Cake & Wine Pairings – An Easy way to Impress at Your Next Party

Nothing says celebration like cake and fizz!

 

A group of guests sample wine and dessert pairings at our last tasting event

Captured at our last tasting event in Cambridge

If you really want to impress your party guests, why not serve dessert with a perfectly paired glass of wine or bubbly? Not only does it look fancy but it balances the flavours and the sweetness of the dessert – which means you can fit more in… (disclaimer: not sure that’s scientifically correct but I like to think so)

 

In 2019, I teamed up with Cambridge wine supplier Vine & Cork to showcase just how well some of our celebration cakes combine with the best Italian wines. 

 

 

Here are some of our favourite combinations from the evening, to try at your next dinner party, event, or picnic – 

 

1 / Fresh fruit tart + Prosecco

 

A fresh fruit tart with crème patisserie is a great crowd-pleaser. The colourful fruits not only look great but add the perfect amount of sweetness and flavour to the shortcrust pastry and crème patisserie filling. 

Fresh fruit tart

My fresh fruit tart – perfect with prosecco

This extra dry prosecco is the perfect partner for the fresh fruit tart. Its delicate fragrance of apple, pear, citrus, and wildflower adds personality and the citrus flavours cut through the sweetness of everything else just the right amount. It is slightly sweet, fresh and pleasant to drink.

 

2 / Classic vanilla pannacotta + Moscato

 

You can order these mini vanilla pannacotta as part of our selection of pasticcini (aka petits fours). Pasticcini are perfect for any time of day – we love them for a dinner party, afternoon tea, or even as a gift. 

 

To pair with the pannacotta, we love this Moscato d’Asti DOCG – the DOCG is a seal of the highest quality. This low alcohol wine is perfect for an afternoon tea, wedding, or picnic and pairs beautifully with almost anything sweet. The flavours balance perfectly with the sweet vanilla pannacotta but you’d be forgiven for trying it with my other pasticcini. Sadly, it’s no match for chocolate or bitter flavours like tiramisu!

Pasticcini with vanilla pannacotta

Pasticcini with vanilla pannacotta

3/ Croquembouche + Spumante

 

For a real party showstopper, it’s all about the croquembouche. A tower made of profiteroles, filled with crème patissiere and cream, and then dipped in caramelised sugar – what’s not to love?!

 

And for the cherry on top (not an actual cherry), we recommend pairing your croquembouche with this delicious Spumante Diamant Blanc. Its intense, floral fragrance is beautiful with the delicate sweet flavours of the choux pastry and crème patisserie. And the low sugar content keeps things perfectly balanced between the two.

 

Croquembouche

Croquembouche & Spumante – a match made in heaven

 

 

If you haven’t tried pairing your drinks to your desserts before then I urge you to give it a go! A wine pairing is the easiest way to elevate your next dinner party and wow friends and family. 

 

Give it a go – and let me know how you get on. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

 

Now, time to get planning. 

 

 

 

If you’re ready to order, you’ll find all the links you need in the article for the cakes and the wines. For the fruit tart, contact me directly here.

 

Enjoy!