13 Unconventional Wedding Cakes to Add Flair to Your Reception

One of the most exciting parts about planning a wedding is the picking out the perfect cake. Why not throw caution to the wind and try one of these unconventional wedding cakes below?

Unconventional Wedding Cakes to Try

Going with unconventional wedding cakes isn’t just a fabulous way to show off your unique personalities, it’s also a great money saver! When you step outside the traditional tiered cake, your possibilities are endless (which means your budget has a lot more flexibility).

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1. A Cake For Every Table

Rather than a large cake, why not surprise guests with a small cake at their table?  You can pick and choose the flavors for each cake; you can create different designs for each table depending on who’s sitting where; or you can keep it simple.  The only limit with this kind of cake is your imagination!

If you’re talented in the kitchen and want to save some cash, you can even make these yourself with the help of these mini cake pans.

TeamFar 4 Inch Cake Pan, 4 Pcs Mini Cake Pan Round Tier Baking Cake Pans Set Stainless Steel, For Baking Steaming Serving, Healthy & Sturdy, Mirror Finish & Dishwasher Safe
  • HEALTHY & SAFE- TeamFar cake pan is make of high quality stainless steel, Without any other chemical material or non-stick coating, No worry about toxic coating flaking off into your food, Healthy and safe for daily use, Superior to the nonstick pan
  • 4 INCH(4 PCS) - Cute size(4 inch) ideal for making small portion for 1 person, 4 pcs perfect to bake 1 - 4 mini cakes for several persons at a time, Saving your baking time, Ideal for baking various beautiful small cakes / cream brulee for any occasion, Such as Christmas / birthday / party
  • DISHWASHER SAFE - Superior mirror finished help release effortlessly, Cleaning small round cake pan is a breeze, Dishwasher safe to save your time and less of hassle, Convenient to your life

2. Macarons

Saucer of fresh pastel colored macarons. Extreme shallow depth of field with selective focus on foreground.

Either an entire display of gorgeous macarons in the shape of a cake, or a few layers underneath an equally beautiful traditional wedding cake – the choice is yours.  Light, airy and downright flawless, macarons are a perfect choice for a romantic wedding day!

You can even buy them on Amazon! I recommend Leila Love if you go that route, as they’re highly rated and come in tons of beautiful colors.

Leilalove Macarons - Mademoiselle de Paris - Collections of 15 - Gift box varies in color - cookies are individually packaged for the perfect freshness
  • 15 Delicious French flavor explosion Macarons up to dozen variety flavors. Compared with Laduree Paris according to customer's review.s
  • Each cookies wrapped individually for the maximum of freshness and enhancing flavor
  • Made with the highest quality BELGIUM chocolates and Almond, most of the ingredients imported from France including our butter!

3. Cupcakes

Cupcakes decorated with turquoise fondant and pink sugar roses

More and more weddings are featuring cupcakes alongside a more traditional wedding cake – and why not? Cupcakes are truly little bites of heaven!  You can include different flavors and styles, arranged in intricate patterns. Or just layer them up in a shape of a cake using something like this stand.

Jusalpha Large 5-Tier Acrylic Round Wedding Cake Stand/Cupcake Stand Tower/Dessert Stand/Pastry Serving Platter/Food Display Stand (5RF)
  • Material: Made of strong food grade acrylic.,Beautifully displays cupcakes or other dessert. Each stand comes with a bonus tote bag for convenient and safe carrying.
  • Plate Size: 6'' 8'' 10'' 12'' 14'', 4'' between each tier, 18'' tall over all. Read carefully for the measurement when you selecting a cake stand on Amazon.
  • NEW Design: This is a new version 5 tier stand which added 4 acrylic rods to the base to heighten the stand from the ground. The edges of the acrylic are perfectly clear and polished. Every part of the stand has been accurately cut and finished.

4. Donuts

Cake pops and doughnuts on the sweet table

OK, let me just say that I personally think this is the most wonderful idea in the world.  Everyone loves donuts!  Many bakeries offer a wide range of amazing and different donut flavors.

