It used to be the case that a  wedding cake was an absolute essential on the wedding list, and your mum would kill you if there was no “cutting the cake” photo op. Times, as we all know, have changed and if, like me, you have a sweet tooth but don’t want the traditional cake centrepiece the good news is there is a huge variety of delicious sweet treat options instead.

So here we’re checking out 16 of our favourite wedding cake alternatives: from decadent doughnuts and dainty macarons to retro pies and gourmet cheese cakes, there’s a little something to please all tastes, and surprise your guests!

16 Wedding Cake Alternatives

1. Wedding Doughnuts

With a variety of fillings and a little creativity in terms of presentation you can have a very cost-effective and pretty wedding cake alternative with wedding donuts. Love this idea? Offbeat Donut and The Rolling Donut both offer a wedding service of their gorgeous sweet and sticky delights, while Krispy Kreme can provide individual boxed wedding donuts for your guests.

2. Wedding Macarons

The most romantic and feminine of sweet treats – macarons are a natural wedding cake alternative. Be careful where you buy your macarons and stick with brilliant confectioners such as Ladurée or one of our other specialist recommended confectioners.

3. Wedding Tiramisu

Tiramisu wedding cakes are having a major moment, blending indulgence, style, and personality into one irresistible bite. This exciting cake-meets-dessert trend brings the classic flavours of tiramisu, espresso-soaked sponge, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder, into an elegant wedding cake form. With rich, coffee-infused layers transformed into moist, tiered creations, they’re perfect for coffee lovers and couples seeking a memorable alternative to traditional cake. From sheet cakes to towering cup displays, we’re saying “I do” to tiramisu!

4. Wedding Cupcakes

Ah the beloved wedding cupcake! These delicate little treats are always a crowd pleaser and a great single serve wedding cake. They also double duty as a fantastic wedding favour (edible wedding favours will always be a winner in our book!) if left individually at a place setting. The rule of thumb when ordering cupcakes is to order 1.5 full-size cupcake per guest. If there are any left, they’re easy enough to box up and send home with your guests (or make a great late-night snack!).

5. Wedding Meringues & Pavlovas

Next on our list of wedding cake alternatives is a retro classic that’s making quite a comeback at weddings: pavlova and meringue wedding cakes! Once a kitschy, yet delish dessert fave, a new generation has discovered its gorgeous gooiness and is bringing it back to wedding dessert tables everywhere. And we think it would be perfect for those not so much into the classic wedding cake, but still looking for a sweet treat to serve up to your guests.

6. Wedding Cookies & Biscuits

The options for wedding cookies and biscuits are endless from cute and creative, to classic and hearty. Cookies and biscuits can be made in just about any flavour or style to suit your theme or venue and look just as good as a wedding cake on a cake stand.

7. Wedding Croquembouche

A traditional French pastry, this confection is comprised of fluffy, bite-size cream-filled choux pastries just like éclairs, which are assembled into a cone shape using caramel syrup (yum!) The traditional decoration for a wedding Croquembouche is spun sugar ribbons but they can also be drizzled with chocolate, icing sugar or caramel.

8. Wedding Cheese Cakes & Cheese Boards

For a savoury treat tiered wedding cheese cakes can be disassembled and used as an after dinner cheeseboard or as a tasty wedding cake alternative. If you want to know how to create your own wedding cheese cake we have the full instructions and tips all ready for you.

9. Wedding Pies

A great alternative if you don’t want cake but still wanted a sweet treat you can slice up and divide to your guests. Popular wedding pie options include classic apple pie, sweet pecan pie and berry wedding pies, or why not opt for something more unusual like Earl Grey pie? Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and guests won’t even miss the wedding cake. Caterers can often help you with this wedding cake alternative.

10. Wedding Bundt Cakes

Wedding bundt cakes definitely don’t get as much love as they deserve. These traditional European cakes get their distinct shape by being baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a doughnut shape. Flavour possibilities for bundt cakes are literally endless, and we love how a simple dust of icing sugar or a drizzle of glaze can transform these simple bakes into a unique wedding cake!

11. Wedding Traybake Towers

Traybake towers are not only mouth-wateringly good, they are a great budget-friendly option too. So, if you can’t choose between brownies, rocky road, lemon drizzle or raspberry sponge squares, why not serve them all! These can act as a relatively simple wedding DIY project for a friend of family member, with the key being really great signage and styling. Alternatively most good bakers now offer this as an option.

12. Wedding Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a delicious and stylish wedding cake alternative, whether you go big with a show-stopping centrepiece, display it in slices, or choose a few different flavours for a dessert table. It’s also perfect for embracing the seasons, with light, zesty options like key lime, passionfruit, or strawberry for summer, and richer flavours like Baileys, hazelnut, or chocolate for the colder months.

13. Rice Krispie Wedding Cake

Snap, Crackle, Pop!  A whimsical and fun alternative wedding cake idea, Rice Krispie Wedding Cakes have been popping up and boy, are we thrilled as they are perfect for small, child-friendly celebrations. There is something about this sweet treat that will bring the little kid out in everyone on your big day.

14. Wedding Madeleine Towers

A traditional French creation getting a lot of recognition lately is the Madeleine tower. This eye-catching confection is comprised of fluffy, bite-size Madeline’s, which are assembled into a cone or tower shape. The traditional decoration for a Madeleine tower is simple dusting of icing sugar but they can also be dipped in chocolate, icing sugar, or caramel. They are a great alternative to traditional tiered wedding cakes and will certainly bring the wow factor!

15. Single Serve Wedding Cake

If you aren’t familiar, single-serve wedding cakes means that your guests each receive their very own miniature wedding cake, rather than a slice of a larger cake, and work really well for smaller weddings. These delicate delights are works of art in their own right, so display them individually, or arrange them in tiers to look like a regular wedding cake shape.

16. Millefoglie Wedding Cake

This traditional Italian wedding cake is eye-catching and delicious, and makes for a show-stopping cake cutting moment. The Millefoglie which translates as ‘thousand leaves’ is made up of alternating layers of puff pastry and vanilla custard and topped with whipped fresh cream. Traditionally dressed with fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries but it would work with any fruit that you love, or edible flowers or gold leaf for a contemporary take. It can be round, square, and even stacked in tiers.

Get in touch with one of our recommended suppliers to start planning your own wedding cake alternative.