Rose & Pistachio, Hazelnut Praline, Tarragon & Green Apple, Cinnamon Scroll
• Suggested floral decoration: Orchids & Freesias
• Description: The rose and pistachio doughnut features a delicate floral rose icing and a crunchy pistachio crumble, complementing the light sourdough and velvety pistachio and rose custard. The hazelnut praline doughnut adds complexity with its rich, nutty sweetness, fresh fruity zest, and crunchy caramelised hazelnut topping. The tower is completed with a comforting and familiar cinnamon scroll, crowned with a homemade vanilla bean crumble. The orchids and freesias enhance the tower's visual appeal and complement the nuanced flavours, creating a botanical and culinary masterpiece.

The Verdant Delight Doughnut Tower:

• Doughnut flavours: Peanut Butter & Blackcurrant Compote, Matcha & Rhubarb, Guinness and Baileys
• Suggested floral decoration: Cherry Blossoms & Lavender
• Description: This tower begins with a rich peanut butter glaze blended with a tart blackcurrant compote and topped with crunchy roasted peanuts. The second doughnut offers an earthy matcha flavour paired with fresh rhubarb and strawberry compote, topped with a matcha and green tea glaze and a freeze-dried strawberry crumble. The final doughnut consists of two layers of fluffy chocolate Guinness cake dough, piped with Baileys Irish cream and chocolate ganache, dipped in a Baileys chocolate glaze, and finished with chocolate curls. Cherry blossoms and lavender provide an elegant floral complement to the tower's fresh and vibrant flavours.

If you're feeling creative, you can also opt for a DIY doughnut tower. Here are the steps to make one from scratch:

• Get a high-quality styrofoam base: The size of the styrofoam will depend on the number of doughnut holes you plan to use. For example, a 10-inch styrofoam base is suitable for a tower with 50 doughnut holes.
• Wrap the styrofoam in foil: This step ensures food safety and prevents styrofoam particles from getting onto the doughnuts.
• Glue the base to a tray or plate: Use edible, food-safe glue made from powdered sugar and water.
• Decorate the doughnut holes: Ice the doughnut holes with different flavours and add sprinkles for an extravagant touch. You can also have a separate tower of classic glazed doughnut holes, which are always a favourite.
• Assemble the tower: Use long toothpicks inserted into the styrofoam, and then add the doughnut holes from the bottom up.

With a doughnut tower, you can create a unique and memorable experience for your partner and guests, breaking the mould and making your wedding truly unforgettable.

Macaron towers

When planning a macaron tower, it's important to consider the number of guests and the desired impact. A standalone tower can be a stunning statement piece, with two macarons suggested per guest. If served alongside other treats, one macaron per guest is sufficient. Macarons can also be packaged as wedding favours, with custom colours and flavours available from many bakers.

The beauty of macaron towers lies in their versatility. They can be displayed in various ways, from simple towers to more intricate designs incorporating multiple tiers, fresh flowers, or ribbons. Macarons shine in pastel colours, creating a charming and delicate display. For a unique touch, consider hand-painted designs, gold detailing, or an ombre pattern.

When choosing a macaron tower, it's essential to select a reputable confectioner to ensure the best quality. Macarons are a delicate treat, and proper handling and storage are crucial. Customised macarons may require additional lead time, so it's important to plan ahead and communicate your vision clearly to the baker.

Whether you opt for a grand tower or a small display, macarons are a delightful treat that will leave a lasting impression on your wedding guests. With their elegant appearance and endless customisation options, macaron towers are a perfect choice for couples seeking a unique and memorable alternative to a traditional wedding cake.

Wedding cookies

If you're worried about the traditional cake-cutting moment being lost, you could have a small cake just for you and your partner to cut, and then serve your guests cookies. Alternatively, you could have a tiered stand of cookies for you and your partner to cut into, or even hang cookies from a stand for a unique display.

There are endless options for wedding cookies, from cute and creative to classic and hearty. You could have soft, buttery cookies, crumbly shortbread, or even gooey pavlovas. You could add sprinkles, nuts, or chocolate chips to your cookies, or keep them plain.

If you're concerned about the cost, cookies can be a more budget-friendly option than a wedding cake, especially if you make them yourself or enlist the help of a talented friend or family member.

Whatever you choose, your guests are sure to enjoy this sweet treat!

Wedding meringues

Meringues are a fantastic alternative to a traditional wedding cake. They are a versatile dessert that can be made in a variety of colours, shapes, and sizes to suit your wedding theme and colour scheme. They are also a great choice if you want to get creative and make your own wedding treats, as they are super easy to make and there are lots of delicious recipes available.

Types of Meringue

There are many types of meringue to choose from, including kisses, drops, pops, and sandwich cookies. You can add a little sparkle with glitter-dusted drops or dip kisses into chocolate or caramel for extra flavour. For a playful and romantic dessert, try meringue kisses on sticks, dipped in chocolate and confetti.

Meringue Wedding Cakes

Meringues can be used to create a unique and beautiful wedding cake. A meringue wedding cake can be topped with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and greenery, or decorated with chocolate, nuts, and edible flowers. For a bold statement, opt for an ombre meringue cake, or cover a traditional cake with meringues, macarons, and blooms for a refined and chic look.

Mini Pavlovas

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. Mini pavlovas topped with fresh berries, edible flowers, or a berry compote are a delicious alternative to a wedding cake, providing an individual treat for each guest.

Meringue Favours

Meringues also make wonderful wedding favours. Pink or white meringue kisses dipped in chocolate or caramel, or a box of colourful meringue kisses, will delight your guests and match any wedding style.

Frequently asked questions