Wedding Cake Alternatives

Wedding Cake Alternatives: not everyone wants a traditional wedding cake; some are looking to break with tradition, others are want something different. So, lets consider some options and whilst doing so discover some different countries traditions.

I believe wedding cakes should reflect the couple’s personalities. If you are not a “fruit cake” type, consider chocolate, lemon, coffee, carrot, or Madeira. If as a couple you cannot agree on your choice then have different tiers to accommodate both your tastes.

Wedding Cake Alternatives: Options

- French Croquembouche: a spectacular pyramid of cream-filled choux-pastry buns topped with caramel or spun sugar. It is recommended that you find an expert to make this for you as it rates high in the difficulty category to make and needs to be served very fresh.
- Ice Cream Cake
- Cheesecake (huge variety of flavors, either baked (American style, or biscuit base English style)
- Pyramid of fruit, e.g. strawberries held together with chocolate
- Pavlova (Australian)
- Banoffee Pie, Pecan Pie
- Miniature wedding cake for each guest, really only practical for small weddings
- Individual deluxe cup cakes or tarts
- Chocolate fountain with various fruits to dip in
- Individual chocolate fondues with fruit, marsh mallows, honeycomb, etc, to dip in, again really only practical for smaller weddings

Wedding Cake Alternatives: the Hewitt’s way

I particularly liked the idea of a “lollie bar” that Bec Cartwright and Lleyton Hewitt had at their wedding in addition to a traditional wedding cake.

As an alternative you may have a Mexican “Piñata”, a hollow paper mache shape (heart or animal) filled with candies suspended (from a tree or rafter) that is hit with a stick until broken. Once broken the candy is shared out amongst the guests.

Wedding Cake Alternatives: Other Traditions

- the Danish have marzipan ring cakes called Krasekager, otherwise known as “Cornucopia Cake”. It’s made from almonds, pasturage and marzipan. The outside is decorated with sugar work, inside is filled with fresh fruit, candy and almonds.
- in Iceland they have a cake made of “wedding rings” known as “Karnataka”. The rings are made of almond pastry of various sizes, piled into a pyramid with swirls or white icing decorating each ring. Fine chocolates or candies fill the center.
- the native Indians place emphasis on fruit: blueberries, raspberries and “heart” berry strawberries are served if in season as well as several desserts. “Black Cake” served with a hard rum sauce. The various dried fruit will have been soaked in rum for up to a year.
- in Norway they have a “Brudlaupskling” that is bread, topped with a mixture of cheese, cream and syrup.
- in the Ukraine the couple share a “Korovai”, a sacred wedding bread.
- finally in some countries, e.g. Bermuda, the bride and groom have their own wedding cakes.

I hope this has given you “cake” for thought!