We’re all for kitchen tools that pull double-duty. From professional caterers to home cooks, everyone can appreciate a gadget that saves time and effort in the kitchen.
You may already have an arsenal of five-in-one blenders, mixers and choppers, but did you ever consider that your cupcake tower stands could also be multi-functional? In addition to their traditional design, you can also find other, unique ways to put yours to good use.
Today, we’re sharing 10 of our favorite, most creative ways to do just that. Read on to discover how you can get as much use as possible out of your favorite kitchen accessory!
The Power of a Beautiful Display
Whether you’re cooking for a crowd of partygoers or simply a table of hungry family members, presentation matters. While we go to great lengths to make sure our main dishes look Pinterest-worthy, the same attention should be applied to the desserts that complete the meal.
This was one of the main ideas behind our range of reusable and adjustable cupcake tower stands! Our full collection includes a range of different designs, including:
- 3-Tier Round Cupcake Tower
- 3-Tier Flower Cupcake Tower
- 2-in-1 Round Cupcake Tower Stand
- 2-in-1 Square Cupcake Tower Stand
- 5-Tier Round Pro Cupcake Tower
- 5-Tier Square Pro Cupcake Tower
Meant to add charm and conversation to any size gathering, these stands do more than make your sweet treats easily accessible to reaching hands. They also allow you to showcase your handiwork in a beautiful and simple way, giving passersby a 360-degree view of your creations. We offer a wide variety of dimensions designed to accommodate most applications, and we also offer replacement parts and tower accessories as necessary.
Keeping this in mind, what else can you display on your cupcake tower stand? You may already be well-versed in filling yours with cupcakes, but you don’t have to stop there. Next, let’s explore a few more ways you can maximize yours, starting today.
- Chocolate Truffles
Truffles are a gorgeous treat, but they can be a little laborious to make. Why not show off all that hard work by displaying your finished products on one of our cupcake tower stands?
Whether you prefer yours smooth and silky or crunchy and covered in chopped nuts, you can proudly reveal the fruits of your labor by stacking the truffles carefully on each tier.
Depending on their size, you may find it easiest to layer one or two truffles on top of a larger layer for stability. If you go this route, try to put the smoother ones on the bottom, leaving the pecan-crusted or graham-cracker-dusted ones on the very top. If you’d rather display each truffle on its own, you can just toss them into cupcake liners and decorate each tier as normal!
Of course, truffles are also an excellent way to fill in any extra space you may have on your cupcake tower stand. Are you finding that the few dozen you baked are looking a little sparse when spread out among the different tiers? If so, you can easily add a few truffle clusters in between the cupcakes to add both bulk and beauty.
- Brownies, Blondies and Other Bars
Few baked goodies are as decadent and satisfying as an ooey-gooey brownie. The same goes for their lighter-hued sister, the blondie! In fact, almost any dessert bar is destined to be delicious, from Magic Cookie Bars to Peanut Butter Bars.
While you can certainly cut and serve these straight from the pan you baked them in, arranging them on a cupcake tower elevates their look in an instant. Rather than fussing over making precise measurements on the spot, each piece is also neater and easier to serve.
Plus, not only does it allow everyone to see inside the bars, but it also makes it much easier to keep an eye on the quantities and refill the tiers as needed.
Plus, this approach requires you to go ahead and slice the bars ahead of time. This way, when it’s time to enjoy the company of your family and friends, you can do so rather than manning the dessert table for 20 minutes, cutting everyone a piece.
Feel free to get creative with this idea and add your own favorite dessert bars to the mix! Depending on the holiday, you could dress these up in a variety of different ways, from patriotic-colored sprinkles to holiday-themed frosting. If you need a little inspiration, here are more than 20 tried and true favorites from the foodie community.
The secret to dessert bars that look as great as they taste? Baking your concoction the right way. Our pre-cut parchment sheets make it easy to line your large and half-sheet cookie pans with the perfect amount of parchment paper, so you never have to worry about rolling out too much and wasting the excess.
Not only does parchment paper make clean-up a breeze, but it also helps your cookies, cakes and dessert bars cook more evenly and thoroughly. These reasons and many more make it a natural addition to any well-stocked kitchen. In addition to cookies and dessert bars, they’re also perfect for sheet cakes!
- Party Favors
From engagement parties and baby showers to retirement galas and workplace gatherings, there are many occasions that call for small favors for everyone in attendance. These don’t have to be overly expensive, but they should tie into the theme of the event and be full of special meaning.
If you’re in charge of planning such an event, how do you plan to display and distribute these favors? If the gifts are relatively small, you may be able to fit them into a miniature gift box, displaying the whole assortment on a few cupcake tower stands.
