The 13 Best Cake And Wine Pairings

Let them eat cake, or so the saying goes. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica there's serious doubt whether Marie Antoinette, the figure most closely associated with the phrase, ever actually uttered this in response to reports of French people starving en masse. In fact, most historians believe that this is a popular mythos, as the saying actually predates Marie Antoinette by almost two centuries. Nonetheless, while the phrase is most often used to highlight the obliviousness and privilege of ruling figures, there is something worth looking into the idea of indulgence whenever and wherever possible.

Recently, given economic circumstances and overall diet culture, we've been encouraged to restrict, in the name of wealth and "health." But is indulgence really such an irreparable sin? Those over at Precious Nutrition exalt the benefits of overindulgence and go so far as to say it's necessary, albeit infrequent. The dietitians argue that overdoing it once in a while is completely normal, and offers self-reflection and resilience. At its best, the site notes that overindulgence, within reason, even promotes so-called "deep health": A well-balanced diet that allows the occasional food bender, which exists in a larger ecology of health and wellness.

So why save cake and wine for weddings? Isn't life a special occasion? When going in for a forkful, why not have a full glass, too? Beauty is in whatever bite you enjoy: Here are the best cake and wine pairings out there.

Weddings are where you're most likely to encounter a heavenly slice of cake with a fantastic glass of wine. But what is a wedding cake? It usually depends on the wedded pair. Despite this, the ever-vivacious city of New Orleans does have its two cents on the subject matter. New Orleans Magazine holds true that a proper NOLA wedding cake is one that is a bright white cake complete with almond-flavoring, and pineapple filling, topped with rich buttercream icing. It's a cake unlike any other, and charmingly down-home while remaining supremely decadent all the while.

Sometimes you may pair a bolder flavor with a milder one to strike a perfect harmony. But much like the city of NOLA itself, you must simply meet decadence with decadence when you're in search of a pairing for New Orleans wedding cake. Sweet white wine is just that. Sauternes or a late harvest wine are going to meld perfectly with both the almond and pineapple flavors while adding richness and even a touch of honey (via Wine Folly).

Sauternes and late harvest wines, sourced from Bordeaux and Austria respectively, can vary depending on the year, and it makes sense to check out each year before investing in a bottle. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board, for example, recommends late harvest wines from 2021 to enjoy the cream of the crop and the best off the vine.

Vanilla has unfairly become synonymous with basic and boring. It's criticized by some as a bland choice, but perhaps that's too dismissive of the quiet charm that defines vanilla. A good vanilla cake can really be as down to the basics as a sheet pan vanilla cake that's both moist and welcoming. It's not going to be a mind-blowing dessert but will make for an excellent and light companion to a humid spring evening. Sometimes that's not only enough, but it's the perfect option.

When pairing wines with vanilla cake, it's best to play to the cake's more modest attributes. According to the HelloVino wine pairing app, chardonnay is just the wine to do that. Wine Folly puts chardonnays on the drier side of the white wine spectrum, which means the wine won't be sweet so as to make the vanilla cake taste sickly sugary. HelloVino adds that chardonnay's heaviness and notes of butterscotch will add a bit of much-needed weight to the otherwise demure vanilla without throwing it off balance. Sometimes simplicity is sweet, and pairing vanilla cake with chardonnay exemplifies just that.

Of all the pairs out there, strawberries and Champagne are a sight — or better yet, a bite — to behold. Blacktail NYC, a New York City-based cocktail company, argues that there's a reason why this duo holds a classic charm. The caterers assert that the bold sweetness of strawberries harmonizes with the dryness of Champagne; also, it is worth noting that strawberries can be just as romantic and luxurious a gift as Champagne. Together, the pair heads off to heights that suggest both glamor and romance, which — who couldn't use more of those?

Strawberry shortcake may come off as a little rustic, but when paired with Champagne, it can retain the same charm with a bit of a surprise twist. The biscuit base used for the shortcake balances the dryness of the luxurious sparkling wine, while the strawberries and cream contrast and complement the brut flavor of the wine. Simply put, strawberry shortcakes and Champagne make for a perfect balancing act, and boy, do they pull it off with aplomb.

Carrot cake is a delightful bite that doesn't need to be relegated to Easter or any other spring holiday. Of all the cakes on the list, carrot cake may have the most complex flavor profile: It is sweet and moist, with a specific texture, and is often enriched by cream cheese frostings, lemon zests, and even hints of lavender. Carrot cake really strikes a chord between rich and refreshing and brings a lot of different elements together. In this sense, it can be tricky to find the right wine for it, but of all the options out there, none quite seem to bring as much to the table for carrot cake as sauvignon blanc.

A French white wine, sauvignon blanc is sourced from the Bordeaux region (via The Wine Cellar Insider). Sauvignon blanc is a dry wine, but its flavor profile can vary immensely depending on the vineyard. All at once it can have citrus notes or earthier elements — it seems that the wine is just as complex as the cake! Thankfully, all of these elements tend to come together when sipping on sauvignon and biting into carrot cake. The white wine doesn't compete with the cake's subtle sweetness but does draw out its more subtle vegetal aspects. It's a noble combination, carrot cake and sauvignon blanc, and certainly sure to gain a few dedicated fans.

One befuddled wine aficionado lamented on the Amusée wine site: Is there really any outstanding wine pairing for peanut butter? It's hard because peanut butter is simultaneously sweet, salty, nutty, and earthy. With such a complex flavor profile, the writer found — even when consulting wine experts — that there were many "good" pairs for peanut butter, but it was hard to zero in on what would truly make the ingredient pop. It seemed almost like Mona Lisa's smile, both appearing and disappearing. The blogger was stumped, as it seemed that peanut butter could do just as well with red as it could with white and even sparkling. Ultimately, after working through her list of compatriots, she settled on a subset of Sauternes white wine to round out her event and her menu.

While that worked in a lovely manner with the white chocolate peanut butter truffle she was serving, when it comes to peanut butter chocolate cake, you'll need something a bit more full-bodied to round out the chocolate cake element of the dessert. In that case, we'd opt for the author's second choice: a port. The richly sweet red wine not only lifts up the chocolate but will also complement the saltier aspects of the peanut butter frosting. While this pairing needs a lot of work, it certainly brings a big reward.

Chocolate frosting on yellow sheet cake will summon memories of childhood birthdays for many, and perhaps with all the fervor surrounding Funfetti, this cake flavor is also due for a revamp. After all, there is a simple thrill to the cake: The sweet yellow cake that's visually, and flavor-wise, contrasted with a full-bodied chocolate frosting? It's yin and yang, dark and light, quite literally! Of course, it wouldn't be a yellow sheet cake without an element of saccharine sweetness to it.

Surprisingly, finding a wine pairing for this hometown fav is a bit difficult. After all, which part should be balanced — the cake or the frosting? They have completely different flavor profiles. Ideally, both would be complemented. Thankfully, there is an answer: Cabernet sauvignon! Cabernet sauvignon is a bit of a legend in the wine world, just about everyone's heard about it and tasted it, albeit usually with steak. But cabernet sauvignon can do just as well with desserts, even though it may seem like a bit of an odd couple with yellow sheet cake. The cab will deepen the more nuanced elements of the chocolate frosting, while boldly contrasting the yellow cake, though not in an unpleasant manner. Consider it a high-low pairing, and perhaps the dessert element of drinking Champagne with a Big Mac: Wrong on paper, but oddly satisfying.