There is so much more to a wedding cake than traditional vanilla buttercream. Although it's delicious, it's just a drop in the mixer as far as big-day confections go. After all, there's no better way to show off you and your fiancé's creative sides than through a nontraditional cake flavor. Whether that's a play on classic vanilla bean or something entirely unique, the choice really is up to you.
Looking for some inspiration? Enter the following nontraditional wedding cake flavors. They represent the very best in flavor choice, albeit, in different ways. Some confections' unique tastes are determined by the actual cake (think red velvet, lemon plum, and banana), while others get their boosts from one-of-a-kind icing, savory add-ons, and on-trend flourishes.
So much goes into making your big-day slice taste delicious, so you should ensure you're tailoring your cake to your exact vision.
Chocolate and Carrot
Give two common flavor choices—chocolate and carrot—a unique twist by combining them and adding on a few unexpected design details. This couple chose to cover their cake, made by the pastry chefs at Montage Laguna Beach, in ivory fondant and peach, pink, and orange flowers, courtesy of Honey and Poppies. The stunning dessert was displayed on a raised gold stand for an extra touch of opulence.
Banana-Cinnamon
Talk about eye catching: This 7-foot cake, designed and baked by The Cakery Bakery, had multiple flavors, including banana-cinnamon, chocolate, and yellow cake with raspberry filling and chocolate chip cake with vanilla cream.
Angel Food Cake
Want to avoid the maintenance of slicing up cake for each guest? Make like this duo and serve individual cakes, instead. For the pair's bite-sized desserts, Josephine Bakery created miniature strawberry angel food confections.
Raspberry and Champagne
At this wedding, guests had so many wedding cake flavors to choose from. The five-tier cake, baked by Park Hotel Vitznau, included lemon vanilla, raspberry, Champagne, and chocolate offerings. The finishing touch? A figurine of the newlywed's dog, which sat next to an arrangement of cascading white-and-blue flowers by Tabea Maria-Lisa.
Fresh Raspberries
Want to surprise guests when they cut into your wedding cake? Fill the center with fresh fruit. Not only does it add beautiful color throughout, but it also brings a pop of refreshing flavor that complements the filling. In fact, this three-tiered dessert from Miam Cake did just that—beneath its exquisite exterior sat vanilla cake with fresh raspberries and raspberry filling.
Climbing Citrus
Consider what's in season when deciding on your confection's flavor. If citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines are ripe for the picking, then opt for something like this Michelle Patisserie dessert. She used thinly-sliced fruits to create a cascading effect down the three-tier cake, which featured layers of white chocolate raspberry cake, raspberry filling, and buttercream icing. You could also take it one step further and opt for lemony layers filled with marmalade.
Tiramisu and Strawberry Shortcake
If there's a dessert you can't resist ordering when you're out to eat, ask your baker if there's a way you can incorporate it into your nuptial cake. Take this Emma Cakery by Niloofar creation, for example: Inside the gold-accented light blue icing was layers of popular dessert flavors like tiramisu and strawberry shortcake.
Espresso and Olive Oil Lemon
It's possible to serve a traditional white cake and still find a way to get creative with the flavors inside it. This three-tier from Flour and Bloom was covered in white fondant and draped with flowers—but took a surprising twist with the center which featured two distinct flavors: Espresso chocolate chip and olive oil lemon.
Raspberry Filling
Cake doesn't have to be heavy and rich to be delicious, so take some liberties with a light and refreshing palate, like this couple did at their celebration. The duo asked Cape Cod Cakes bake them a two-tier lemon dessert with raspberry filling.
Double Chocolate
Regular buttercream is taken up a notch when it's mixed with mocha, a fact this couple knew well when they asked the Inn at Fernbrook Farms to prepare their big-day cake. The duo took the confection's richness even further by filling the two-tier with chocolate mousse.
Carrot and Marble
Step outside of the box with an array of tempting flavors, just like Beverly's Bakery did here. The four-tier wedding cake consisted of lemon-raspberry, carrot, and chocolate-and-vanilla marble flavors.
Chambord Liqueur
Flavorful icing is one way to make a cake stand out, but that's certainly not your only option. Instead, consider infusing the base of your confection with a unique taste, like the Four Seasons Santa Barbara did at this celebration. They soaked the yellow cake with Chambord liqueur and filled it with vanilla cream and fresh raspberries to make something completely new and fresh.
