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Wedding Cake Alternatives: Delicious Options Beyond Traditional Cakes

A festive table adorned with assorted cupcakes, citrus fruits, and colorful floral arrangements as wedding cake alternatives.

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Not everyone wants to enjoy cake on their wedding day. If cake isn’t in the cards for your wedding, you are likely looking for an alternative in dessert tower ideas or other types of sweet confections. This article is here to help with some options to inspire you. 

This article will discuss some wedding cake alternatives and how you can incorporate them into your wedding to create an unforgettable, show-stopping dessert. 

Why Choose Alternatives To Wedding Cake? 

If you are unsure about using a traditional cake for your wedding, that is completely okay! There are plenty of reasons to consider looking at dessert tower ideas and other wedding cake alternatives. 

Some people choose alternatives to wedding cake because of allergies or intolerances. Instead of going to the trouble of trying to find a flawless gluten-free cake, a couple might just opt for a dessert that they can eat without having to worry about feeling sick, and likely will enjoy more than an altered cake. 

Other couples may be looking for a non-traditional wedding. If they are subverting a lot of other customs during their ceremony and celebration, they will likely want to extend it to their wedding reception, too. 

Some couples might choose an alternative to cake because they simply prefer different desserts. Not everyone loves cake, and that’s just fine. What matters is having the perfect wedding and the perfect reception, complete with the desserts that the newlywed couple will enjoy. 

Tasty Alternative Wedding Cake Ideas

When you are looking for wedding cake alternatives, the options are endless! Here are a few of our favorite options that you can use to get inspired for your own wedding: 

Be Inspired By Local Cuisine

international dessert

If you are having a destination wedding, let yourself be inspired by local cuisine. It is common for destination weddings to include some local dishes at the wedding reception, so why not extend that to the desserts? You might find some absolutely delicious new treats that will make your day even more special.

If you are in Mexico for example, some alternatives to wedding cake that you might include at your wedding could be churros, flan, or pan de elote. Every culture and every country has some classic dessert treats that you may not encounter in your everyday life. This is a great way to try something new and celebrate your destination wedding location. 

Pies & Cheesecakes

If you are looking for a shareable dish that you can still slice and pass out to your guests at the reception, try cheesecake or pie at your wedding reception. You can still have the traditional flair of “cutting” the dessert with your new spouse, but the unique spin of enjoying a dessert other than cake.  

Sweet Buffet

If a classic pie or cheesecake doesn’t interest you, try opting for a sugary buffet for your guests. Instead of one dessert, offer an assortment of small treats for everyone to choose from. This could include miniature cupcakes, parfaits, chocolate-covered strawberries, donuts, or any other type of sweet that you can imagine. 

Breakfast Classics

For a truly unique wedding cake alternative, create a cake out of your favorite breakfast foods. If you enjoy pancakes, waffles, or French toast, work with your wedding planner to ensure that you have the best breakfast of your life. Then, create a customizable bar of toppings for your guests, complete with syrup, whipped cream, fruit, and more. 

Dessert Tower Ideas

If you are looking for wedding cake alternatives that still capture the grandiose nature of a towering, tiered cake, then you should consider having a dessert tower at your wedding. Dessert towers can be stacked high with all sorts of different treats to make delicious and show-stopping alternative wedding cake ideas. 

Here are a couple of dessert tower options that you might consider: 

Macarons

Macarons are a memorable and delicious addition to any event, but can really become a show-stopper at your wedding reception. With so many different colors and flavors to choose from, your macaron dessert towers can become incredible works of art that are sure to wow your guests. Pick your favorite flavors or maybe get inspired by local fruits at your destination wedding location. 

Chocolate & Fruit

If you like some freshness in your desserts, why not make a tower of fresh fruit covered in chocolate? A chocolate-covered strawberry tower is classic and romantic, but you can extend your dessert tower to encompass a lot of different fruits. Add pineapple, blueberries, and apples to the tower for some more delicious variety. An expert pastry chef could even decorate your tower to make it pop even more with gold leaf or colorful designs. 

Croquembouche

A croquembouche is a classic dessert in the French pastry world. This tower of creampuffs held together with a delicious caramel sauce makes for a lighter alternative to chocolates, with all of the perfect flavor and sweetness that you could want. 

Depending on how large it is, a croquembouche can have over 100 cream puffs on it, so they are a great dessert to share with your full reception. Plus, they make for a beautiful golden centerpiece. 

Parfaits & Cupcakes

Another great way to make a tower is to have a large tiered structure where you can place smaller treats. If you are a fan of sweet parfaits or want to incorporate small cupcakes instead of a large cake, get a large tower to elegantly display your desserts. This way, you can get the classic tiered style of a wedding cake while working with different desserts.  

Make Your Unique Wedding Come To Life

Wedding cake alternatives can make your wedding come to life in a new and unique way. At Destify, we help create meaningful memories along every step of your path to I Do. Our expert planners are here to help you find the best alternative wedding cake ideas for your reception so you can sit back and enjoy your wedding stress-free. 

Join us at Destify today for an unforgettable wedding journey.  

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