26 Decadent Chocolate Wedding Cake Ideas

Naked chocolate wedding cake with pink roses and white florals on white table — Photo by Sasithon Photography; Planning by Jove Meyer Events; Cake by Lucky Bird Bakery

Though wedding cakes have traditionally been white confections, there's no rule that says a basic vanilla dessert is your only option. You and your soon-to-be spouse should feel empowered to select a wedding cake that is exactly to your tastes. If cocoa calls to you, there's no reason why you shouldn't serve a chocolate wedding cake at your celebration. With the help of a skilled baker, you can create a chocolate treat that can perfectly fits in your wedding aesthetic. Plus, bakers can incorporate additional fillings to customize the flavor profile to your liking.

“Your wedding should reflect your taste, so go with what you love,” says Moriah Tulier, owner of Wildflower Cakes. “Your guests will be excited to try your favorite cocktail, your favorite dessert, and hear your favorite song come on. Embrace the things that reflect your couple style, food included, and your guests will walk away feeling a closer connection to you as a couple."

Meet the Expert

Moriah Tulier is the owner of Wildflower Cakes, a cake studio based in Denver, Colorado with a focus on custom-designed luxury wedding cakes.

Plus, there are so many incredible ways to make a chocolate wedding cake your own. “Simple and classic with fresh flowers, gilded dramatic gold leaf, hand-painted details, and monograms are all beautiful ways to decorate any wedding cake,” says Tulier. “Determine your wedding style and let that guide you when it comes to the design.”

If you still want a classic look, vanilla buttercream or fondant can completely seal a chocolate cake. “This also provides the perfect blank canvas to design,” Tulier adds. "From there, the sky’s the limit! It’s also fun and unexpected to cut into a white cake only to see a rich chocolate cake underneath.”

If you’re planning a chocolate wedding cake, don’t be afraid to get creative on flavor pairings. According to Tulier, raspberry, hazelnut, matcha, coffee, mint, and lavender are all great options to complement chocolate.

Think a chocolate wedding cake is the perfect fit for your big day? Read on for 26 pretty and delicious designs to inspire you own reception sweet.

Wedding Experts on the One Cake They’ll Never Forget

01 of 26

Commission a Handpainted Masterpiece

Three-tier chocolate cake painted with orange flowers and adorned with a large sugar flower — Photo by Nevie Pie Cakes

When it comes to wedding cake flavors, the options are as limitless as your imagination. If you want to serve something unique and crowd-pleasing, take note of this three-tiered confection: Beneath a thick layer of chocolate buttercream sits a delicious combination of salted caramel and chocolate cake. And while that flavor pairing alone is certainly enough to please a crowd, the hand-painted floral detailing on the outside is what takes it to an entirely new level.

02 of 26

Go for Semi-Naked With Florals

Semi-naked single tier chocolate cake with peach chocolate drip, cherry blossoms, and macarons — Photo by Elisabeth Van Lent Photography; Cake by Sweet Appetite

This semi-naked chocolate cake is ready for a springtime celebration thanks to pretty pastel accents. You'd never know it from the outside, but layers of chocolate cake sit beneath that white icing. As a lovely finishing touch, a peach chocolate drizzle and fresh cherry blossoms make this sweet reception ready.

03 of 26

Keep It Simple

Chocolate two-tier wedding cake topped with raspberries on table with greenery and florals — Photo by Christine Glebov Photography; Cake by Renaissance Cakes

Want to really embrace chocolate with your wedding cake? This sweet pairs two tiers of cake with chocolate textured frosting for a simple look. Topped with a few berries and paired with blooms, it's effortless, yet beautiful.

04 of 26

Serve a Trio of Flavors

Wedding cake table with printed tablecloth, yellow florals, and a chocolate, caramel, and coconut cake — Photo by Emily Barbee

At their backyard wedding in Alabama, this couple offered guests slices of a simple single-tier chocolate cake; knowing that some attendees might prefer other flavors, coconut and caramel confections were on offer, too. To keep everything cohesive, the trio of treats were displayed on a beautifully decorated table full of on-palette yellow florals.

