5 tips for Wedding Cheese Cakes

28 Apr 2021

The cheese wedding cake is an impressive and alluring focal point when it comes to alternatives for a traditional wedding cake.

Here’s a quick guide to serving cheese at your wedding.

1 – Presentation

A cheese wedding cake can be a delicious and dramatic alternative to a traditional tiered wedding cake. We recommend between 3 to 6 tiers of cheese for maximum impact.

Large wheels of cheese often have their own beautiful organic rind so consider allowing as much of this rustic charm to shine through as possible but there are additions which can enhance this natural beauty such as flowers and foliage, fruit, leaves and even pieces of bark which can add to the simple elegance of the cake. Tailor it to suit your wedding theme and your style.

2 – Order more of the top tiers

A traditional cake with more than one cheese will usually graduate in size from large at the base to smaller cheeses at the top.
If you’d like to give everyone a chance to try all of the cheeses, you’d better order more of those tiny top tier cheeses or they’ll be gone in a flash!

Important to note: You may have a large wheel of softer Brie beneath some of the heavier tiers and at room temperature, this has the potential to ‘sag’ or collapse. Think about supporting softer tiers with little stilts and a discreet round board for example, so that the cheeses sit on this rather than directly on top of the cheese below.

3 – Order a taster box

Committing to a large order of cheese can be a daunting task so if you’re unsure, why not order a cheese taster box and have some fun trialling them before the big day?
Any good cheese maker or retailer should be able to make suggestions but ultimately the decision is yours.

Here are some traditional varieties to consider: blue cheese, soft bloomy rind cheese (like Brie), Cheddar (strong or aged farmhouse), Caerphilly (fresh, crumbly centre), goats or ewes cheese (fresh or hard aged) and even gouda (milder Swiss style).
Don’t forget there are many variations also available such as smoked cheddar, washed rind (aged with regular washing in alcohol: typically a bit stinky) and flavoured (additions to the cheese such as chilli, fruit, mustard, alcohol).

4 – What to serve it with

Crackers, sourdough bread batons, grapes and chutneys are reliable and readily available accompaniments but you may want to go the extra mile with some salad leaves, nuts, fresh/dried fruit, figs, pretzels, olives, cured meats, hummus, honey, etc. It can be as understated or as flashy as you wish.

5 – When to set up

We recommend setting up your cheeses at least 2 hours and no longer than 5 hours before eating.

You will experience a greater flavour and the terroir of the cheeses at room temperature but it will take a little time for temperatures of the cheeses to adjust.

Make sure to take into consideration whether it’s a hot day or a hot dry room.
Tip: If you’re concerned, covering the cheese with clean damp cloths can help keep them fresh. Avoid direct sunlight or anywhere near radiators.

We suggest storing your cheeses below 8 degrees Celsius prior to setting them up. To keep them cool, they are best placed in a fridge but some insulated boxes like ours with ice packs (replacing ice packs with colder ones from the freezer when needed) should also suffice on the day if absolutely necessary.

Alternative Ideas

How about going for a grazing table instead of a tiered cheese wedding cake? By introducing levels and with clever dressing, the grazing table will be a cornucopia of delights for the guests to enjoy and with no restrictions on sizes of cheese wheels, you are free to choose as many cheese varieties as you like.

There is also the option of adding the perfect cheeseboard selection as part of a set menu. This way each table gets to sample the gorgeous cheeses you’ve chosen without having to leave their seats. You may want to consider smaller quantities if this forms a part of a fuller menu.

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