How to Make a Cheese Wheel Cake

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You’ve probably enjoyed a slice or two of cheesecake, but have you ever had a cake made out of cheese? If you’re a cheese fiend like me, this literal cheese cake might be your new favorite way to mark any kind of celebration, from birthdays to weddings to engagements to promotions. Instead of stacking layers upon layers of cake, you just stack wheels of your favorite cheese on top of one another, et voila! Now you can have your “cake” and eat cheese too. The best part? No baking required! 

For this incredible cheese tower, my go-to cheeses come from Cypress Grove–remember my Humboldt Fog Brulee Appetizer? The sheer size of the 3-pound wheel will make your jaw drop (don’t worry, it’ll be back to chewing soon enough). No matter what cheese you use, dress it up with some of your favorite cheese board tricks. I usually go with salami rosettes and edible flowers (like I used on my Bridgerton Board), but you can also check out my Cheese Board 101 and FAQs for more inspiration. And, if you’re looking for a great single-serve wedding appetizer, check out my jarcuterie post.

How to Build Your “Cake”

This is definitely one of the simpler things you can put together for a birthday, but it sure makes a statement!

The Cheese

• 1 3-pound wheel Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor

• 1 1-pound wheel Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog

• 1 8-ounce wheel Brie

• 1 4-ounce wheel of Cypress Grove Little Giant

The Decorations

• Seasonal fruits and berries (I like grapes, figs, strawberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries)

• Salami rosettes (check out this tutorial)

• Edible flowers (more on these on my Bridgerton Board and FAQ)

• Chocolate 

• Fresh herbs (I like rosemary and thyme), for garnish

Stack ‘Em Up!

• This is the really easy part: Place the biggest wheel on the cake stand first, then stack the other on top working from biggest (at the bottom) to smallest (at the top).

• Now for the fun part–decorating! There is no wrong way to decorate a cheese wheel cake. If it tastes good with cheese, it will work on your cake, but I typically go for charcuterie favorites like combining meats and fruits and garnishing with sprigs of herbs. Decorate in sections: start with the cake stand itself, then add little bouquets of decorations in a few places on each layer. Pro tip: try to find cheeses that have about an inch or so difference in diameter, so you have room to decorate each level.

• Finish off with a candle or two. I love these metallic candles. Or use a cake topper instead.  I love this birthday topper, this wedding topper and this baby shower topper.

• To serve, take the layers apart and slice like a wedding cake. Divvy up the toppings and pair with your favorite bottle of bubbly!

How to Pick Your Cheeses

If you’ve never tried Cypress Grove, I highly recommend trying their delicious goat cheeses! There are many types of cheese you can use instead (see list below), but keep in mind that soft rind cheese is ideal in this case because of its weight and ease of serving–plus soft cheeses tend to have the most aromatic and interesting flavors. 

However, if you are a hard cheese lover, don’t let me stop you from following your heart! Just be careful not to put those on top of a softer cheese that will collapse under its weight. Check out this article for some tips and tricks,

Some other cheese options:

• Various bries

• Camembert

• Borgonzola

• Morbier 

• Epoisses

• Livarot

• Taleggio

• Reblochon

• Limburger

Occasions for this Cheese Wheel Cake

A cheese wheel cake is a super unique way to celebrate a variety of special occasions. These huge, decadent wheels of cheese can add up quickly (looking at you, Humboldt Fog!), but, in my humble opinion, it’s super worth it. If you don’t have a big budget, you can easily scale this down as needed. For instance, you can buy two wedges of brie (8oz and 13oz) and add decorations for a smaller two-layer cake that’s still impressive.

• Wedding

• Bridal Shower

• Baby Shower

• Birthday

• Engagement

• Graduation

Show Me Your Cheese Cakes

I hope this post inspires you to get creative at your next celebration! Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful treats you make from my tips. If you make a “cake” inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg and use #AintTooProudToCheese so I can see and share! 

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.