5. Pies

Tart with strawberries and whipped cream decorated with mint leaves

Rather than a cake, perhaps a beautiful pie is more up your alley.  Apple pie; strawberry rhubarb; peach pie; and the list goes on.  And what an amazing list it is!

6. Tarts

Delicious raspberry tart with fresh raspberries and mint on a beautiful background

Tarts are kind of like pies, except they have a crumblier crust (and only on the bottom). They also look a little more upscale than their pie cousins, making them perfect for a traditional wedding. Like pies, though, they come in countless amazing flavors.

7. Cake Pops

Wedding cake pops in pink and white

Mini pieces of cake, frosted beautifully and served on a stick?  Delicious, and not to mention fun! How many times have you been to a wedding and noticed that most guests only take one or two bites of their piece of wedding cake?  Problem solved with gorgeous cake pops!

You could even make your own using a kit like this one, then give them out as cheap wedding favors.

COMPLETE CAKE POP MAKER KIT -Easy & Fun Gift NonStick Silicone cakepop baking mold, 120 lollipop sticks, candy and chocolate melting pot, decorating pen, bags, twist ties & 3-Tier display stand holder
  • 🍭 EASY YUMMY CAKE POPS: Your secret weapon to baking and decorating Pinterest picture perfect cake pops. Everyone will think they are store bought.
  • 🍭 NO STRESS : No more rolling cake crumbs into balls. Just use regular boxed cake mix and a few simple steps (video tutorials included) to bake perfectly round cake pops. Easy as Mix, Bake, Decorate!
  • 🍭 LESS MESS: Nonstick and Dishwasher safe silicone makes cleanup a breeze. Who has time for scrubbing pans?

8. Cookies

Wedding cookies in different shapes and colors make great unconventional wedding cakes.

Delight the kid in all of your guests by serving up fabulous cookies instead of a traditional cake. From macadamia nut and white chocolate; to salted caramel and milk chocolate chips… well let’s just say that I would be one happy wedding guest! Add in some sugar cookies decorated in your wedding colors to pull it all together!

9. Pancake Cake

Rainbow pancakes for a gay wedding, served in pile on plate

Fluffy pancakes, or daintily thin ones that are more like crepes: the choice is yours on your wedding day!  Surprise your guests and tempt their palates with an original pancake wedding cake. I love the idea above for a same-sex wedding cake. It’s a fun way to incorporate the Pride flag into your day without going overboard on rainbows.

10. Sweet Rolls

Cinnamon buns with lemon, blueberry and thyme on gray background

Sweet- or cinnamon- rolls make a wonderful alternative to a traditional wedding cake any time of the year, but I especially love them for a winter wedding. There’s just something so wonderful about biting into a hot cinnamon bun on a cold day. Just make sure your caterer knows they need to be heated up first!

11.Miniature Cheesecakes

Small blueberry oval cheesecake with blueberry filling and berries decoration on wooden plate

I just love the idea of giving each guest their own rich and creamy mini cheesecake, don’t you? Use different toppings and crusts for a unique display, then let guests choose their favorites to enjoy.

12. A Literal Cake Made of Cheese

There are cheesecakes, then there are CHEESE cakes! My brother actually had something like this as his own special cake (along with their traditional wedding cake), and I thought it was just so clever!

13. Rice Krispy Treats

Another clever Pinterest find, this Rice Krispy treat cake takes our favorite childhood snack to whole new levels (literally, as it’s tiered). So cool, right?

Whether you choose a traditional wedding cake or something a little more unconventional for your wedding is up to you.  It’s your special day so if you feel drawn to an unconventional wedding cake, I say go for it!

Show off your unique personalities and give your guests a dessert to remember with these 13 unconventional wedding cakes! Check them out!

What are some of the most amazing unconventional wedding cakes you’ve ever tasted?

2 thoughts on “13 Unconventional Wedding Cakes to Add Flair to Your Reception”

  1. I think cupcakes are really cute for weddings. I was at a wedding recently where they had a small wedding cake for the couple and then each guest had an adorable cupcake at the table. Loved it!

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