Updated on: Feb 29, 2024
When you think of cupcakes, what comes to mind? Birthdays? Sure! Nowadays, cupcakes are meant for any and every occasion! More and more weddings are sporting the mini treat and wedding cupcakes have now become a more mainstream wedding option. Instead of only debating cake flavors and decorations, cupcakes have been thrown into the decision process as well. Wondering how to include cupcakes at your wedding? Here are some tips on how to incorporate them into your wedding dessert selection.
Wedding Cupcakes: Flavors, Fillings, and Frosting
1. White Cake
A white cake is the most traditional base for every wedding. This translates very well into cupcakes too. The most classic option is to go with a white base with buttercream frosting. Many bakeries can order personalized sprinkles or cupcake toppers that can say your names, initials, or date of your wedding.
2. Red Velvet
A red velvet base communicates romance and elegance. Red velvet is decadent and chocolaty and can be a perfect addition to your big day. Pair a red velvet cupcake with whipped cream frosting and maybe add a chocolate ganache filling in the middle.
3. Spice/Carrot Cake
Spice cake is perfect for an autumnal wedding. Get into the seasonal aspect of your wedding and have a spice cupcake or a carrot cake base. This is easily paired with a thick cream cheese frosting.
4. Chocolate Peanut Butter
If you have a crowd who loves chocolate, then a chocolate cupcake would be great at your wedding. The best kind of frosting to have for a chocolate cupcake would have to be a peanut butter-flavored cream cheese frosting. This cupcake is the richest and most decadent of all the cupcakes. It sets up heavy, but it is perfect for any party.
5. Marble
A marble base cupcake is great for those who like a little bit of both. Marble can be vanilla and chocolate, or red velvet and vanilla. Consult your local bakery about their marble options. A classic whip cream frosting would pair perfectly with this cupcake.
6. Lemon raspberry
The lemon raspberry cupcake is not only light and fresh for summer but it is surprisingly amazing. For this cupcake, you will need a lemon base. You can either incorporate the raspberry as a filling or as the frosting. Either way, this cupcake is unique and a favorite among wedding guests.
7. Candy Toppings
In recent years the creative ideas of cupcakes have grown and people all around are implementing their own likes into what goes onto cupcakes and why not candy? Start off by brainstorming your own favorites and incorporate it with a favored flavor. Oreo crumbles, pieces of Kit Kats, M&Ms, and more! Everyone loves candy so this is a perfect idea for your guests of all ages as everyone would have a specific desire and the cakes won't go to waste!
8. Fruit Toppings
What better way to embrace a wedding than with unique styled fruit cupcakes. Taking something like a strawberry on a cupcake switches everything up as it adds so much value to the cupcakes and the wedding. One great idea is adding the traditional chocolate-covered strawberries on top of an already delicious cupcake. It does not have to stop there, you can to various amounts of fruits together like strawberries and blueberries or kiwi with mango, you can even do numerous cupcakes dedicated to one fruit so the guests have all the selections to their personal favorite.
9. Vegan (Gluten Free)
One important thing to always remember is that you don't know the eating habits or diets of your guests but you want to include everyone. A great way of doing that is including Vegan (Gluten-Free) cupcakes as an alternative to those that are not able to enjoy regular ones. You don't have to make all your cupcakes Vegan but making some of them can go a long way and have no one feeling left out as everyone else is enjoying them. This is the best idea as with cupcakes they're individual and not so much one big cake where this idea would not be possible.
Wedding Cupcakes: Presentations
10. The Traditional Tier
If you’ve decided on having cupcakes instead of the traditional wedding cake that doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on a traditional look. Oftentimes your local bakery will offer a tiered tower to place your delicious confections on. With this, your cupcakes will take on a similar size and shape that a wedding cake would have. It will still be the centerpiece of your dessert table and the layered levels will allow the guests to see each beautifully decorated cupcake.
