The Complete Guide to Wedding Cake Flavors
There are hundreds, if not thousands of wedding cake flavors to choose from. Choosing the wedding cake flavor shouldn’t be such a difficult decision but it’s one that many couples struggle with.
That’s why I create this helpful guide for brides and grooms to use when they can’t decide what wedding cake flavor they should choose.
Whether you want to go with a more traditional cake or something a little more on the wild and creative side, these are some great ideas that you will find helpful.
Feel free to share your favorite wedding cake flavors in the comments and tell us what you think about the different options you have tried during taste testing or at other weddings!
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How to Choose Your Wedding Cake Flavors
A lot of things could go wrong at a wedding, but having a cake that no one likes could be at the top of the list of all-time worst things to happen at a wedding. The cake is an important part of the wedding reception and a memorable tradition. If you need a little help in choosing the best wedding cake flavors, here are a few tips for you.
Don’t choose your cake flavor until after you’ve decided on your wedding style and colors. If you’re planning a spring wedding with light, springy colors, a red velvet cake probably isn’t your best option if you want to stick to a theme (unless, of course, red velvet is your all-time favorite). You’ll most likely want to choose a cake flavor and design that matches the rest of your wedding style.
Call at least two or three local bakeries and schedule a tasting. Not all bakeries will do cake tastings for free, but it’s worth paying a small fee to have a cake tasting to find out what you like and don’t like. Usually, whichever bakery you book will take the fee off the total price of your order. Make sure to ask ahead of time how many flavors they’ll allow you to try and how many people you can bring with you. Make the most of your cake tasting by trying different variations of everything they offer you. Here is an example of how one baker does a cake tasting:
I send a menu ahead of time and have the couple choose two flavors, which are served at the tasting along with chocolate mud cake, red velvet cake and vanilla bean cake. Couples also get to choose four filling flavors to try, plus I always provide samples of Swiss meringue buttercream and chocolate ganache (both are used as frosting or filling). The tasting is set up so that couples can mix and match the various elements. Rebekah Wilber
Choose a flavor based on what you and your future spouse will like, not what everyone else wants. This is your wedding, you both should choose exactly what you like. You’re never going to make everyone happy, so go with what you love! When you go to your cake tasting, make sure you bring people who will respect your opinions and choices. If you’re worried that your flavor might not be popular among your guests, you can have a small cake made for the wedding party and family with your desired flavor. Then have a “safer” cake made with more traditional flavors that your guests will be served.
When the bride and groom can’t agree on flavor…. get two cakes! It’s not uncommon to have a grooms cake at the wedding reception. You can go with a smaller wedding cake in the bride’s favorite flavor. Then have your baker make a grooms cake (usually a sheet cake) in his favorite flavor. Problem solved!
When you’re not even sure where to start with flavors, think about what you already love. There are so many options that it can get a little overwhelming when trying to select cake flavors. Start with thinking about what you are most drawn to – chocolate or vanilla, fruits or nuts. This will give you a good starting point for trying flavors you might like. You can also think about what types of desserts you enjoy. Maybe you like strawberry cheesecake… you might want to consider a strawberry inspired cake.
Know the difference in types of frostings. Not all frosting is created equal. The most commonly used frosting is buttercream, which can be colored and flavored however you would like. However, some cakes are covered with fondant which is an edible dough-like frosting that is rolled out and then laid on the cake. While fondant is visually cleaner and usually much nicer, it doesn’t usually taste very good. If you decided to go with the fondant look, just ask your baker to put a layer of buttercream under the fondant so that your guests can still enjoy a great tasting cake with frosting.
Have fun with trying new flavors. Picking out the cake shouldn’t be stressful! It’s not like you’re picking out a dress or the wedding party. Have fun with it. At your cake tasting, ask your bakery to surprise you with a few flavors that they would recommend. It’s okay to get a little crazy!
You don’t have to pick just one cake flavor. Can’t decided on which flavor to get because you like so many of them? Depending on the number of layers your cake will have, you can have a different flavor for every layer. This will be so much fun for your guests, as they’ll have the opportunity to choose what flavor cake they want. You could even ask for the cake to be cut in small bite-size pieces so that your guests can try multiple flavors.
Mix it up by adding little details to the flavor profile. You don’t just have to pick a cake flavor and frosting flavor. You can also get creative with adding fruits, nuts, jams, ganache, etc to the filling of your cake, in between the layers. Maybe you love plain white cake, but you want to make it more elegant so that it isn’t like a birthday cake. That’s super easy by just adding some flavored filling!
Not a fan of frosting? Skip it! It’s become a popular trend to cut back on the massive amounts of frosting. This style of cake is referred to as a “naked cake”. You baker can simply put some frosting or filling in between the layers and leave the top and sizes un-frosted. Another popular option is to fill in between the layers and then skim a small amount of frosting on the sides and top so that the cake still shows through. This method helps seal in the cake a little bit so it doesn’t dry out too quickly.
Traditional Wedding Cake Flavors
If you’re looking for traditional wedding cake flavor ideas, the table below gives some great options! The filling and icing options are great ways to make your traditional wedding cake more unique and “fancy”.
Feel free to share your traditional wedding cake flavor ideas in the comments! Would love to hear and share.
Spring Wedding Cake Flavors
Fruit Inspired Spring Wedding Cake
Springtime is a season for fruits and floral. There are a lot of great options for cake, filling, and icing flavors that will give your spring wedding cake a light and fresh flavor.
