We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the traditional wedding cake, in all it’s royal icing glory, will never go out of style. But more and more couples are increasingly looking beyond the classic for something a little out of the ordinary cake box. After all, you’ve meticulously styled every other aspect of your special day – why should your cake be any different!
Whether you’re a fan of doughnuts, cupcakes or cheese (that’s right, cheese) we’ve put together a list of cake alternatives that will have you salivating.
DOUGHNUTS, DOUGHNUTS, DOUGHNUTS
It seems everywhere you look these ubiquitous dough-ey treats can be found sitting atop everything from milkshakes to breakfasts all over Melbourne. If Pinterest and Instagram are the inspiration for your wedding styling, then this dessert will definitely make your day the best kind of click-bait. Doughnuts can be piled high in a tower, presented as a sweet regiment on a wall, or else artfully jumbled into beautiful vintage dishes.
CUPCAKES
Just like a wedding cake only, well, smaller. Cupcakes can be a fun alternative to a single large cake. They can be a range of flavours, colours and be adorned with varying toppings, meaning there can be something that pleases everyone. They can also be a great alternative if you need to cater for dietary requirements, as some can be gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
SAY CHEESE
There’s only one thing that gets us more excited than cake, and that’s cheese. So when you combine the two, we’re basically reduced to a hysterical group of four-year-olds. After the three course meal, bread and canapés that typically accompany weddings, saddling up to a hefty piece of something sweet might be too much of a mental challenge for many of your guests.
A savoury cheese cake can be the perfect remedy to this, with guests able to have a few nibbles of cheese without feeling as though they’ll need to be rolled out of your venue. Mix it up by using different types of cheese and serving alongside bread, crackers, nuts and fruit, such as slices of pear, figs, muscatels, walnuts and dried apricots.
SUNDAE FUNDAY
Perhaps the perfect summer alternative to the heavier wedding cakes of old. After working up a sweat on the dance floor, treat your guests to their very own sundae bar. Buy some good quality ice-cream (our favourite flavours are chocolate, hazelnut, french vanilla, salted caramel and berry) and provide toppings such as chopped nuts, chocolate drops, fresh berries, sprinkles, chocolate sauce and pretzels. This is a fun way for your guests to get inventive and create their own delicious, satisfying concoction.
DESSERT SHOTS
Made popular in Melbourne by Dessert King Darren Purchese, dessert shots can be a fun and novel way to give your guests that little shot of sweetness at the end of the night – just enough to keep them going! Consider flavours including lemon meringue, berry cheesecake and, wait for it, lamington. If you want to be really out there and give your dessert shots that crazy scientist feel, you can always present them in a test tube.
FREE-FLOWING CHOCOLATE
This one’s for the serious choco-holic couples out there who want a dash of indulgence at the end of the night. A chocolate fountain not only adds a touch of fun to your event, but also allows your guests to have as little or, more likely, as much as they wish. Offer marshmallows, strawberries, brownie bites and dried fruit in pretty glass dishes to compliment your glorious, shimmering, free-flowing fountain of goodness.
Whether you don’t like traditional cake, or you like it so much you simply can’t decide on one type, these alternatives will give your wedding that personal touch the modern bride and groom are looking for.