05 of 26

Decorate With Edible Flowers

Five-tier chocolate wedding cake with pressed blue, white, and yellow florals — Photo by Blushing Cook

Love the look of a wedding cake decked out in edible flowers? The same design that's commonly used on vanilla treats can also work a chocolate cake. We love the way bright florals pop against chocolate frosting.

06 of 26

Make It Playful

Three-tier chocolate cake covered in truffles next to a bouquet of flowers — Photo by Tara Bielecki Photography; Floral Design by Flora by Nora; Cake by Wildflower Cakes

Don't be afraid to decorate your cake with another chocolate-based dessert. Bring a playful element into the mix by covering a chocolate cake in chocolate truffles for an unexpected look.

07 of 26

Surprise Inside

Small single tier white chocolate cake with pressed flowers and topped with honeycomb — Photo by Emily Melissa Photo

At first glance, you might not expect this cake topped with pressed wildflowers, honeycomb, and white frosting is full of chocolate ganache. If you love chocolate but prefer a lighter aesthetic, know you can keep the cocoa concealed until you slice into your confection, like one couple did at their Chicago garden wedding.

08 of 26

Go for a Decadent Drip

Chocolate cake with white frosting, chocolate drip, figs, blackberries, and blueberries — Photo by Lael Cakes

Planning a moody fall wedding? A rich, decadent drip is the perfect look. Pair plenty of cake layers with a chocolate drip, gold detailing, and fresh figs and berries.

09 of 26

Camp-Inspired Treat

Four-tier white buttercream and chocolate cake pressed with pink and red flowers — Photo by AGP Collective

While some couples serve s’mores by a campfire at their wedding, others include the flavors in their cake. This four-tier buttercream creation from a mountain wedding was filled with chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse, graham cracker cake, and marshmallows for a delicious s’mores-inspired mix.

10 of 26

Press Pretty Petals

One-tier chocolate cake with edible flowers white and yellow flowers — Photo by Lady in the Wild West

A beautiful chocolate cake provides the perfect light brown background to pair with white and sunny yellow hues. With pressed dried florals, this charming cake is ready to sit on display at a spring or summer wedding.

11 of 26

Add a Caramel Drip

Three-tier chocolate naked cake with caramel drip and fresh fruit — Photo by Flora & Fauna

Chocolate pairs well with so many other flavors, and this cake definitely proves it. Embrace the look of a tall, semi-naked chocolate cake, but add a luscious caramel drip and fresh fruit to the mix for a pop of color.

12 of 26

Consider White Chocolate

Four-tier wedding cake with white chocolate, gold foil, ruffle bottom, and flower on top — Photo by Imogen Xiana

Want to add an extra dose of sweetness to your wedding cake? Consider using white chocolate. If you want to see how this flavor can be infused into a wedding cake design, take a look at this multi-tiered white and gold creation, which has a layer of white chocolate cake and raspberry filling.

13 of 26

Top With Plenty of Blooms

White two-tier chocolate wedding cake with roses on stand — Photo by Lauren Fair Photography

This pretty white cake adorned with roses is a timeless option for couples who love chocolate. Layers of chocolate cake, fresh fruit filling, and buttercream combine to create this delicious post-nuptial treat.

14 of 26

Go Nearly Naked

Naked chocolate wedding cake topped with pink flowers on white table — Photo by Sasithon Photography

We love the way this cake exudes a refined rustic look with a chocolate cake and semi-naked vanilla frosting. With pretty blooms on top, it's beautifully romantic.

15 of 26

Pair With Citrus

Yellow and orange five-tier lemon and chocolate wedding cake with cut lemons on top — Photo by A Heart String; Cake by Nine Cakes

Chocolate and lemon are a unique pairing you might want to consider for your wedding cake. Take inspiration from this colorful design, which has layers of each flavor covered in bright orange and yellow buttercream.

