Cupcake Tower Homespun white cupcakes are crowned with fondant hearts cut with a cookie cutter and imprinted with the bride's and groom's first initials using a new rubber stamp.
Provencal "Cheese Cake" Crottin cakes in the shape of French goat cheeses are stacked on a wooden stand to mimic a tiered cake. Flowers such as Queen Anne's lace and tweedia are paired with rosemary, lavender, and oregano to capture the romance of the French countryside
Doughnut Dessert We used chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla frostings, and mixed milk to match. If your local doughnut shop doesn't carry flavors you fancy, ask if they'll mix custom icings for you. Be sure to place flattened paper cupcake liners in between doughnuts so they won't stick together.
Coconut Souffle These desserts make an impressive entrance, handed out one-by-one to each guest.
Mini Pavlovas These light-as-air meringues are baked in cupcake liners.
Mini Angel Food Cakes An airy, angel food cake is the perfect dessert after a rich wedding feast. Since the cake is sweet, unsweetened whipped cream -- maybe with seasonal berries on the side -- works best as the accompaniment.
Individual Cakes Simple designs, like the luscious buttercream blooms atop these tiny cakes, can make a big impression. Just three inches high, these beauties could be the highlight of a dessert buffet or be served at each place.
Chocolate Fondue We served marshmallows, pieces of crystallized ginger, dried figs, plums, and apricots with our fondue. Other dried fruits, such as pineapple or cherries, as well as nuts, madeleines, chunks of fresh fruit, and even small brownie squares would also be delicious with the sauce.
Mini Lemon Pound Cake These miniature poppy seed sprinkled cakes make for a delicious mouthful.
Chocolate Truffles Stack chocolate truffles in a tall tower that's reminiscent of a cake.
Mini Lemon Tarts Tart bites are a good replacement for cake after a heavy meal.
Chocolate-Espresso Charlottes This elegant dessert has a sweet secret: layers of chocolaty richness nestled in a shell of almond sponge cake. One bite will reveal moist chocolate sponge cake, creamy milk-chocolate ganache, and smooth mocha Bavarian cream.
Croquembouche A traditional French croquembouche (third from left) is built from profiteroles filled with passion-fruit custard; it has a halo of spun sugar.
Individual Baked Alaskas Flaming baked Alaskas are sure to cause a spectacle when carried into the dining room. Each ice-cream cake is coated with Swiss Meringue, topped with half an eggshell, and then quickly baked in a hot oven. The eggshell is filled with liquor or rum and lit just before serving.
Assorted Pies Instead of serving your guests slices of cake, offer them an assortment of different pie slices, such as peach, blueberry, cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, lemon, and apple.
Petits Fours Petits fours, white-chocolate dipped strawberries, and handcrafted chocolates are sure to satisfy guests' sweet tooths.
Chocolate Raspberry Supremes Try these luxurious sweets: chocolate raspberry supremes (chocolate mousse wrapped in a band of tempered chocolate and topped with raspberry coulis).
Buffet of Sweets In lieu of a wedding cake, a dessert buffet at this reception is laden with sweets from a favorite local bakery. Extra seating cards are calligraphed with the names of the desserts; patterned paper bands and red and blue cotton ribbon trim the cake stands.
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