Not sold on the traditional tiered wedding cake? Add variety to your big day with a dessert table complete with a variety of treats.
By Pam George
When your parents were married, a tiered wedding cake for dessert was a given. The only question concerned the flavor. Today’s couples are reluctant to interrupt the party to cut, serve and eat cake. Enter the dessert table, an assortment of treats that can include a cake—and so much more. Creating a dessert station takes effort, and who better to offer advice than Dru Tevis, the Delaware resident who won on the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship?
Offer Variety
Tevis recommends at least four different mini desserts. “Depending on the crowd, you definitely need one chocolate item—I recommend two,” says the pastry chef, who works for SoDel Concepts, a Rehoboth Beach–based hospitality group. Quadruple chocolate brownies, flourless chocolate tortes and mini cupcakes are good options. Avoid truffles, which are too rich for most people, he says.
Include the Familiar
Don’t feel limited to fancy French pastries. Provide a few items that guests know they will enjoy. Wedding guests at the Clubhouse at Baywood in Millsboro gravitate toward cookies, blondies, brownies and Rice Krispies Treats. “I love doing doughnuts,” says Tevis, who is famous for his flavors. He always asks the couple about their favorite desserts to make the spread more personal. For instance, if one loves Snickers candy bars, he makes a blondie or cupcake with peanuts and caramel.
Have Enough for Everyone
Plan on three desserts per person. Some will eat more, others less.
In lieu of the traditional tiered wedding cake, modern couples are opting to offer guests a variety of treats, such as this spread from SoDel Concepts. Photo courtesy of SoDel Concepts.
Consider the Display
Group like items together on stands or mix them up. Alternate the stands’ heights to create interest.
As for the desserts themselves, some couples go for cake pops and other items on sticks. Guests sometimes bypass these trendy desserts for those that are easier to manage, Tevis says. However, he likes offering small tiramisu, layered desserts or chocolate mousse in small containers. Just limit the contents to a few bites.
Tine the Goodie-Bag Placement
If you put goodie bags out with the desserts, guests may fill up the bags to eat the sweets at home. Wait until the end and you’ll risk having leftovers. Instead, place the bags on the table about midway through the dancing when older guests prepare to leave.