Jasmine Green Tea Ganache
A multi-flavor wedding cake ensures there's something for everyone. We love this confection from Jasmine Rae Cakes, who made an earl grey cake with honey-rose buttercream and lemon curd and another chocolate cake with matcha buttercream and jasmine green tea ganache.
Red Velvet Layers
Why not try a go-to favorite cake, like red velvet, for your newlywed confection? This treat by Central Market included vanilla cake with lemon and raspberry filling and red velvet layers with cream cheese icing.
Almond and Peach
Don't be afraid to fuse two unexpected flavors together when considering your big-day slice. Looking for inspiration? Take notes from this Hey There, Cupcake creation—the four-tier almond-flavored cake was topped with peaches and buttercream. It was a surprisingly fruity treat that guests loved.
Mocha and Lavender Buttercream
Give your loved ones options that won't disappoint come dessert time. A couple of nontraditional wedding cake flavor combinations—like chocolate cake with mocha buttercream and lemon cake with lavender buttercream —are guaranteed to wow your crowd. Those are the exact flavors Nine Cakes baked into this treat.
Lemon, Banana, and Chocolate
When it comes time to pick a wedding cake flavor, why stop at one? This couple's trio of cakes by Ruze Cake House featured lemon, banana, and chocolate flavors. No basic options here.
Lemon and Strawberry
Serving up multiple cakes on the big day? Make like Amy Cakes and go for a variety of flavors. The large center cake served at this wedding was a lemon cream cake filled with Meyer lemon curd and iced in Italian buttercream. As for the side desserts? They were both made from strawberry cake layered with a berry purée and blanketed in fondant.
Honey
You won't come across many honey wedding cakes, but as far as flavors go, it's universally beloved. Everything about this A Bake Shop confection was designed around the sugary-sweet taste, from the honeycomb design to the golden drip.
Funfetti
Bring a little bit of childhood nostalgia to your big-day slice by incorporating a birthday favorite: Funfetti. The super-celebratory cake fits in just as well at a wedding, as proven by this Mayflour Confections dessert, layered with vanilla buttercream.
Lemon Drop
If you're getting hitched during the summer, try something simple and refreshing like this lemon-flavored cake. Baked topped this citrusy dessert with fresh buttercream for just the right touch of richness.
Chocolate and Caramel
A chocolate cake with gooey salted-caramel filling doesn't have to look dark and moody, as evidenced by this Hey There, Cupcake! creation. They decorated this gluten-free masterpiece with the angular elements and bright colors seen throughout the couple's fête in mind. And how cool is that impasto texture?
Pink Champagne
Have your bubbly and eat it, too, with a confection that looks to Champagne for its nontraditional wedding cake flavoring. Linda Noddin of Mainely Wedding Cakes did just that when creating this pink Champagne number, infused with hints of Chambor.
Black Forest
You'll have a hard time going back to plain old chocolate after you learn about this flavor. Black Forest (a chocolate sponge cake known for its tangy cherry filling) was the inspiration for this Claire Owen Cakes treat. Owen soaked her cherries in Kirsch, a fruit liqueur, and topped the black cake with a flavor combination we definitely didn't see coming—a limey gin and tonic coconut buttercream.
Strawberry and Elderflower
We've found your springtime wedding cake flavor, and it's as fruit-forward as you could have hoped. Tessa Pinner's strawberry cake with lemon curd filling and elderflower buttercream icing is as garden ready as it gets (and that's before we get into the handmade floral and botanical reliefs!).
Lemon Plum and Caramel Praline
Why not combine the citrusy with the savory? Draw inspiration from this Sweet Heather Anne confection, which featured lemon damson plum and caramel praline crunch flavors.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Something sweet and a little spicy, this variation on the classic cocoa cake puts the "hot" in hot chocolate. Sweet Heather Anne paired this one-of-a-kind flavor with another layer that was a bit more recognizable—lemon.
Pineapple
Planning a tropical celebration? Make like Buttercream and include a pineapple-flavored tier in your confection.
Pumpkin
Pause your October reception and cut into a slice of pumpkin cake (it's the wedding version of pumpkin pie!). At this event, One Sweet Slice topped off the seasonal choice with cream cheese frosting and blanketed the confection in a moody plum fondant.