11. All in the Wrapping
The wrapping around the cupcakes can match the theme, color, and style of your event. Consider wrapping them in a classy lace pattern or an accent color. You can also use the main colors for your reception and place the pastries in different patterns. The wrappers can be used to create any effect you want.
They can be luxurious, fun, or traditional. You can also mix it up by having half the cupcakes decorated one way and the other half another way. For example, you could have fun pops of color on half of them while the other half is more traditional. This allows you to combine both aspects of your wedding: the traditional part plus the fun that comes along!
12. Wave your Flag
Stick little flags or paper decorations into the top of your desserts. Get creative with them! On the flags, you can write the name of the table. You could also write the names of your guests and use the cupcakes as placeholders.
You don’t have to limit this idea to your wedding! You can also do this for your bridal shower or even a baby shower. Don’t forget to have a special cupcake (or two!) set aside for you and your spouse. On these cupcakes, you can ask if your bakery can provide wedding toppers. Sometimes they can even frost the two cupcakes together on the top to make it seem like a larger cupcake. This is perfect for the cake-cutting tradition. With this, you’ll be able to slice the cupcakes in two and have a taste.
13. Flavor Favor
Have leftover cupcakes? Consider wrapping your desserts up in clear boxes and giving them to guests as take-home favors. You can also write their names and set them up on a decorated table for the guests to pick up on their way home. Since cupcakes are more manageable for guests to take, the whole process will be a lot easier and less hectic than slicing individual cake pieces.
14. Mix and Match
Since you are not restrained to one giant cake, you can have fun mixing and matching cupcake and frosting flavors. However, be careful and try to stick to traditional flavors that many people enjoy. Chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting or white cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are some of the most common flavors. You can also see if the bakeries have flavors such as mint, cookies and cream, apples and caramel, lemon, carrot, and so on.
If you have multiple types of cupcake flavors, be sure to separate them either by tier, chocolate on top with vanilla on the tier below it, or put them on a different cupcake stand. By separating them by flavor, no cupcakes will be at risk for mixing flavors, which could be problematic for those who have allergies.
15. Communication
Want something intricate done with your cupcakes? Looking for a specific or unique style? Make sure you communicate exactly what you want with the decorator at the cake shop. They won’t be able to read your mind, so feel free to bring in photos from online magazines or personal drawings to help explain your vision. If you’re stumped on an idea, ask to see pictures of cupcakes they’ve done in the past. This way you can look for new ideas that may go well with your wedding.
16. Ornate Details
Rose-topped cupcakes are a site to see when entering the room. If you're looking to do a blush-hued wedding this is the perfect idea for either edible or real flowers to be added to the cupcakes. Not only is it eye appealing while eating it brings the decorations together, but there are also multiple ways this can be done that don't have to do with flowers. Try doing a wave design with the frosting if the theme is sea/beach, or maybe adding royal patterns on top to really coordinate it with the style of the wedding. With this layout, you're able to let your creative mind run and be free!
17. Tower like Cake
One very unique design to not fully shy away from the traditional wedding cake is to display your cupcakes in a 3-4 tier topping tray where they will sit around it forming the shape of a wedding cake. This allows those that are not used to the new switch to realize the uniqueness but how it is a great alternative for a cleaner more organized "cutting of the cake". You can even do a mixture of both and include a smaller cake at the top surrounded by the cupcakes at the bottom to still get the first cut but will be able to hand them out in the easiest way.
Wedding Cupcake Ideas: Conclusion
Cupcakes have slowly made their way into traditional wedding ceremonies. They’re easy to serve, less messy, and fun. Wedding cupcakes offer a simple way to be creative at your wedding because there are so many options for decorations, wrappings, and set-up. They will continue to be a successful dessert option for future weddings. For more wedding ideas, check out your Wedding Budget Checksheet, Wedding Checklist, Wedding Ideas, and Wedding Dessert Table Ideas!
Written by Chelsea Muzar, Caitlin Connell and Elisabeth Blair; Contributor: Kei Dowd