Unusual Wedding Cake Ideas

Wedding cake ideas come in all shapes and sizes. You can go with something traditional or something totally unique. Many unusual ideas can give your wedding reception character and can also help you save money.

Here are a few variations on the traditional wedding cake theme that you might want to use on your big day.

Try some new flavours

One of the best ways to trade a traditional cake for cheaper options is to change up the flavours.

A traditional fruit cake can cost a fortune simply because it takes weeks of hard work to create.

Here are some wedding cake ideas you can use to save some cash and to have something extra delicious at your reception.

• Have your favourite dessert. If you have a dessert that you just love, such as brownies, cookies, Crocembouche, or cheesecake, have that instead of a normal cake. Many of these unusual wedding cake ideas are cheaper than usual cakes simply because they take less time to decorate. You can save even more if you ask a friend or family member to make their best dessert for you as a wedding gift.
  
  Also, if you want the look of a traditional wedding cake, you could have a small cake made for pictures and then serve the dessert to all your guests. This gives you the best of both worlds and can still help you save some cash!
• Create an unusual cake with savoury cheese rounds. Cheese rounds can look lovely, and they can be a great addition to a cocktail party in the evening. Plus, you can save lots on the cost of icing and decorating a cake with this option!

• One of the best wedding cake ideas is to use non-traditional flavours. The traditional fruit cake is one of the most expensive cake options out there. If you and your fiancé like other cake flavours, such as Madeira or carrot, use those instead. They're becoming more popular and they're generally cheaper.

Try some different forms

Flavours are one way to create a new feel for your wedding cake, but you can also use some unusual wedding cake ideas by putting cakes in different forms. Here are a couple of ideas you can try.

• Fairy cakes or cupcakes are a fantastic way to build a beautiful wedding cake on your own. They're a whole lot easier to make and decorate than a traditional wedding cake, and you can do lots of different kinds. You could even get your bridesmaids round for a tea party to help decorate them all. Plus, they're easy for your guests to take home if they prefer this to eating cake at the reception.

• Individual cakes for each guest are a twist on this cupcake idea. Your cakes can act as your favours! This is a little different from cupcakes, and it might be a little more complicated. Since the small cake tins are expensive, you will need to bake normal large cakes and then cut them into small ones. Alternatively you might want to ask a bakery to make the cakes for you. You could then decorate them all on your own.

Try some unusual decorations

Setting apart your wedding cake with decorations is a lot of fun. You can really set the tone for your reception with a beautiful cake displayed in the centre of the reception hall. These unusual wedding cake ideas can spark your imagination for your own cake.

• Wonky cakes are cakes that have been baked and then cut into sloped or unevenly squared off forms. They're normally stacked like a traditional wedding cake, and they can be decorated pretty much anyway you want. They're a lot of fun for a modern reception.
• Use strong or bright colours to give your cake more personality and visual impact. Most wedding cakes are white with light accents. You can really make your cake stand apart with colours like gold, purple, blue, etc. Colouring your icing brighter and bolder colours is an inexpensive way to get a really unique looking wedding cake.
• Using wedding cake jewellery can set your cake apart, as well. This may not be the cheapest possible option, but it doesn't have to cost a lot, either. You can really dress up an otherwise plain cake in this way. Plus, you can add the decorations yourself after you pay an expert to put plain icing on the cake. If you're really ambitious, you can even ice the cake yourself and then decorate it!
• One final option is to do a shaped cake. Most wedding cakes are stacked, but you can cut out a cake to lie in any shape you want. This leaves a lot of options open! If you're doing your wedding cake on your own, though, make sure you practice first!

Use a fake wedding cake

It's true! You can actually use an artificial cake for your wedding. Obviously you can't eat it, but you can use it for decorations and pictures. These cakes are made from Styrofoam and can be decorated with fake or real icing. They are much, much more affordable than typical wedding cakes.

Of course, you will still want to have something to serve your guests. With a fake cake, you can afford to have the gorgeous, whimsical, or interesting wedding cake of your dreams to cherish in pictures. Then, you can spend a bit on other desserts, inexpensive cakes decorated simply, or cupcakes. You and your guests can enjoy real cake, but you can still afford to have a beautiful creation as a reception centrepiece.

Not all of these wedding cake ideas are necessary for saving money. Some of them, though, can save you a bundle. If you know enough about baking and decorating cakes, you can use any of these wedding cake ideas for a DIY wedding cake, too.

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Image credits:
Butterfly wedding cake: © kimmyrm | dreamstime.com
Mini wedding cakes: © mouton1980 | dreamstime.com