16 of 26

Serve Your Favorite Flavor

White two-tier Oreo wedding cake with roses and gold foil — Photo by Twah Dougherty Photography

If you have a big sweet tooth, consider filling your wedding cake with a favorite chocolate treat. At this New York wedding, the groom picked out a chocolate cake with Oreo filling. To keep with the wedding’s organic aesthetic, the confection was adorned with edible gold leaf and white roses.

17 of 26

Make a Tall Statement

Tall four-tier naked chocolate cake with white and pink roses — Photo by Phil Chester

If you're going to go for chocolate, you might as well go all in. More than 20 layers of chocolate cake made up this incredibly tall statement dessert at a Mexico wedding.

18 of 26

Balance Moody With Romantic

Two-tier chocolate cake with chocolate drip, berries, peach roses, and black flowers — Photo by Rachel Rowland Photography

A chocolate wedding cake can still be incredibly romantic, and this cake proves it. Paired with a chocolate drip for contrast, and topped with beautiful blooms, it's the perfect balance of moody and charming.

19 of 26

Select Something Dark and Dramatic

Two-tier black wedding cake with berries and peach, white, and pink florals — Photo by Mallory Carlson; Cake by The Solvang Bakery

If you're already going out-of-the-box with chocolate, don't be afraid to lean into the dark hue of the sweet. Deepen the color and consider using black frosting as a unique contrast with light and airy blooms.

20 of 26

Make It Mini

Chocolate semi-naked cake with greenery and white florals on dessert table with macarons — Photo by Kristen Marie Weddings + Portraits

Don't want to go all out with a big chocolate cake? Make it mini to add a bit of flavor into the mix. This single-tiered chocolate cake may be small, but the leafy branch and blooms on top add plenty of personality.

21 of 26

Combine Chocolate and Vanilla

Wedding cake with layered chocolate drip bottom and top tiers and a white vanilla middle tier adorned with figs and blackberries — Photo by Lightbulb League; Cake by Whisk Bakery

It goes without saying that chocolate and vanilla are the perfect pairing, so why not embrace it with your cake? This decadent delight combined naked layers of chocolate cake with one bright white frosted tier for a unique juxtaposition.

22 of 26

Mimic a Dessert

Lamington naked cake with pink and red roses, carnations, and strawberries — Photo by Stacy Brewer Cakes

This beautiful naked cake, decked out in berries and blooms, looks almost too good to eat. While its beauty is striking, the flavor is just as good. Inspired by a classic Lamington treat, the cake was assembled with sponge cake, an outer layer of chocolate, and decked in coconut.

23 of 26

Let Your Florals Make a Statement

Three-tier white wedding cake with a red anthurium, yellow flowers, and pink flowers — Photo by Sidney Bensimon

A large anthurium stands out in the design of this delicious three-tier wedding cake at a fall New York wedding. Inside, the confection alternates between layers of chocolate and buttercream.

24 of 26

Serve Multiple Flavors

Romantic rustic white chocolate cake on wood stand with pink and white florals — Photo by Lady in the Wild West

This design is simply beaming with rustic romance. With a chocolate tier paired with a vanilla layer on top, it's the perfect way to offer a choice of cake flavor for your guests.

25 of 26

Use Seasonal Blooms

Single-tier white wedding cake with pink, peach, and dark orange flowers — Photo by Hailey Pierce

Two brides chose a simple single-tier chocolate cake with raspberry filling to end the reception dinner of their Colorado elopement. Seasonal florals on top added the perfect touch and helped the sweet fit in with their autumnal palette.

26 of 26

Decorate With Sugar Flowers

Four-tier white chocolate wedding cake with marbling and sugar flowers on stand — Photo by Asia Pimentel Photography

A couple served a simple chocolate cake with no filling at their Dominican Republic wedding, but they made sure the exterior of the design was truly show-stopping. Marbleized frosting and soft sugar flowers adorned this multi-tiered treat.

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