Alternatives to Wedding Cakes
There are plenty of alternatives for couples choosing not to have a traditional wedding cake. Gourmet desserts can be served to wedding guests in various forms while still pleasing their taste buds. Wedding cake designers can create a faux wedding cake or a very small two-tiered cake for traditional cake-cutting purposes. The top tier of cake can be saved to eat on the first anniversary and the second small layer is used for a photo op while the guests are served something other than the traditional confection.
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Dessert Buffet
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In lieu of a traditional piece of cake, offer the guests a trip to the dessert buffet. Provide monogrammed candy bags that can be filled with the treats of their choice when guests choose from numerous items. Include gourmet treats such as hand-spun candy sticks and lollipops, chocolate covered peanuts, personalized coated chocolate pieces, candy-coated almonds and fancy mints. Add to a wedding theme with candy corn, colored chocolate molded candy, candy canes, jellybeans and meringue puffs. A variety of gourmet cookies are another option to integrate into the dessert buffet. The take home bags can serve double duty, not only as dessert but as guest wedding favors for a budget-friendly option.
Culture-Specific Desserts
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Integrate a little culture in the dessert choice for your wedding. Baklava is an appropriate choice for a Greek wedding while many Italian brides and grooms prefer to serve cannoli as a dessert option. Flan, a cooked Spanish custard or French creme brulee are also fancy choices for a diverse wedding. When choosing multicultural desserts for your wedding, make certain to accommodate the ethnicities of both the bride and groom in the options as to not alienate one side of the newlywed family.
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Individualized Cheesecakes
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Contact a local pastry chef for a quote on individual cheesecake creations to serve your wedding guests instead of traditional cake. Cheesecake can be served plain, with strawberries, blueberries, cherries or chocolate. Many gourmet recipes may include flavors marbled within the confection such as peanut butter, nuts, raspberries or chocolate chips. Each guest may feel honored to be granted an exquisite cheesecake for their wedding celebration dessert. A less expensive option is to order whole cheesecakes and serve slices on a piece of formal china adorned with a decorative flavored sauce and a piece of fresh fruit.
Sundae Bar
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Consider granting each guest one more trip through a buffet line with an ice cream sundae buffet. Ensure that the banquet staff does not prematurely set the ice cream out prior to its use to avoid a melting mess. Serve the ice cream with various topping options to include fresh fruit to include bananas, strawberry topping and pineapple topping; gourmet sauces such as chocolate, peanut butter, caramel and marshmallow; nut toppings to include crushed peanuts, Spanish peanuts, walnuts and cashews; and all the extras like sprinkles, whipped topping and maraschino cherries. Provide a more formal feel to the sundae bar by contracting a professional server to dip the ice cream. This keeps guests clean and ready to dance the night away.
Perfect Pies
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Use the services of the banquet staff to serve a plethora of pies on a formal sterling silver dessert cart. This method allows guests to choose the slice of pie that looks the best to them and allows for many pie varieties. Include traditional pies such as apple, cherry, pumpkin and wild berry. Pudding pies are also appropriate and can appear to be gourmet. Garnish each piece of pie with a slice of fresh fruit, appropriate sauce or whipped topping.
Dessert Tower
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Elegant dessert towers that include chocolate covered strawberries each in their own liner and a traditional French croquembouche can adorn the dessert table while providing a nontraditional dessert option for guests. Contact a pastry chef to dip sweet red strawberries in white chocolate drizzled with more white chocolate to resemble a bridal dress. The groom's clothing can be replicated on a strawberry by dipping in white chocolate followed by dipping only each side of the berry in dark brown chocolate to appear as a tuxedo. A croquembouche contains a pastry cone in its center with chocolate dipped creme puffs layered over it. An elegant masterpiece as well as a tasty dessert.
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