Themes

Janina O’Leary, executive pastry chef at LaV Restaurant & Wine Bar in Austin, Texas, created a "Wonderland" theme dessert table for Austin Food & Wine Festival's "Sips and Sweets" event in April. Hanging over the sweets table was a marshmallow chandelier that held forks holding marshmallows. Staffers cut down individual marshmallows for guests, who put them into chocolate teacups filled with homemade rhubarb jam. 

This year's "Give Kids the World" benefit took place at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in May and had an "Under the Big Top" theme. For dessert, executive pastry chef Alain Vergnault put together a confection that combined caramel apple cake, cotton candy, and soft-serve-style vanilla crème fraîche.

For a recent wedding in Chicago, Truffleberry Market catering created Dr Pepper theme cupcakes for a couple who had bonded over their love of the soft drink on their first date.