Bridology

Few people have the power to resist a cupcake. In the past few years, the cupcake’s casual allure has been elevated to new heights as the irresistible little dessert is making appearances at formal, nighttime events. That’s right, the humble cupcake is climbing the dessert caste system.

And as you might have heard (or tasted at a recent reception), cupcakes are also the latest trend at weddings. In lieu of getting one large wedding cake to feed everyone, buying a hundred or so cupcakes is a cute idea that guests love. Besides, serving cupcakes instead of cake has a number of benefits including:

1. Cupcakes gives budget-conscious brides a loophole in the cake cutting fee that many venues charge.

2. Enabling guests to self-serve saves time and manpower since no one has to roll the cake away, cut it into pieces, put it on individual plates and wheel it back out.

3. Cupcakes are considerably less expensive per cupcake than a slice of wedding cake.

4. Whereas a wedding cake can have a few different flavors, cupcakes can be mixed and matched to the couple’s content. You can serve two, five, or ten different flavors to satisfy every guest’s taste buds.

Cupcake Concerns To Keep In Mind…

From the above list, the budget benefits of cupcakes seem incredible. But, brides who are coveting cupcakes should also take a few things into consideration before forgoing wedding cake completely:

1. A wedding cake can stand on its own, and simply needs to be placed on a table to look grand. Cupcakes, however, would simply fall flat laid out on a table. To create a stunning cupcake centerpiece, style savvy brides invest in cupcake trees, cake stands of varying heights, or floating tiers dessert stands.

2. Identify the cupcake flavors for your guests. Unlike sliced cake, cupcake flavors remain a mystery until you’ve already bitten into one. Label each tier or cake stand with the flavor of the cupcake by using place cards and double-stick tape. Simply send a few extra place cards to your calligrapher and give her the names of your cupcake flavors – your cupcakes will blend seamlessly into the rest of your reception decor.

3. Homemade cupcakes compliment a casual, laid back reception beautifully. But for more formal events, colorless cupcake wrappers just don’t fit in. If you’re hosting a formal wedding and want to serve cupcakes, dress them up in pretty filigree cupcake wrappers to reflect the rest of the reception.

Cupcakes baked at home should be baked in a regular wrapper and transferred to the filigree cupcake wrappers once cooled, just before frosting. For bakery cupcakes, purchase the filigree cupcake wrappers beforehand and then hand them to your baker a week before your event. They will arrive at the wedding dressed in their finest, and ready to impress your guests.

4. No cake means that you’ll probably forgo the cake cutting tradition. Though some might try, it just doesn’t look great when you try to cut a cupcake with a cake knife. Instead, simply feed your new husband or wife a bite directly from the cupcake. For some couples, the lack of cake cutting is no big deal. But others might have a cake knife or cake server that has been used in the family and passed down through generations.

Still, if you are intent on serving cupcakes you can order one small cake layer and place it on the highest cake stand or top tier of the floating tiers dessert stand. Use this as your cake to cut, and cover the rest of the tiers or cake stands in your beloved cupcakes. Bon Apetit!