At a traditional French wedding celebration, croquembouche is the cone-shaped pastry often served as a centerpiece dessert.
A croquembouche is built from cream puffs, or profiteroles, stacked into a tall cone and bound with caramel. Its name comes from the French phrase croque-en-bouche, meaning something that crunches in the mouth. The caramel provides the characteristic crisp texture.
The dessert became associated with French celebrations and banquets, including weddings. Decorations can include spun sugar, almonds, flowers, chocolate, or other confectionery details, so its appearance varies considerably.
Croquembouche is sometimes called a wedding cake in English, but it is not a conventional layered sponge cake. The familiar British and American tiered wedding cake belongs to a different pastry tradition.