25 New Takes on Traditional Wedding Cake Flavors

There is so much more to wedding cake than traditional vanilla buttercream. We're not knocking the go-to flavor—what's not to love?—but as far as wedding confection variety goes, it's just a drop in the mixer. After all, there's no better way to show off you and your fiancé's creative sides than through a unique wedding cake flavor. Whether that's a play on classic vanilla bean or something entirely unique (like ginger-lime!), the choice really is up to you.

While your cake baker will likely be your point person when determining flavors and flavor pairings, we thought we'd get the process started with a healthy dose of inspiration. Enter the following wedding cakes, all from real celebrations. They represent the very best in flavor choice—albeit, in different ways. While some confections' unique tastes are determined by the actual cake (think red velvet, lemon plum, banana, and even pumpkin!), others get their boosts from one-of-a-kind icing, savory add-ons (like popcorn!), and on-trend drips (like this berry-centric dessert by Erica Obrien!). It just goes to show—these days, wedding cakes are a lot more than the marriage of cake and frosting. There's just so much that goes into making your big day slice taste delicious.

All of those flavor options mean that there's something here that any couple will love. And if there isn't? Make like so many of these twosomes and opt for a two- or even three-flavor confection. It's your big day. You should tailor your wedding cake, whatever the flavor, to your exact vision.

Serving up multiple cakes on the big day? Make like Amy Cakes and go for flavor variety. The large center cake served as this wedding was a lemon cream cake filled with Meyer lemon curd and iced in Italian buttercream. As for the side cakes? They were both made from strawberry cake layered with a berry purée and blanketed in fondant.

It's your big day, which means you can turn your favorite breakfast pastry into a wedding cake if you want to. Rosycakes held two circular layers of cinnamon buns together using that iconic super-sweet icing. Caramel candy melts and walnuts completed the confection.

Let your confection's outsides hint at its insides. The citrus slices and meringues used to decorate this French Made Cakes beauty were a direct reference to its unique flavor: a mix of orange and lemon.

Alternatively, make your cake flavor that much more unexpected by dressing it up with contradictory elements. The inky black fondant and sugar flowers seen on this Vanilla Bakeshop five-tier cake implied a just-as-rich flavor underneath. The couple went a light and fruity choice, instead—strawberry shortcake.

You won't come across many honey wedding cakes, but as far as flavors go, it's universally beloved. Everything about this A Bake Shop confection was designed around the sugary-sweet taste, from the honeycomb design to the golden drip.

Who says funfetti is just for birthdays? The super-celebratory cake fits in just as well at a wedding, as proven by this Mayflour Confections dessert, layered with vanilla buttercream.

Small cakes can pack a flavorful punch, too. This elegant, hand-painted (we're loving the garden party vibes!) Paradox Pastry confection was sweet-meets-savory carrot.

Don't underestimate the power of white chocolate, especially when paired with berry notes. Take this Sweet Bloom Cakes macaron tower cake, for example. The base, a single-tier white chocolate and raspberry hybrid, offered guests a surprising, but sweet way to enjoy a not-so-traditional wedding cake.

Consider red velvet the more daring sister of chocolate. This particular flavor has been high on couple's taste testing lists for a few years now, but Frost It Cakery's presentation—a naked cake that shows off the burgundy hue—makes it feel fresh. Another standout detailing? The gold, hand-drawn flowers, crafted from royal icing.

This Buttercup Bakery treat is a lesson in transformative icing. The two-flavor confection featured two traditional flavors—vanilla bean and dark chocolate—but unexpected frostings. A rosemary and fresh blackberry compote gave an herbal-meets fruity spin to the vanilla, while an espresso mousse gave the dark chocolate nutty depth.

The collective flavor of your wedding cake isn't composed of just cake and icing. Other accents, like toppings, melts, and purées, all contribute. This Sedona Cakes confection is a perfect example. It's base (vanilla almond praline layers) was only intensified by the add-ons (salted caramel and popcorn).

Simple and refreshing, a lemon-flavored dessert pairs perfectly with warm weather. Baked topped this citrusy dessert with fresh buttercream for just the right touch of richness.

A chocolate cake with gooey salted-caramel filling doesn't have to look dark and moody. Hey There, Cupcake! decorated this gluten-free masterpiece with the angular elements and bright colors seen throughout the couple's fête in mind. And how cool is that impasto texture?

Have your bubbly and eat it, too, with a confection that looks to Champagne for its flavoring. Linda Noddin of Mainely Wedding Cakes did just that when creating this pink Champagne number, infused with hints of Chambord.

If you can't choose between two ultra-unique flavors, include both of them. That's how this geometric-inspired Nine Cakes confection came to be. Comprised of chocolate-mint and ginger-lime layers, it was a delightful (and different!) surprise for guests.

Serving up a naked cake? Lightly frost each tier with something different, even if the base remains consistent throughout. Monica Beehler of Jackson Cake Company iced this almond crème fraiche cake by tier, starting with a fresh raspberry compote up top, a raspberry Italian buttercream in the center, and a vanilla bean buttercream down below.

Instead of choosing one massive five-tier cake, consider presenting differently-flavored layers on their own. Amy Cakes broke up this couple's two main flavors—espresso chocolate with caramel filling and vanilla bean with blackberry compote—into four separate desserts and used a Swiss meringue buttercream throughout to subtly unite them.

You'll have a hard time going back to plain old chocolate after you learn about this flavor. Black Forest (a chocolate sponge cake known for its tangy cherry filling) was the inspiration for this Claire Owen Cakes treat. Owen soaked her cherries is Kirsch, a fruit liqueur, and topped the black cake with a flavor combination we definitely didn't see coming—a limey gin and tonic coconut buttercream.

We've found your springtime wedding cake flavor, and it's as fruit-forward as you could have hoped. Tessa Pinner's strawberry cake with lemon curd filling and elderflower buttercream icing is as garden ready as it gets (and that's before we get into the handmade floral and botanic reliefs!).

Why not combine the citrusy with the savory? Take notes from this Sweet Heather Anne confection, which featured lemon damson plum and caramel praline crunch flavors.

Something sweet and a little spicy, this variation on the classic cocoa cake puts the "hot" in hot chocolate. Sweet Heather Anne paired this one-of-a-kind flavor with another layer that was a bit more recognizable—lemon.

Banana bread lovers, this one's for you. Perfect Ending's four-tier featured two banana cream cheese layers. The other two—chocolate with hazelnut filling and vanilla—were more neutral.

Planning a tropical celebration? Make like Buttercream and include a pineapple-flavored tier in your confection.

Pause your October reception and cut into a slice of pumpkin cake (it's the wedding version of pumpkin pie!). One Sweet Slice topped off the seasonal choice with cream cheese frosting and blanketed the confection in a moody plum fondant.