About Cupcake Wedding Cakes

Cupcakes can be an alternative to an expensive wedding cake.

If you are planning your wedding and are looking for ways to get more for your money, consider serving wedding cupcakes as an alternative to a pricey wedding cake. While those with elaborate tastes and larger budgets may appreciate wedding cupcakes as well, those who need to cut down on costs won't have to pay cake-cutting fees, nor spend $4 to $5 per slice; each cupcake may only cost $1 or $2.

Identification

The wedding cake has evolved over time from being a plain piece of bread that the groom breaks over the bride's head to the elaborately decorated treat that is sliced into pieces to share with guests after dinner. It is customary for newlyweds to have a wedding cake at the reception following the nuptials. Nowadays, a couple may opt for wedding cupcakes instead of the traditional wedding cake with several tiers. As a substitute for the wedding cake, wedding cupcakes are typically displayed attractively as a centerpiece during the reception. They look just like regular cupcakes, but are decorated to fit the occasion.

Function

Aside from being convenient for those on a tight budget, wedding cupcakes are one way a modern-minded couple can make their unconventional preferences known during their special day. Another factor that might influence a couple's decision to serve wedding cupcakes rather than a wedding cake is the ease with which the cupcakes can be distributed. In comparison to a regular cake, which takes much more time to cut and serve, wedding cupcakes are ready-made for guests to eat.

Considerations

Pick what flavor you'd like your wedding cupcakes to be. While you can stick with classics like chocolate and vanilla, there are a wide range of options available, such as red velvet, marble, carrot and mocha, as well as any fruit you can think of. Along the same lines, you may also add a filling, such as custard, fruit-flavored jelly and marshmallow cream, to your wedding cupcakes.

How to display your cupcakes at the reception is another matter to consider. You may place them on a tiered cake stand, for instance, or arrange them artfully on a table.

Misconceptions

Wedding cupcakes do not have to be actual cupcakes. Any other small cakes or pastries will do, if the bride and groom prefer. Small pies, donuts, petit fours, lemon squares, tarts and muffins are a few examples of alternatives to wedding cupcakes. None of these has to be store-bought or commissioned from a pastry chef, either. A couple with budget concerns can bake and decorate the treats themselves, or even ask a friend or relative who is skilled at baking for assistance. The necessary supplies for this project can be found online and at arts and crafts stores.

Benefits

Serving cupcakes at your wedding gives you considerable room to be creative. If you'd like to share more than one flavor with your guests, for example, you can have two or three kinds of wedding cupcakes. You can even create a colorful cupcake display by alternating one variety of cupcake with another on a cake stand with several tiers. Wedding cupcakes also allow a couple to get a small wedding cake that will not eat into their budget as much as a big one will. This mini wedding cake can sit on the top tier of the cake stand for display purposes only, while the cupcakes fill the lower ones. This small cake can then be preserved in the freezer to be eaten by the couple on their first wedding anniversary as traditionally practiced, if they wish.

Resources

• Cake Channel: The History of Wedding Cakes