5 Elegant Alternatives To The Traditional Wedding Cake

Towering, white, intricate wedding cakes take pride of place at the majority of American weddings. They're beautiful, classic, and symbolic. However, if this traditional beauty isn't what you want as the edible centerpiece for your wedding, don't despair; just turn to one of these elegant alternatives instead.

Cookies and Milk

Incorporate your favorite nostalgic, childhood treat into your wedding by swapping the sophisticated, classic wedding cake, with towers of cookies, served alongside glasses, or mini bottles, of milk. Whether you choose to go for a surprisingly elegant, layered Oreo wedding cake, or to use your tiered cake stand and place different cookies on each level, don't be afraid to use your favorite cookie, and make sure every single one comes with a side of milk.

For the 101 Best Cookie Recipes, click here.

Doughnut Tiers

If you're a doughnut-lover at heart, make sure you incorporate your favorite food into your wedding by swapping the fruit cake for some sweet, glazed doughnuts. To replicate the traditional wedding cake centerpiece, pile them on top of each other — the sticky glaze will keep them in place and stop them from toppling over. There's no need to spend time and money cutting this doughnut cake either: Simply allow your guests to help themselves to the doughnut on top, until the whole cake has disappeared.

To see the tasty doughnut cake, click here.

Meringues and Berries        

If you're having a summer wedding, make sure you make the most of all those ripe, sweet berries. Mini pavlovas topped with freshly whipped cream and bright berries make the daintiest, prettiest dessert. If you're not ready to move so far away from the tiered tradition, try making several thin layers of meringue, and sandwiching whipped cream and fresh berries between each layer.

For the Raspberry and Rosewater Pavlova recipe, click here.

Rice Krispies Cake

Embrace your inner child and swap the heavy, alcohol-laden fruit cake, decorated with white fondant icing, for a chewy, crunchy Rice Krispies cake. Either serve in precut pieces towered up on top of each other on a cake stand, or "bake" the Rice Krispies Treats into distinct, sizable layers, balanced one on top of the other, to resemble a classic wedding cake.

For more information on Rice Krispies Cakes, click here.

Towering Pies

Give your favorite, classic American dessert pride of place at your wedding party. Swap the white wedding cake for your preferred flavor of pie, using your favorite fruit filling, decadent custard, or chocolate ganache in the center. Mini pies make an adorable ending to your wedding meal, but we love towering the pies up high, to resemble the traditional wedding cake, albeit in a more rustic way.

Click here to find out why your wedding cake should be a pie cake.