The wedding cake, traced back to the traditions of the Roman Empire, originated as a loaf of barley bread. The groom would eat a piece of it, and then break the rest over his brides head. This symbolized the breaking of the hymen and the dominance of the groom over his bride. Ummm...yeah. Obviously this ritual did not stick around.
Today, wedding cakes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Cake designers are challenging the common three tiered, butter cream frosted, velvety white cake, with unique customized alternatives. It’s so common to be uncommon these days.
How about a cake of Croquembouche, a French dessert made with choux pastry balls. It sounds fancy, right? But just between you and me, they’re really just cream puffs stacked high to make a cone shape, bound with caramel and decorated with chocolate, almonds, ribbons and flowers. Serve your guests with as many puffs as you wish. And don’t forget to have dipping options available like chocolate sauce, strawberry jam or even powdered sugar. These French pastry balls will totally swank-up your wedding reception. You can even find out how to assemble one yourself here.
Another wedding cake substitute vastly growing in popularity is the good ol’ cupcake. Have your guests pick theirs from an elegant tiered display platter. Cupcakes are just for kids anymore! Many cake artisans are creating elegant cupcake recipes to match the theme of the grown-up wedding. We’ve seen lemon zest cake with white chocolate mousse icing and apricot spice cake with dolce de leche icing—the sky’s the limit. But you could also celebrate the kid at heart and serve something whimsical as well.
Following the trend of serving individual-sized treats is the chocolate dessert bar. If you and your sweetie are chocoholics, then this is the choice for you! Stack up an array of chocolate truffles, brownies, and don’t forget the chocolate fountain! Champagne is perfect to serve alongside it—or a cold glass of milk.
If these options don't work for you, pick your favorite dessert—cheesecake, fruit tarts, candy, or even donuts (whatever it is) stack them, plate them, and embellish them to fit your wedding theme. Voila! You’ve got a one-of-a-kind wedding cake!
I do have one suggestion, stay away from barley bread.
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