From classic rock to bumpin' new pop songs, here's a curated list of crowd-pleasers.
Updated Mar 06, 2025Our Favorite Small Wedding Cakes With Big Impact
Warning: These mini desserts will make your mouth water.
by
Sarah Hanlon
When it comes to your wedding cakes, size isn't always the most important factor. Small wedding cakes can certainly make a grand statement if towering tiers and extravagant sugar flowers aren't your thing. Plenty of couples (and their caterers) find inventive ways to make small wedding cakes stand out, from light-up cake toppers to chic stands that wow. Your wedding dessert table should satisfy your sweet tooth—so if that means going for a small wedding cake, accompanied by a variety of other treats, then go for it. With the multitude of cake options, work with your caterer or pastry chef to find a dessert combination that works best for you.
To help execute the sugary confection of your dreams, we've rounded up our favorite small wedding cakes to prove that bigger isn't necessarily better. These small wedding cake ideas will inspire your own wedding dessert setup, but be warned: your mouth might be watering by the end of this list.
It'll be hard to take your eyes off any cake with a light-up topper, which means this is a great way to help your small wedding cake make a statement. Neon signs are all the rage right now—and if you're loving this trend, bring it to life by getting one customized for your cake. This cake topper's bright red color also matches the decorative fresh flowers to create a cohesive color palette for this rustic, semi-naked confection.
Satisfy your sweet tooth by going all out with a rainbow sprinkle cake like this one. Even though it's only one tier, a cake like this can be spotted from anywhere in the reception space. Plus, with the addition of a glitter cake topper, no one will be able to take their eyes off this vibrant miniature cake.
A one-tier wedding cake doesn't have to be one-dimensional. A layer of blueberries atop this small wedding cake adds depth and color to the simple creation, while a cluster of yellow flowers helps link the sweet treat to the reception décor. Plus, the mirrored cake stand provides an optical illusion that helps the cake look bigger than it actually is.
FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT
Simple and small wedding cakes can be enhanced with extravagant decorations to make them feel larger. This couple upgraded their three-tier cake by placing it within a triangular floral arch display, while the cake sat atop a tree-stump inspired stand. With a unique setup like this, no one will be able to miss the cake, regardless of its size. The addition of succulents and greenery throughout the tiers add dimension to the white frosting.
If you're a classic couple, you'll appreciate this small white wedding cake. Three small tiers are accented with minimal fresh flowers, while pieces of dried grass offer a bohemian vibe. The grasses also tie into the arrangement around the neon sign, making the cake a cohesive piece of the entire reception design.
One way to make simple, small wedding cakes stand out is to get creative with cake toppers. This couple enhanced their tiered wedding cake with a thin garland of greenery around the middle, while a white wreath serves as the finishing touch on the top. Plus, the phrase "Just Married" written in calligraphy adds an elegant finishing touch.
Chocolate-lovers, this cake is for you. If you have a major sweet tooth, you'll adore a chocolate cake with a mouth-watering chocolate drip cascading down the sides. The drizzle alone is enough to make an impact on your dessert table, but this couple took it a step further by having a cluster of fresh berries adorn the top for even more color.
FOR YOU
122 Wedding Captions for Instagram for Every Couple
Everyone needs a little help sometimes.
Audio Guest Books: What You Need to Know & Where to Buy
Read our comprehensive guide for an overview of this trendy guest book alternative.
How to Create a Wedding Charcuterie Board
This snack brie-longs at your wedding.
Any day will be the best day ever with a cake like this. This couple decorated their naked layer cake with a sweet burlap pennant sign, along with fresh flowers on the top and around the tiers. With a thoughtful detail like this, your loved ones will "ooh" and "aah" over your cake all night.
If you're obsessed with a whimsical aesthetic, take a cue from this small wedding cake and use pretty blooms to accent your sweet treat. The boho florals add a fresh touch to the naked cake, and the exposed white filling serves as a perfect balance to the dainty white flowers. Plus, you can never go wrong with a few potted plants arranged around your cake for an extra pop of color.
Pro tip: Texture will help small wedding cakes have a moment among the dessert spread. Though this confection is only one tier, the ruffled vanilla buttercream frosting helps it pop on the cake stand. The addition of minimalistic greenery gives this cake an earthy-finish that's almost too cool to eat.
Who says wedding cakes can't be savory? If you crave tart desserts, get inspired by this small wedding cake. The semi-naked tier is accented with fruit on the top and bottom, while wispy grass and succulents balance out the color palette.
While a cake topper will make it shine from above, an equally-show stopping stand will make a statement down below. This couple displayed their hand-painted single-tier cake on a gold geometric cake stand, which had strands of greenery woven throughout. With a stand-and-topper combination like this, there's no doubt your cake will have a moment at the reception.
Millennials, this small wedding cake idea is for you. The miniature treat combines the most popular cake trends from the last few years: naked icing, succulents and millennial pink. If you can't help but obsess over all of these elements, combine them together to make your dream wedding cake a reality.
Perhaps you're more of a pie fan, but you don't want to give up the tradition of a wedding cake. In that case, combine both and serve a key-lime cake. This frosty, one-tier creation is covered in a meringue frosting with limes circling the outer layer. With more white frosting flowers on the top and green leaves strewn across the cake and its tree stump stand, this pie-inspired cake combines the best of both worlds.
Celebrate your "just married" status with a corresponding banner on top of your small wedding cake. This couple kept the frosting a clean, simple white hue, while two clusters of colorful flowers ensure that the cake won't be missed. If you're feeling crafty, this banner is an easy DIY project that will personalize your wedding day.
Still not convinced that small wedding cakes really do make an impact? Let this wide shot confirm all you need to know. This small, semi-naked wedding cake garners all the attention from the middle of two towering cupcake displays. Thin garlands of greenery add a hint of color, while the elegant cake-topper offers a whimsical vibe that complements the greenery and the reception space.
By now, you know that simple cakes are anything but boring—and experimenting with color is a great way to make yours feel unique. You can bring a pop of color to your wedding cake without covering it in fresh flowers. This couple enhanced theirs with a blue ombré hue from bottom to top, while white flowers and a gold ombré topper add dimension and shine to complete the design.
