Whilst tier wedding cakes still hold the lions share of the wedding cake market, individual wedding cakes are rising to prominence here in the UK as couples look for an alternative way to stamp their individuality on the day. Dramatic to look at (and even better to taste!), there are a number of styles of individual wedding cakes available - let's take a look at some of the most popular.
Croquembouche
One of the most striking of all the individual wedding cakes to hit these shores in recent times is the croquembouche. Originating in France, and literally translating as 'to crack or crunch in one's mouth', the croquembouche consists individual vanilla cream filled choux buns bound together in a brittle caramel sauce.
Rising upwards in a conical shape and culminating in a peak, the croquembouche can be served as-is, or covered with a milk chocolate sauce. Alternatives include dark chocolate, spun sugar and the traditional sugared almonds. Regardless of whether it is served accompanied or unaccompanied, it still tastes wonderful!
Decorated simply, often with a small floral topper, it is possible for other embellishments and cake toppers to be used, although you should check up front with your croquembouche maker to see if your requirements are feasible.
Cupcake Wedding Cakes
Cupcake wedding cake towers originated in the US but, like their croquembouche counterparts, have made their way over here in recent years.
A simple cake, the cupcake is a small round cake adorned with icing, and sometimes a small edible embellishment too. There are several icing options when it comes to cupcakes with elevated whipped buttercream icing and chocolate ganache proving some of the most popular.
Bespoke cupcake stands fairly easy to track down for hire or purchase outright, and come in two main styles - stands which hold individual wedding cakes, or stands with several levels bound together by a central column or pillars, although it is possible to use traditional wedding cake stands instead. The latter of the two styles leaves couples open to having a larger traditional wedding cake adorning the top level and allowing for a bespoke cake toppoer of their choice.
Fairy Cake Wedding Cakes
Similar in overall appearance to the cupcake wedding cake, wedding fairy cakes typically differ in one main way - the icing. Whilst the traditional cupcake will feature more of a whipped icing rising to a peak, fairy cakes are typically adorned in a flatter fondant icing. Patterns and embellishments on fairy cake wedding cakes are commonplace, and anything from a monogram of the couple's initials to edible flowers are often found.
Displayed similarly to cupcake wedding cakes, these individual wedding cakes can also be presented in conjuction with a more traditional style wedding cake and topper which would adorn the top level of the stand.
Other Individual Wedding Cakes
Whilst we've touched on some of the more common individual wedding cakes in this article, in truth the options are limitless.
Meringues or mini-pavlovas are always an option, whilst individual slices of traditional fruit or spiced wedding cake is also a popular call. For a cheaper option you could look to lay up several tiers of french fancies, apple strudels or even doughnuts! Mince pies provide a nice seasonal option should your wedding be taking place during the winter months, whilst individual slices of simnel cake do likewise for an easter-time affair.
In short, you are only limited by your imagination, so why not put your thinking caps on and get creative!
Cutting & Serving Individual Wedding Cakes
One of the major benefits of opting for individual wedding cakes is the fact they need no slicing and, in some cases, no serving. One of the major drawbacks is that in most cases the 'cutting' becomes more of a 'posing'.
It is commonplace for individual wedding cakes to remain on their respective stands after the formal cutting (or posing!) has taken place and guests are then free to help themselves to a slice or two during the remainder of proceedings. With this in mind, you may wish to budget for an extra 10-20% to cover for any greedy guests who may be tempted to take more than their fair share, alternatively you could look to serve the cake in the traditional manner to counteract this potential issue
. Whatever you opt for, the newlyweds should always take the first individual wedding cakes from the stand and make a short announcment to let the guests know if/when they are allowed to tuck in.
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