5 Ideas For Creative and Unusual Wedding Cakes

As the centerpiece of your reception, wedding cakes are a bride's opportunity to make a major style statement. But many brides don't particularly like the taste of wedding cake, and some simply prefer to serve something a little more distinctive for the dessert course. Looking for something different? Browse our ideas for a refreshing spin on the traditional wedding cake.

1. Break the Mold

Cupcakes and doughnuts are trendy alternatives to traditional wedding cakes, but good ol' Jell-O might be the most creative new option. When molded into cake form with a touch of class and ingredients like tropical fruit, champagne, and lychee nut, the family picnic favorite can be transformed into an elegant and refreshingly light treat perfect for a summer or outdoor wedding. Plus, it's bound to be an instant conversation starter. Love the idea? Present it to your caterer to recreate it.

2. Wedding Cakes Made of Cheese

Scattered plates with barely nibbled pieces of wedding cake are an all-too-familiar sight at receptions. If you want to serve a dessert your guests will actually eat, consider a wedding "cake" made of cheese. No, not the rich, loaded with sugar variety with graham cracker crust - literally a cake made of cheese stacked in tiers and decorated to look like a wedding cake. Adornments like foliage, grapes, berries, nuts, and flowers transform a creamy lancashire or unpasteurized cheddar into an elaborate wedding cake that can match your decor scheme.

The trend is taking off in the U.K. where cheese for dessert is prevalent. In its infancy on this side of the pond, this is a chance for you to be truly on the cusp. Guests with a savory soft spot and those last holdovers from the Atkins revolution will be only too happy to forego the buttercream frosting and rolled fondant.

3. Blinged out Baked Goods

When it comes to wedding day bling, bejeweled brides have some competition. Now your cake can don jewelry too! That's right, the latest adornments to hit wedding cakes are hand-made Swarovski Crystal Cake Jewelry. Design a sparkilicious cake bedecked with crystal monograms, hearts, flowers or butterflies. Order a cake from your local bakery, then use the customizing tools available at Verydifferentcakes.com to design dazzling cake jewelry for it.

4. Flavorful Fountains

Chocolate fountains in lieu of wedding cakes have been done. So put a new spin on the chocolate fountain with a colorful, flowing display of fruit coulis, which is that powerfully tangy syrup made from raspberries, mangoes, or other fruits and often comes drizzled over something like a flourless chocolate cake. In its fountain form, dip brownies, shortbread, and other cakes and cookies for a sweet, fruity treat.

5. Cake Fake Out

If you like the look of iced tiers, but want something truly surprising, have rich, velvety gourmet cheesecakes stacked and decorated like a traditional wedding cake. Your guests will be none the wiser until it is time to slice up.

Get even more ideas for unusual wedding cakes at the Elegala.com wedding cakes guide. Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete wedding planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, how-to guides, expert advice, checklists and photo galleries to walk brides and grooms through every step of the planning process. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cori_Russell Find More : wedding cakes chocolate cake Cupcakes

Decorating a Cupcake Posy

This floral cupcake decorating idea can be used as a table center piece or as special gift for the birthday girl. It is a posy of cupcakes and can be put together by the novice or the advanced cake decorator.

What you will need is a 10 centimeter polystyrene ball, 30 small cupcakes, strong double sided toothpicks, a wooden chopstick, paper doily, colored wrapping paper and ribbon. This is apart from the cupcake decorating material you will need which of course will depend on the style of cupcake decoration you choose. Ice the cupcakes with butter cream.

• For the beginner: Decorate each cupcake with an M&M or Smarty in the center of the cupcake and arrange your choice of jellybeans or other colored small oblong sweets around the center as petals.

• Also for the beginner: Use colored fondant icing and cut shapes of flowers to place on your cupcakes. The center of the flower can be silver cachous ball or a small circle of a different color.

• The intermediate decorator might like to pipe flowers on the cupcakes.

• The more advanced cupcake decorator might like to make little sugar flowers for each cupcake.

To assemble the posy, push the chopstick about half way through the polystyrene ball. Place the ball into a container while you assemble the remainder of the posy, making sure that about two-thirds of the ball is showing. Pierce each cupcake with a toothpick and position it on the ball, piercing the ball itself with the other end of the toothpick. Continue until all the cupcakes are arranged as you want them.

Wrap the frilly paper doily for a lacy effect then wrap the colored paper around this using the chopstick as the stem. Tie the posy with ribbon.

The cupcake posy can be place in the center of the party table or given to the birthday girl. This is a great cupcake decorating idea suited to all levels of experience.

Lynette enjoys crafts and cooking and finds decorating cupcakes allows her to combine these interests. She is a member of the Cupcake Decorations Club and invites you to find more cupcake decoration ideas on the blog. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynette_Bell Find More : Cupcake Decorations cupcakes posy of cupcakes

Cupcake Decorations For Grownups

Cupcakes make great party fare and can be designed to appeal to both young and old. While cupcake decorations for grownups may look just as pretty and appealing to kids the addition of alcohol or certain flavors will mean they aren't quite so tempting to them after all. So put on your thinking cap for your next adult party and make something decadent for your guests.

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Recipes are not included as this is more about decorating your cupcakes but I'm sure you'll have your own favorite recipes that can be adapted.

Pina Colada cupcake decorations are particularly easy. Add coconut rum and pineapple juice -- perhaps even crushed pineapple -- to the cake mix and flavor the glace icing with pineapple juice and a little of the coconut rum. If you prefer, use a frosting. Decorate your cupcakes with a cocktail umbrella pierced through a piece of glace pineapple and a glace cherry. Maraschino cherries with a little of the stem still on will be very attractive alternative.

Irish coffee normally has Irish whisky but you could substitute the whisky for coffee and Irish Cream in your cupcakes. Decorate with frosting made with Irish Cream flavoring. Pipe the frosting on the top of your cupcake and dust with a little cinnamon to look like a cup of coffee. Place a coffee bean on the top. If you have any coffee cups or mugs that your cupcake would fit into this would be a particularly nice touch. This decoration idea would be good for many coffee cupcakes. Other flavor ideas are: Caribbean coffee with rum, French coffee with brandy, Mexican with Kahula.

What about savory cupcakes? Many would recoil in horror that the sweet little cupcake may now have savory items added to it. But think of muffins -- they are not unlike cupcakes except for the texture. Savory cupcakes could be decorated with cream cheese instead of sweet frosting, topped with bits of bacon, tomato, dusted with paprika. Savory cupcakes could be your starter while the sweet cupcake is a fitting finish to your meal.

Whatever takes your fancy, I hope that this article both sweet and savory has helped to bring some ideas on cupcake decoration to your table to make your next grownup party something special.

Lynette is a member of the Cupcake Decorations Club. You are invited to take a look

Find More : cupcakes Savory cupcakes cupcake decorations