The wedding cake is an age old, well established tradition. Rumour has it that a single tier was broken over the heads of the happy couple, or flung at the bride’s head! But that was in the days before confetti, and thankfully that practice no longer occurs (except in soaps), or else many a bride would be spending their wedding night in A & E! Today, wedding cakes are considered to be the focal point at the reception. It has its own place and often serves an ornamental purpose (as well as an edible one), which explains why both the cake and table are so elaborately decorated. It also provides the bride and groom with that all important moment of cutting into the cake together, and feeding each other the first slice (while hoping that the snaps don’t end up in a glossy gossip weekly!)

Todays wedding cake has come a long way from the traditional (and still yummy) three tiered white iced fruit cake. Thanks to trends emanating mainly from the US, cakes now come in a variety of shapes, sizes, designs and colours. And why have fruit cake, when there’s the choice of fudge cake, sponge cake or cheesecake in a myriad of flavours, containing different fillings, toppings, icings, and frostings. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

However, despite this magnificent selection and overwhelming possibilities, there are those who, for many reasons, don’t want a cake of any kind, but still want the ‘cutting the cake’ pic for the wedding album. So are there other alternatives to wedding cake? The more adventurous types will be pleased to learn that there is, and they’ll be spoilt for choice!

‘CAKES’ FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Many of these ideas may be especially useful, if you’re wedding has a certain cultural theme:

♥ Dummy cakes are used in both India and Japan (although in India the top tier tends to be real). They look like the real thing, and is an excellent way of cutting down on costs. The only downside is that unless your guests enjoy the taste of cardboard or wax, they won’t be able to tuck into it.

♥ The French Croquembouche is a worldwide hit. Little choux balls filled with cream or crème patisserie (flavoured or unflavoured – it’s all good) stacked like a pyramid, stuck with caramel, topped with spun sugar and decorated with almonds. It can’t be cut into, so you’d have to smash the top of it with a hammer. Great fun I’m sure!

♥ Brazilians have the ‘Bem Casados’ as their wedding cake replacement – even though it is a type of wedding favour. This consists of two pieces of pastry sandwiched together by a sweet sticky cream, similar to caramel (doesn’t that sound divine?). They come in a range of shapes including doves, rings and hearts.

♥ Another ‘favour-come-wedding cake replacement’ is the wanda served in Italy. A type of cookie, the wandas are arranged on a separate table so that it resembles a cake. A dance is then started by the bride and groom, in which the guests join in and dance their way towards the wanda table. Each person then takes a wanda. Working up an appetite on the dance floor, followed by an attack of the munchies – sounds like another Saturday night out for me, but don’t worry if you’re not much of a dancer, as non-dancers are also allowed a cookie!

DESSERTS

Those who don’t want a cake can opt for sweets which double up as the dessert course. These can be arranged in tiers like a traditional cake. Cute little individual portions will look great too.

♥ Pavlova
♥ Jelly – Not as childish as it sounds. Filled with fruit and made with sparkling wine or champagne, it makes a great treat for the grown ups, especially in the summer. Just remember to include one alcohol free version for the kiddies!
♥ Blancmange
♥ Tiramisu
♥ Mousse or ice cream ‘cakes’

CHOCOLATE FOUNTAINS

Chocolate fountains have become party must- haves in recent years (may whoever invented this receive many blessings) and although most couples have a chocolate fountain alongside their cake, there are some who have chosen to replace the cake with the fountain. They come in a choice of plain, milk, white and pink, yes PINK, chocolate, and dipping foods include, fruit, marshmallows, mini doughnuts, profiteroles, fudge and cookies. For something a little different, try Turkish delight, nougat, honeycomb, shortbread, or dried fruit.

For those of you who are a little more health conscious, you could always opt for a delicious fruit fountain. Made from yummy crushed fruit, I’m sure you could find something to match your colour scheme (unless of course it’s navy blue).

TOTALLY UNIQUE

♥ If you’re a big fan of doughnuts, then why not select a tower of doughnuts? An idea that’s already a hit Stateside, it could prove to be quite popular here. After all, who doesn’t like doughnuts? As with cakes, you can choose a variety of fillings.

♥ Ever seen one of those wedding game shows, where one couple have to plan a wedding for another? Well I saw a really unusual idea, where instead of a cake, boxed truffles were arranged on tiers to resemble one. Unfortunately, the ‘happy’ couple were not so happy when they saw their cake, but this is a great idea for chocoholics.

♥ I don’t think you could get more unique than a tower of mini Yorkshire puddings filled with fruit and cream. It might sound strange, but one couple actually did opt for this distinctive (and no doubt delicious) creation. Kind of like an English croquembouche!

♥ My pancake chomping mate Kaz is the inspiration behind this next idea for a pancake tower. A stack of pancakes which are served to guests with a choice of fillings. Great for all pancake addicts (I know I’m not the only one)! A truly unique idea which I have yet to see (and scoff). Thanks Kaz!

♥ One bride who hated cake, but loved pie, had several tiers of different flavoured pies. This is sure to be delicious served with cream, custard, or ice cream.

SAVOURY DELIGHTS

In case you couldn’t tell, I have a serious sweet tooth. However not everyone is the same, and some people may prefer more savoury treats.

♥ Cheese cake. No, I’m not talking about an American style cheesecake topped with blueberries, but various types of cheese stacked to resemble a wedding cake, and decorated with fruit. It can be served with fruit, crackers, cold meats, chutneys, pickles and warm bread. That sounds tempting, even to me!

♥ If you’ve checked out Wedaholic, I’m sure you’ve come across the pork pie feature. Ingenious!

♥ You’ve heard of a chocolate fountain, so how about a cheese fountain? Ok, I’ve never actually seen one, and I don’t know if it exists, but as there are people out there who love cheese fondue, we’re bound to see one sooner or later.

So there you have it. There’s so much choice for those of you who don’t want a run-of-the- mill wedding cake. And it certainly beats arguing about fruit or sponge – though personally, I’d have both!

Til next time!

Lesley Anne