This is a fun and intriguing way to display your favors, adding intrigue and piquing the interest of anyone in attendance! It’s usually easy to find gift boxes and ribbon in a range of shades, so look for ones that match the color of your company’s branding scheme, your wedding theme, or the gender of your baby!
If you can’t find the right boxes, or your favors won’t pack neatly into bags, you can also find clear or colored mesh bags to hold the items. Simply fill them up and secure them with a coordinating ribbon, and you’re good to go! From there, you can arrange the bags on each tier.
The best part? All of our cupcake tower stands fold flat and come equipped with a custom storage and carrying bag. Add your favors to another bag, and you’ll have everything you need to set up as soon as you arrive.
- Chocolate-Covered Fruit
More than just a Valentine’s Day treat, chocolate-covered berries are a year-round delight, and surprisingly simple to make.
Maybe you prefer classic strawberries, dunked in dark chocolate and drizzled with a white chocolate glaze. Or, perhaps you’re more interested in the tropical, juicy flavor of pineapple, which melds perfectly with satiny smooth milk chocolate. Other fruits that taste great covered in chocolate include cherries, apples, mangoes and even kiwi!
Any way you make them, one thing’s for sure: Chocolate-covered fruit might be delicious, but it can also be pretty messy. While you can keep things a little neater by popping your creations in the freezer before serving, you could still end up with globs of melted chocolate all over your serving platter. If you have a long event, the chocolate could still melt, so it’s best to plan ahead.
To this end, why not arrange each individual piece on a cupcake tower instead?
To cut down on spills and stains, pop each piece of fruit in a cupcake liner first. Then, you can arrange the liners on the tiers any way you prefer! This looks even better when you use a variety of fruits for extra color.
- Coffee or Hot Chocolate Station
Over the past 15 years, single-cup coffee brewing has taken the world by storm. While there’s something to be said about the comforting warmth of a full pot of coffee, everyone knows that we’re busier and more on-the-go than ever before. Now, it’s much more convenient to brew a single cup on your way out the door! Not only does it cut back on waste, but it also helps us maintain our fast-paced lifestyle with ease.
If you’re hosting an event with a variety of quick nibbles, why not add a coffee or hot chocolate station to the mix? This is an especially festive and welcome addition to any holiday party! Simply bring along a few sets of mugs or disposable coffee cups, and arrange the individual coffee pods on the different tiers of your cupcake tower stand.
This way, guests can easily see the variety and choose the ones they like. Plus, the pods are lightweight and can even be stacked!
You could do one tier of mocha, one tier of hot chocolate, one tier of decaf, and more! Bring a few peppermint sticks and bags of mini marshmallows, and visitors will flock to that part of the party more than any other. If you prefer, you can also find single-serving apple cider pods, which would be perfect for a cozy autumn event!
- Retail Shop Display
Many creatives rely on pop-up shops and annual shows to display their wares to a new audience. If you make and sell your own jewelry, soap, bows, or any other handmade item, you can set up shop anywhere with your cupcake tower stand! This is also a great idea for anyone who rents a space at a vendor marketplace, where you might not have a ton of square footage to make a great impression.
Especially when used alongside our carrying case, this is a great way to take your collections with you. While many display solutions are heavy and bulky, ours is lightweight and travels exceptionally well.
To add pizazz and personality to your display, consider using our tier liners to decorate your stand! As you lay your liner on each cupcake tier, you’ll add the perfect pop of eye-catching color, helping your items stand out in any crowd.
Even if you have a brick-and-mortar location and aren’t traveling as much, these stands make an excellent addition to any checkout counter or display case, as they give shoppers a full view of every item. If you need to add specialty layers or require a specific kind of size or design for your tiers, reach out to us about creating your own cupcake tower!
- Charcuterie Tower
From the sweet to the savory, our cupcake tower stands do it all! We love the idea of using one to take a fun twist on the ever-popular charcuterie board trend! In the past year, this trend has become synonymous with both upscale, formal events and casual gatherings of friends.
Again, using cupcake liners for easy cleanup, you can fill each tier with an assortment of cheeses, olives, crackers, dried meats, and other relishes. With just one visit to your local supermarket, you can really expand on the cheese selection, offering a blend of hard and soft varieties to appease any palate.
For a refreshingly sweet twist, weave in a few clusters of grapes or hard chunks of dark chocolate. The blend of flavors is out of this world, and your guests will have plenty to enjoy throughout the event.
One special touch you can add?
