6 Additional Desserts To Complement Your Wedding Cake

When it comes to wedding desserts, the traditional wedding cake will always be the centerpiece, and for good reason. There’s simply nothing more beautiful, elegant, and symbolic than a gorgeous tiered wedding cake. Nonetheless, many couples might choose to provide a variety of alternatives to complement their cake and give guests more options to choose from.

I used Zola for my own registry, so I thought it would be fun to team up with them on this post. Below we suggested a few desserts that complement a cake that we’ve seen be crowd favorites at our events. We also provided links to some fun items you could add to your registry that will allow you to enjoy some of the sweet treats even after the party is over!

miniature pies, shortcakes, and cheesecakes

It may be hard to believe, but some people simply do not like cake very much. Along the same lines as cupcakes, mini versions of these treats give you an option to provide something similar in serving size and appearance to cake, but with more variety. Some guests will prefer to eat something fruity or less sweet than cake, so these can be the perfect option for them. An added benefit is with a little skill, you can also make these match your cake!

Mini Desserts: The Winey Baker

Photo: Courtney Elizabeth Media

At-Home Zola Registry Item: Individual Pie Dish

Macarons

Macarons are the best of two worlds: cookies and cake! They come in a variety of flavors and colors so you can be sure you can find a variety to match your wedding’s color scheme. And this might sound crazy to sweet food lovers, but the best part of macarons is not everyone has had them before. Introduce your guests to something tasty they’ve never eaten and they’ll remember your wedding forever.

Macarons: Mainely Macarons

Photo: Jamie Mercurio

At-Home Zola Registry Item: Non-Stick Macaron Baking Mat

pies

A tower of pie could be described as equally glorious as a tiered wedding cake is gorgeous. Some guests may not like all of the frosting, fondant, buttercream, and sugar that comes with a cake, but there’s almost no one who doesn’t love a good pie! And a tower of pie is a great way to offer variety.

Pies: Little Marie Pies

Photo: Courtney Elizabeth Media

At-Home Zola Registry Item: Le Creuset Pie Bird

donuts

Donuts are an increasingly popular wedding favor for good reason - who doesn't love donuts?! This is another fun way to add a bunch of variety to your dessert offerings. You can provide a huge variety of flavors, sizes, shapes and combinations of donuts to create truly incredible works of art. Not only are they sure to be a crowd favorite, donuts are also an incredibly cost effective way to offer a lot of dessert. Places like Holy Donut also offer Gluten Free and Vegan options as well for those with dietary restrictions!

Donuts: Holy Donut

Photo: Christ Bennett

At-Home Zola Registry Item: Acrylic Donut Stands

gourmet s’mores

If you're having an outdoor summer or fall wedding, it's hard to think of a more fitting treat than s'mores! You can prepare ahead of time or the ingredients can be pre-packaged in cute individual containers and given to guests to prepare around a fire. This will be a hit with both kids and adults. We love The Marshmallow Cart since Madison comes with his homemade marshmallows, which are available in dozens of flavors!

S’more Cart: The Marshmallow Cart

Photo: Greta Tucker

At-Home Zola Registry Item: S’more Maker

cupcakes

Cupcakes are perhaps the most obvious addition to your traditional cake and popular for good reason. There are several reasons a couple might choose cupcakes. They can help reduce your costs, lighten up the atmosphere of your wedding, and help make sure no cake goes wasted.

Cupcakes can help reduce your cost by allowing you to buy a smaller traditional cake without sacrificing the number of servings. They also help turn any formal event into a more party-like atmosphere. If guests are free to grab a cupcake from the table and mingle with others rather than sit down to eat a slice of cake with a plate and fork, it can really liven up the night. It seems small, but it really does help! And maybe the most important consideration for some people, the ease of cupcakes helps ensure that all of them get eaten.

And the best part of cupcakes? You can order them to match your cake!

Cupcakes: East End Cupcakes

Photo: Kari Herer

At Home Zola Registry Item: Baked by Melissa Cupcakes Gift Card

Wedding planning sometimes seems like an endless sea of decisions. Hopefully, this has given you a little inspiration to help you decide what your dessert offerings will be. If you still need help planning your cake, be sure to check out Zola’s huge list of wedding cake ideas.