Miniature cakes for wedding guests are a creative alternative to a traditional tiered cake or sheet cake. Miniature cakes give couples another way to express their love for each other through customized cake designs.
Individual Cake Desserts
Wedding cake has been a wedding reception tradition for many years. However, many modern couples want to create memorable and different wedding cakes. Individual wedding cakes are a good way for couples to be unique while keeping the cake tradition alive. These cakes can be made using buttercream wedding cake designs or with rolled fondant, which is more common.
Novelty Miniature Wedding Cake Designs
Miniature wedding cakes offer a variety of design options, many similar to regular sized wedding cakes. One option is for couples to model their individual cakes after a larger one or two-tiered cake they use for cutting.
Create one-of-a-kind wedding cakes for each guest by varying the color or design of each cake. Couples who are planning small weddings with a short guest list could even have guests names or initials on each individual cake.
More design ideas for miniature cakes include:
- Butterflies, ladybugs or bees on top
- Dots or beadwork
- Scroll designs
- Flowers
- Leaves
- Fruit topper, such as a single strawberry or several blueberries or raspberries
- Stars
- Monograms
- Snowflakes
- Ribbon or bows, to make cakes look like wedding gifts
Tie the decorations of the miniature cakes into your wedding theme. For example, use pea green colored icing and two large round balls of fondant on top of a two peas in a pod wedding theme cake.
The type of design you want will determine whether you should use buttercream or fondant icing. If you plan to send the cakes home as a favor, fondant will usually travel better than buttercream in a wedding favor box. Cakes meant to be eaten as dessert, however, can usually be frosted in buttercream without concern for travel.
If you want to do the cakes yourself, consider purchasing mini bundt pans in a novelty shape, like roses or castles. Bake a heavy cake in the pans and cover in chocolate ganache, which coats the cakes but keeps details intact. Cupcakes can also be inverted and frosted as miniature cakes.
Mini Cake Pricing and Considerations
Purchasing miniature wedding cakes is not always cheaper than buying a larger tiered cake. Some bakeries may have a minimum number of cakes before making them, too. Bakeries may limit cake flavors, shapes, fillings, and frostings used on small individual cakes as well.
Labor and intricacy of design also factors into the individual wedding cake prices. Basketweave buttercream designs on 100 mini cakes is often time consuming and will probably cost more than a simple ribbon design.
Cakes for individuals can also be single, double, or triple tiered. The number of tiers on the miniature cakes will also determine labor, design, and pricing.
Displaying Cakes
Place mini cakes that are doubling as favors next to each person's place setting at the reception. Otherwise, try displaying the cakes in the following ways:
- On tiered serving stands in the center of reception tables
- As part of a wedding dessert bar
- As the bottom two or three tiers of a traditional wedding cake stand, with a small single tier cake on top for cutting
- Individually plated and served by the catering staff
- Surrounding a large tiered cake (real or frosted faux cake) on a decorated wedding cake table
Alternatives to Mini Cakes
If you like the idea of miniature wedding cakes but do not have the time or money to spend making them, consider having a cupcake wedding cake. This gives you the individual cakes without the same cost involved, with a lot less labor.
Another alternative is to have cookies cut in the shape of cakes and decorated like one using a wedding cake cookie cutter. You get the look of the cake without actually having to make one. Frost them with royal icing for an elegant finish.
Finally, consider making small, single tier wedding cakes for each individual table. These cakes will not only serve as the dessert, but will double as the wedding reception centerpieces.
Mini wedding cakes are a delicate and elegant alternative to larger cakes. Couples interested in something unique and unusual can try miniature cakes to add more personality and creativity to their wedding.
