A cheese wedding cake is a tower of whole cheeses stacked like the tiers of a cake: big, firm wheels at the bottom, smaller ones towards the top, dressed with flowers or foliage and cut at the reception like any other cake. It’s a centrepiece and the evening food in one. We’ve been building them at Love Cheese in York for years, and this guide covers everything couples ask us: how much cheese you need, which cheeses work, how to dress it and how to serve it.
How Much Cheese Do You Need?
We build every cake around 80 to 100g of cheese per guest. That’s enough for the tower to look generous and for nobody to run short. Go towards 100g if the cake is the main evening food, and towards 80g if it follows a full wedding breakfast.
| Guests | Cheese |
|---|---|
| 40 | 3.2 to 4kg |
| 60 | 4.8 to 6kg |
| 100 | 8 to 10kg |
| 150 | 12 to 15kg |
How Many Tiers?
It depends on the cheeses more than the guest count, because wheels come in very different sizes. A small wedding might have three tiers of larger cheeses; a tall tower of smaller wheels might have seven or eight. Ours have ranged from three tiers to eight. Tell us the look you want and we’ll work out the wheels that give you the right weight and the right height.
Choosing the Cheeses
This is the fun part, and the reason we start every cake with a tasting. A good tower balances:
- Textures: firm Cheddars and Alpine cheeses alongside soft, creamy ones.
- Strengths: something mild for the cautious guests, something with a kick for the cheese lovers, and usually a blue.
- Milks: cow’s, goat’s and ewe’s milk cheeses all taste different, and look different too. One of our favourite towers was entirely ewe’s and goat’s milk.
- Looks: rinds come in every colour, from bright orange and black wax to white bloom and nettle green. Mixing them is what makes a tower look like a cake.
Big, firm wheels go at the bottom to carry the weight, with smaller and softer cheeses higher up. You choose the cheeses; we work out the order, the sizes and how it stands up.
If you have vegetarian or pregnant guests, tell us. We can build a tower that’s entirely vegetarian or entirely pasteurised, or make sure there’s plenty on it that everyone can eat.
How It Works with Us
- Get in touch. Send us your date, rough guest numbers and the look you’re after through our wedding cakes page, or email weddings@lovecheese.co.uk. We’ll reply within two working days.
- The tasting. Come to the Speakcheesey on Gillygate for a private tasting of around 20 cheeses with a drink, and pick your favourites. The tasting is £25.
- We plan and build. We design the tier plan and source every cheese to arrive at its best. The cake can be ready up to a week before your wedding.
- Collect or delivery. Collect from our York shop, or we can deliver if your venue is happy to store the cake.
There’s no fixed price list, because no two towers are the same. The price depends on your guest numbers and the cheeses you choose, and we can work to your budget. We can also supply pork pies, chutneys and crackers to go with it.
How to Dress a Cheese Wedding Cake
We build the tower and you, your florist or your caterer dress it, which means it can look exactly like your day. Some ideas:
- Flowers: match your bouquet or table flowers, tucked between the tiers.
- Foliage and herbs: eucalyptus, rosemary and sage for a rustic, natural look.
- Fruit: figs, berries and dried apricots add colour against the rinds and cost very little.
- Ribbon or twine: ribbon around a wheel is a classy touch; twine looks more relaxed.
- A topper: traditional or personalised, it finishes off the top tier.
If anything is pinned in, count the pins so you can take them all out before the cheese is served.
Serving It on the Day
Keep the cake somewhere cool until it goes out, and avoid direct sun or a hot marquee for hours on end. To serve, take the tower apart tier by tier and cut each cheese into wedges or slices on boards, with crackers, chutney and bread alongside. Your caterer will usually do this while the evening gets going. Any leftovers wrap up well and make a very good lunchtime snack the next day.
Cheese Wedding Cake FAQs
How far ahead should we book?
As early as you can. We can have most cakes ready within a week, but the tasting and planning take longer.
Can we have a cheese cake and a sponge cake?
Plenty of couples do: a small sweet cake to cut, and the cheese tower for the evening.
Can we see the cheeses before we decide?
Yes, that’s what the tasting is for. You’ll try around 20 cheeses with a cheesemonger and choose the ones you love.
Do you deliver to our venue?
We can, as long as the venue is happy to store the cake. Tell us where you’re getting married when you enquire.
Thinking about one for your day? See our cheese wedding cakes, past cakes and what our couples say, and send us an enquiry. If you’re planning grazing boards as well, our guide to making a charcuterie board has the amounts per person.
