52 Small Wedding Cakes with a Big Presence
Who says you need to cut into a massive wedding cake at your reception? If you're nervous about the idea of ordering and serving more cake than you and your guests can physically eat (or freeze!), you might want to consider downsizing. Small cakes in all of their forms—single-serving minis, petite one-tiers, Bundts, and beyond—can make just as big of an impression as super-sized confections. In fact, your guests might remember these little desserts more than they would the standard three-tier wedding cake.
Of course, this doesn't have to be an either/or decision. If you want to try out the small cake trend, order a petite version, like these pink drip cakes seen here, just for the head table. Topped with melty ganache, each of the these four-inch beauties serves two, and are meant to be shared. And when you think about it, splitting a dessert is a pretty symbolic way to kick off a new life together!
Ready to commit to the trend? Take personal cakes a step further by creating single-serving minis for each guest. Or, take a note from one of the brides featured here and place assorted one-tiered confections on every table—and then encourage guests to get up and mingle as they try each one. If you're looking for something tiny and nontraditional, try a cake made from hundreds of crepes, stuck together with Nutella. In short: if you have your heart set on something small, there's an option out there. We've made sure those options are beautiful—with gem-toned fondant, fresh flower toppers, playful textures and more, these little confections prove that bigger isn't always better.
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24 Karat
Tons of blue thistle flowers bring rich color contrast to this gold metallic confection.
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Watercolor and Gold
Jewel-tone watercolor and lines of gold studs make this cake, by Jacques Fine European Pastries, perfect for a bohemian wedding.
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Cake for a Queen
This "crowned" wedding cake is fit for the Game of Thrones-obsessed bride.
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Mini Series
Topped with oversized peonies and roses, these sweet one- and two-tiered cakes look like they were plucked from a garden.
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Carved Cake
This reimagined naked cake has the texture of an evergreen—perfect for "carving" in the lovebirds' initials.
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Stained Glass
A matte black three-tier gets a bejeweled-effect thanks to gem-toned fondant and gold lattice work.
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Individual Cakes with Buds
Barely-bloomed carnations make these personal wedding cakes even sweeter.
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Vintage Vibes
This tiny two-tier has a bit of vintage charm thanks to an elegant gold and floral crest.
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Woven
Bring a little coziness to the dessert table with a knit-inspired wedding cake.
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Cactus Cake
This vanilla wedding cake from Addie Cakes is decorated with flowers and cacti, chosen specifically to match this couple's desert wedding décor.
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High Rise
This tiny Ruze House confection, decorated with a modern topper and bright posies, is the perfect compromise for a bride who didn't want a wedding cake. The cake stand—an upside down basket from Home Goods—gives the tiny cake some height.
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Little Floral Affair
From the rose flavor to the fresh dahlias, roses, wax flower, and rice flower decorations, this narrow Synie confection is all about florals.
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Sugared Fruits
Sugared grapes, pears, and figs bring an autumnal touch to this simple buttercream two-tier by Decadence Wedding Cakes.
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Green Scene
Creeping greens give this chocolate sponge wedding cake with Chantilly-cream frosting some drama.
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Flower Wallpaper
With a hand-painted base and paper flowers, this salted-caramel wedding cake is perfect for a small coastal California celebration.
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Tiered Berry Cake
Ringed with sugar flowers, greens, and blackberries, this simple cake brings a little bit of nature to a Washington, D.C., wedding.
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Apple Stack
A mini apple stack cake, a traditional Appalachian dessert made with spiced cake and apple filling, pays homage to a bride's southern heritage. Plus, it looks adorable and festive.
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Cheese Cake
Interpret "cheesecake" literally and replace the groom's cake with a cheese tower topped with citrus.
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Fall Chocolate Bundt
If you're planning a casual fall fête, opt for a less-formal Bundt cake—like this one, here, drizzled with a cream cheese glaze—adorned with rustic blooms.
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Abstract Jewel Tones
With smudges of red and streaks of magenta, this cake is the perfect fit for a fashion-forward wedding.
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Nutella Crepe
This bride and turned your favorite food (Nutella crepes!) into the ultimate breakfast-inspired wedding cake.
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One-Tiered Surprise
The flavor of this one-tier was a surprise not just for the guests, but also for the newlyweds, who waited until the reception to taste the raspberry crème and almond cake for the first time.
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Couture Cake
This two-tiered cake by Classic Cakes and Confections, was inspired by the bride's blush pink Monique Lhuillier gown.
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Momofuku Mini
Newlyweds Vanessa and Joe encouraged their guests to sample the Momofuku Milk Bar birthday cake and truffles before dinner even started—and to sample the offerings at the other tables, too.
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Art Deco Design
This chocolate-ganache-and-whipped-cream combination shared center stage with two other Art Deco cakes: one carrot cake and the other Nutella hazelnut.
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Cookies-and-Cream
Blackberries and ivy accented a simple cookies-and-cream-flavored one-tiered cake by Tee and Cakes. The bride illustrated a cake topper to mimic herself and her groom.
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Eiffel Tower
The next best thing to getting married in Paris? Cutting into an Eiffel-Tower-topped carrot cake.
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S'Mores
Heirloom LA delivered with a sinful s'mores concoction—a chocolate cake with marshmallow cream, graham cracker crust, and toasted marshmallow icing.
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Sparkle and Shine
This couple originally planned to skip the traditional wedding cake in favor of a dessert bar, but changed their minds after spotting this cheeky wooden topper on Etsy. It ended up on a small gold fondant cake by Erica Fredericks of Design Cuisine, which rounded out a mini pie bar, a gelato cart, and a coffee-and-macaron station.
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Let Them (All!) Eat Cake
There was already a spread of options available on each table for dinner, so this couple decided to mix up the desserts as well. An all-white single-tiered cake from Lisa Dupar Catering was placed on each table, for those guests to share—the flavors varied from a shaved coconut cream to lemon chiffon and a chocolate mousse ganache.