Planning a wedding doesn’t always mean committing to a towering multi-tier cake. In fact, small wedding cakes have taken over modern celebrations — stylish, intimate, budget-friendly, and perfect for elopements, micro-weddings, at-home receptions, garden ceremonies, or courthouse “I do’s.”
Whether you want simple buttercream, glamorous gold leaf, floral-topped cakes, or unique flavors, the beauty of small wedding cakes is that you can personalize them with ease. Below, you’ll find 48 small wedding cake ideas, each paired with a complete, easy-to-make recipe so you can bake your own or send the list to your cake artist for inspiration.
What Makes Small Wedding Cakes Special?
Small wedding cakes usually range from 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, or 2-tier mini cakes. Despite their size, they deliver a big impact — with the advantage of:
- Lower cost
- Faster baking
- Portion control
- Easier customization
- Perfect for photos and display
- Great for couples who prefer small gatherings
48 Small Wedding Cake Ideas + 48 Mouthwatering Recipes
Below are 48 fully detailed recipes, each designed for one small wedding cake (4–6 inches). You can scale them for two or more tiers.
1. Classic Vanilla Buttercream Small Wedding Cake
Flavor Profile: Soft vanilla sponge + silky buttercream
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ¼ cup milk
Buttercream: 1 cup butter + 2 cups powdered sugar + vanilla
Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients. Bake 25–30 minutes at 170°C in a 4–6 inch pan. Frost with vanilla buttercream.
2. Chocolate Ganache Mini Wedding Cake
Rich chocolate layered with glossy ganache.
Ingredients: Flour, cocoa powder, eggs, milk, butter, sugar.
Ganache: 1 cup cream + 1 cup chocolate.
Instructions: Bake the chocolate sponge, pour warm ganache, and chill.
3. Red Velvet Mini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Classic romantic red.
Ingredients: Flour, cocoa, buttermilk, vinegar, and red color.
Frosting: Cream cheese + butter + sugar.
4. Lemon Zest Buttercream Cake
Bright, fresh citrus for spring weddings.
Ingredients: Vanilla sponge + lemon zest + lemon buttercream.
5. Almond White Wedding Cake
Light almond sponge with almond-vanilla frosting.
6. Coconut Cloud Small Cake
Fluffy coconut layers + coconut cream frosting.
7. Salted Caramel Drip Mini Cake
Vanilla sponge + caramel drip.
Caramel: sugar + cream + butter + pinch of salt.
8. Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream Cake
Perfect pastel pink finish.
9. Pistachio Rose Mini Cake
Middle-eastern inspired.
Pistachio sponge + rosewater buttercream.
10. Coffee Latte Mini Wedding Cake
Coffee sponge + espresso buttercream.
11. White Chocolate Pearl Cake
White chocolate frosting + white chocolate curls.
12. Carrot Walnut Mini Cake
Spiced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
13. Strawberry Shortcake Mini Wedding Cake
Fresh strawberries + whipped cream.
14. Mango Fusion Mini Cake
Soft vanilla sponge with mango filling.
15. Chocolate Hazelnut Mini Cake
Nutella buttercream + chocolate sponge.
16. Matcha Green Tea Mini Cake
Matcha sponge + matcha buttercream.
17. Lavender Vanilla Mini Cake
Floral, soft, and elegant.
Lavender-infused milk + vanilla sponge.
18. Rosewater Pistachio Mini Cake
Rose buttercream + pistachio sponge.
19. Cookies and Cream Mini Cake
Vanilla sponge + crushed Oreos frosting.
20. Funfetti Celebration Mini Cake
Colorful sprinkles inside vanilla cake.
21. Blueberry Lemon Naked Cake
Layers of blueberries + lemon cream.
22. Champagne Mini Wedding Cake
Champagne-infused sponge + champagne buttercream.
23. Peanut Butter Chocolate Mini Cake
Chocolate sponge + peanut butter frosting.
24. Vanilla Raspberry Drip Cake
Raspberry jam filling + white chocolate drip.
25. Banana Walnut Mini Cake
Banana sponge + walnut cream frosting.
26. Earl Grey Tea Wedding Cake
Earl Grey–infused sponge + simple vanilla frosting.
27. Tiramisu-Inspired Mini Cake
Coffee-soaked sponge + mascarpone cream.
28. Blackberry Buttercream Mini Cake
Blackberry purée + vanilla sponge.
29. Maple Pecan Mini Cake
Maple syrup + roasted pecans + cream cheese frosting.
30. Gingerbread Spice Mini Wedding Cake
For winter weddings.
31. Orange Creamsicle Mini Cake
Orange zest sponge + vanilla-orange frosting.
32. Vanilla Bean Naked Cake
Light frosting for rustic weddings.
33. Gold Leaf White Wedding Cake
Vanilla sponge + gold leaf accents.
34. Mocha Chocolate Drip Mini Cake
Coffee chocolate sponge + ganache.
35. Cherry Blossom Pink Cake
Pink sponge + cherry buttercream.
36. Pineapple Coconut Mini Cake
A tropical wedding classic.
37. Black Forest Small Wedding Cake
Chocolate sponge + cherries + cream.
38. Peppermint Chocolate Mini Cake
Perfect winter flavor combo.
39. Hazelnut Praline Luxury Cake
Hazelnut sponge + praline frosting.
40. Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cake
Warm cinnamon + brown sugar buttercream.
41. Passionfruit White Cake
White sponge + passionfruit curd.
42. Dulce de Leche Mini Cake
Caramel-milk filling + vanilla sponge.
43. Honey Lavender Mini Cake
Honey sponge + lavender buttercream.
44. Fig & Honey Mascarpone Cake
Fresh figs + honey cream.
45. Chai Spice Mini Cake
Chai-infused milk + warm spices.
46. Mint Chocolate Chip Mini Cake
Mint buttercream + chocolate sponge.
47. Blue Velvet Mini Wedding Cake
Blue vanilla sponge + cream cheese frosting.
48. Lotus Biscoff Mini Wedding Cake
Biscoff spread frosting + cinnamon sponge.
Final Thoughts
If you’re planning a micro-wedding, backyard celebration, or elopement, these 48 small wedding cake ideas offer endless inspiration. Every recipe is simple, customizable, and designed to help you craft a cake that feels special, elegant, and uniquely yours.