Another great idea for spring wedding cake flavors are white and greenery themed cakes.
Also, remember that traditional flavors never go out of style and many work well for a spring-inspired cake!
Strawberry cake with strawberry filling & icing and fresh strawberries
Coconut cake with lemon cream or passion fruit filling
Almond cake with lemon
Banana walnut with cream cheese frosting
Lemon pound cake with lemon curd and raspberry filling topped will vanilla or raspberry buttercream icing
Funfetti (vanilla cake with sprinkles) with vanilla buttercream filling and icing
Key lime cake with lime cheesecake mousse
Summer Wedding Cake Flavors
The citrus and tropical flavors continue into the summer with a lot of lemon and lime flavors. Summer wedding cakes should be light, fruity, and refreshing.
No one wants to take a bite out of a dense and dark cake during a hot summer day. Here are some great summer wedding cake flavors that are sure to please!
Lemon cake with lemon curd filling and lemoncello buttercream icing
Lime cake with ginger cream filling and icing
Vanilla cake with orange, berry, and dark chocolate
Lemon cake with white chocolate
Key lime cake with lime cheesecake mousse
Coconut cake with spiced rum buttercream
Vanilla cake with mango mousse filling
Spiced coconut cake with buttercream frosting and coconut flakes
Vanilla cake with pineapple cream
Banana Coconut cake with white chocolate ganache
Pink champagne with strawberry and white chocolate mousse filling
Banana and coconut cake with white chocolate ganache
Fall Wedding Cake Flavors
Chalkboard Inspired Fall Wedding Cake
Fall is known for all the spices, apples, and pumpkin. Any of these ideas are sure to make great Fall wedding cake flavors.
For Fall themes you want a cake that is rich and savory but not too heavy.
You can easily take a traditional cake flavor and use caramel filling and nuts to add fall flair to your wedding cake.
Pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese filling
Apple cake with caramel filling
Red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and icing
Spice cake with hazelnut buttercream frosting
Apple cinnamon with apple pie filling
white chocolate cake with praline pecan filling
Vanilla almond with buttercream and chocolate mousse filling
Orange and butternut squash cake with orange mousse
Winter Wedding Cake Flavors
Pine Cone & Evergreen Inspired Winter Wedding Cake – photo credit
Gingerbread, peppermint, cranberries, and preserved fruit are all reminiscent of the winter season and can be incorporated with any traditional winter wedding cake flavor.
You can have a rich and beautiful winter wedding cake that you and your guests will enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate!
Don’t be afraid to mix in those traditional seasonal flavors that will bring comfort and warmth to your winter wedding.
Chai tea cake with French honey buttercream
Graham cracker cake with dark chocolate ganache and toasted marshmallow buttercream
Double chocolate cake filled with dark chocolate ganache and iced with pink peppermint buttercream, topped with crushed candy canes
Brown butter spice cake filled with maple sugar buttercream and frosted with cream cheese
Chile chocolate cake with Mexican chocolate buttercream and chocolate fudge
Bourbon vanilla cake with raspberry filling
Chocolate fudge with dark chocolate chips and peppermint mousse
Southern Wedding Cake Flavors
Simple Southern Inspired Wedding Cake
Southern weddings are filled with simple and beloved traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation… including the wedding cake.
Whether it was a special recipe wedding cake made by grandma or that special flavor, southern wedding cakes are in a category of their own.
Red velvet with coconut cream cheese frosting
Lemon orange chiffon cake
Strawberry cake with strawberry filling & icing and fresh strawberries
Poppyseed cake with buttercream frosting
Pineapple banana spice cake with cream cheese frosting
White cake with bourbon buttercream with sugar-coated orange slices and sparkling cherries
Coconut chiffon cake
Indian Wedding Cake Flavors
Indian Inspired Wedding Cake – photo credit
Indian wedding cakes often feature henna-inspired designs, rich colors, and vibrant embellishments.
If you want something that is a little different and more relatable to your culture, these Indian wedding cake flavors are great additions to your Indian wedding reception meal. Feel free to share you Indian inspired wedding cake flavors in the comments!
The flavors range from classic to exotic but are sure to please the happy newlyweds and their guests!
Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut filling and buttercream icing
Vanilla cake with strawberry filling and buttercream icing
Green tea with green tea flavored filling and icing
Red velvet with white-chocolate jasmine filling and buttercream icing
Vanilla cake with mango filling and buttercream icing
Pink champagne with strawberry filling and icing
Unique Wedding Cake Flavors
Unique Wedding Cake Design Idea
Who says you always have to follow the traditions. There are so many options for unique wedding cake flavors.
Wouldn’t it be so much fun if your guests were able to try a cake flavor that they never tried anywhere else? What a great memory for your wedding reception!
Chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream and curd
Lemon basil cake with strawberry compote and cream cheese frosting
Honey-soaked cardamom cake with plum compote and torched plums
Strawberry fraisier with vanilla cake, vanilla bean mousseline, strawberries, and marzipan
Dark chocolate espresso cake with white chocolate chai truffle
Honey lavender white wine-soaked vanilla cake with honey goat cheese frosting
Lemon verbena cake with raspberry white chocolate french buttercream
Maple soaked pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting
Orange and berry with dark chocolate
Pear and almond cake with passion fruit
Passionfruit and rum with vanilla bean buttercream
Vanilla cake with rose-flavored buttercream
Lavender honey cake with lavender buttercream
Red velvet vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting
Cinnamon swirled vanilla cake with cheesecake mousse