While half of the beauty of a charcuterie board is its visual appeal, guests still want to know what kind of treats they’re trying. Create small notecards to label the items on each tier so there are no questions or confusion. Then, arrange these cards in the appropriate spots for a display that’s completely on-point with modern tastes and preferences.
While you’re at it, did you know that some people have started putting a sweet twist on their charcuterie boards? We love the idea of a hot chocolate version!
- Christmas Ornament Display
Few things are as warm and inviting as a home or business decorated to the nines to ring in the holidays! In addition to the traditional Christmas tree, you may also have garland around the rooms, handmade decor from younger generations, and light-up villages that come alive when the sun sets.
In addition to these festive mainstays, why not add another display that’s both stunning and surprising? Try arranging your special ornaments in clusters on your cupcake tower! This is an especially special way to display heirloom ornaments that are too precious to hang perilously from branches.
For the perfect touch, be sure to alternate between our Red Tier Liners and our Lucite Green Tier Liners for the ultimate in holiday charm! You can organize the ornaments by color or theme, creating different tiers for handmade children’s ornaments, special vacation ornaments, brightly colored spheres, and more.
Need another idea? If you’re setting up for a holiday party, you can always add ornaments around the cupcakes or cookies already on your stand! This helps to fill in space and brings the tower to life! Don’t forget to accessorize the display with ribbon, confetti and more to create a celebratory space fit for a very special occasion.
- Macaron and Cookie Display
It’s no secret that your cupcake stand can easily double as a cookie display. Whether you’re piling on layers of oversized, chewy chocolate chip cookies or clusters of smaller, thumbprint cookies, the different layers let you highlight the textures, colors and flavors of your creation.
However, one caveat to this approach is that you have to be careful with the way you stack cookies on the tower. When arranged in the right way, you can preserve their appearance and keep them looking great for hours. However, if you take a less careful approach, you’re more likely to smash the ones on the bottom, which could wind up making a sticky, sweet mess.
If you’re looking for something a little different, try stacking macarons on their side and creating a tall, single layer all the way around each tier.
This allows guests to see the filling so they can easily distinguish between each kind. Plus, they stack beautifully this way without crushing any along the way! Macarons are ideal for this application, as their outer cookies are a little harder and less susceptible to breakage.
Try alternating macaron colors for a rainbow-themed display that’s sure to be an instant conversation starter. If you have other cream-filled cookies, this is also a great way to display those, too.
- Sundae Topping Bar
One of the most incredible recent twists on the traditional wedding cake has to be the modern ice cream sundae bar! At the end of a reception filled with dancing, toasts and great food, most guests look forward to the final course of the evening.
If you’re a wedding planner with a non-conventional bride or anyone who simply wants to shake up tradition a little, consider setting up one of these stations instead! Your cupcake tower stand offers the perfect way to hold individual servings of all kinds of toppings, including:
- Chopped nuts
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate candy
- Sweet cereal
- Cherries
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate chips
In addition to being adorable, these mini cups also help to keep guests’ hands out of the toppings in each jar and bag, offering a more sanitary spin. Simply set up each tier to hold a different topping, and place it near the ice cream station! Of course, chocolate syrup and caramel bottles will need to be on the table, too!
If you do decide to take this route, you can always add a conventional wedding cake, too! Or, you can set up multiple tower stands and serve a bevy of cupcakes alongside the frozen treats.
Taking Care of Your Cupcake Tower Stands
As you can see, your cupcake tower stands offer more than just a gorgeous way to display your favorite bakery treat. They’re also exceedingly practical in a variety of other ways, and the secret to getting the most use for your money is knowing where to start!
With these 10 ideas in mind, you should have plenty of inspiration. However, your best-laid plans could fall by the wayside if your stand isn’t properly maintained.
After you use your stand each time, be sure to clean it thoroughly with a soft, damp cloth. Then, give it plenty of time to dry before using it again. When you’re not using them, our cupcake tower stands store the best in cool, dark places. They should also be stored flat, and kept away from heavy objects that could crush them.
Think Outside the Cake: How Will You Use Your Cupcake Tower Stands?
You spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and you deserve a product that will work equally hard -- for you. Our cupcake tower stands are a cinch to assemble, store flat, and clean up in seconds. They’re also incredibly practical and useful for a variety of settings.
Use them to display your handmade earrings in your storefront window. Arrange macarons around each tier. Invite everyone to make their own sundae, with toppings right within reach.
At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way to use your tower stand. Feel free to get as creative as you’d like and let your imagination lead the way! If you need a little assistance or you’d like to learn more about the products we offer, feel free to get in touch with our team today.