Desserts are arguably one of the most delightful parts of any meal, and presenting them in the right way can elevate the entire dining experience. With the array of individual place setting dessertware available, you might find yourself wondering, “What would I ever use that for?” In this post, I am going to answer that question and guide you through the world of dessertware to match your sweet creations with their ideal serving pieces.
For more information on the types of individual dessertware, see our post on Dessertware for Individual Plating
Dessert Plates
Standard Dessert Plates
A standard dessert plate is perfect for serving desserts that are dry, at room temperature, or warm, and can hold their form on their own. Some delightful options include:
- Cake
- Pastries
- Pie
- Tarts
- Flan
- Mousse cake
- Entremets
- Brownies
- Bars
- Cookies
Coupe Plates
Coupe plates, with their slightly concave shape, are ideal for desserts topped with sauces or coulis. They provide a larger, flatter canvas for decoration and better sauce control. Consider these options:
- Desserts Topped with Sauce: Strawberry cheesecake, strawberry shortcake.
- Plated Cakes and Tortes with Topping: Flourless chocolate cake, sponge cakes, or tortes.
- Crème Brûlée and Custards
- Fruit-Based Desserts: Baked apples, poached pears, cobblers, tarts, or fruit compotes.
- Panna Cotta: Molded panna cotta with fruit coulis or caramel sauces.
- Cheesecake or Tartlets
- Chocolate Lava Cake
- Warm Desserts with Sauces: Warm brownie or blondie squares, apple brown betty, or individual fruit crisps/cobblers topped with cream or ice cream.
Square/Rectangular Plates
Square or rectangular plates bring a modern flair to dessert presentation, highlighting the layers and elegance of various sweets. They are particularly suited for:
- Layered Cakes and Pastries: Mille-feuille, Napoleon, opera cakes, or rectangular strawberry tarts.
- Bars and Brownies: Using straight edges to emphasize the intention behind the dessert.
- Dessert Trios: Ideal for serving trios such as mousse shots, mini parfaits, and petit fours.
- Triangular Cake Slices: A wedge of cake or cheesecake can look more artistic.
- Deco-style Desserts: Such as a round flan or tart with a swipe of coulis.
Small Appetizer Plates
When serving miniature or "bite-sized" treats, small appetizer plates are your best friend. Consider using them for:
- French mini fruit tarts
- Chocolate truffles
- Macarons
- Petit fours
- Mini baklava
- Brownie bites
- Mini cupcakes
- Mini tarts filled with cheesecake, custard, or pie filling
- Mini pavlovas
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries
- Fudge squares
- Divinity
- Cookies
- Biscotti
- Finger cakes like ladyfingers and madeleines
Dessert Bowls and Cups
Dessert Bowls
Dessert bowls are ideal for serving:
- Ice cream
- Pudding
- Fruit salad
- Cobbler topped with ice cream
Tulip Ice Cream Dishes
Perfect for beautifully displaying frozen desserts:
- Ice cream
- Frozen yogurt
- Sorbet
- Sherbet
- Gelato
- Frozen custard
Dessert Glasses
Coupe Glasses
Coupe stemmed glasses, with their wide, shallow bowls, are perfect for layered desserts that are creamy or spoonable. They offer an elegant presentation for:
- Layered Desserts: Tiramisu, English trifles, parfaits, banana pudding, and semifreddo.
- Frozen Treats: Sorbet, ice cream sundaes.
- Creams & Mousses: Mousse, panna cotta, crème anglaise, custard.
Milkshake Glasses
Tall glasses suited for:
- Layered desserts
- Parfaits
- Traditional milkshakes
Dessert Shooters/Mini Cups
Perfect for mini individual servings, especially if layered:
- Puddings
- Trifles
- Mousses
- Cremes
Dessert Dishes
Ramekins
Ramekins are perfect for:
- Soufflés
- Crumbles
- Custards
- Tarts
Desserts of Every Size, Shape, and Consistency
There are desserts to choose from to enable you to set a bountiful display for any occasion, cafe, or pastry shop. Vary desserts and the way you present them for more interesting adn appetizing appeal.