Wedding Cakes
The History of the Wedding Cake
The tradition of the wedding cake is one of the oldest, dating back to over 3000 years to ancient Greek and Roman times. In its original form, the wedding cake was a mere offering of fruit, nuts and honey to the Gods. It was believed that, by partaking in such a practice, the Gods would bless the marriage and bestow good luck and happiness upon the bride and groom.
In ancient Rome, wheat was viewed as the food of fertility. The Romans baked loaves of wheat bread, which were presented to the couple to share. Any uneaten pieces were tossed over the bride’s head as a blessing of fertility. Similarly, in ancient Greece, the tradition developed into the practice of showering the newly married couple (predominantly the bride) with small cakes. The wedding guests would then gather around the bride and eat any leftover crumbs as a sign of good luck, wealth and happiness. Julius Caesar introduced this custom to Britain, where it changed into a practice of sharing wedding cake among local villagers. The wedding cake was usually reserved for those from wealthy families.
As time went on, the wedding cake tradition began to slowly transform. In England and Scotland, guests began to bring small cakes or buns as gifts for the happy couple. The sweet delights were piled one by one on top of each other until they formed a grand, sweet and sticky structure. The bride and groom were then encouraged to kiss over the top of the piled cakes. If they managed to do so successfully, it was believed that the couple would be blessed with fertility, prosperity and life-long happiness.
Legend has it, that whilst witnessing the wedding cake ritual at an English wedding, a French chef came up with an ingenious way of serving a sweet tower of cakes. He viewed the cake-piling practice as tedious and unhygienic and decided to bake a unique, yet delicious tower of sweet tasting buns, held together with sweet and sticky toffee. And so, the first edible wedding cake, the croquembouche, entered the world!
From the croquembouche, came various adaptations and designs. Wedding cakes began to take on a more three-tiered appearance, which was not only based on the croquembouche shape, but also from that of the spire of St. Bride’s church in London. Chefs and bakers gradually changed to fruit as a base of their sweet masterpieces, and moved away from the pastry base of the croquembouche. The cakes were iced with white (marzipan) icing as a symbol of the bride’s purity. At the time, sugar was regarded as a valuable item, being extremely expensive. It was believed, that the whiter and sweeter the icing, the wealthier the family of the bride.
The three-tiered iced fruitcake has become the wedding cake as we know it today, and it’s tradition lives on. In modern wedding receptions today, the bride and groom usually cut the cake towards the later half of their reception. Traditionally, the cutting of the cake symbolised the bride’s impending loss of virginity, however it is now seen as a gesture of the happy couple’s commitment to their new life together. The cake is usually served as dessert or with coffee, or may be given to the guests at the end of the evening. Tradition also has it that, should any single guest place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow, they will dream of their future bride or groom.
Today, in more modern times, many couples have moved away from the traditional three-tiered fruitcake, to more personal and unique designs. Trends in cake flavour, style and decoration are continually changing and modern cake artists are able to create almost anything that one’s heart desires. From a traditional iced fruitcake, to chocolate mud, vanilla crème or strawberry mousse. From a three-tiered masterpiece, to a 3D replica of the wedding cars. The possibilities are unlimited when it comes to choosing the sweet sensation that is your wedding cake.
When deciding upon your wedding cake, consider choosing something that reflects both your and your fiancé’s personal style and taste. You may also wish to tie the cake in with the colour, style or theme of your wedding. Take the time to browse through The Bride Guide and other bridal magazines for cake decorators/artists and ideas. Many cake decorators have photos or displays of their designs to help you with ideas. Many will also custom design a cake to suit your needs.
You should allow plenty of time to plan and order your cake, as some decorators, especially those specialising in weddings, may book out early. Some cake artists advise to plan and order your cake up to six months in advance. On average, 2-3months should be enough time, however you may wish to plan a little earlier and check with your cake decorator/artist or baker.
Style and Shape
As mentioned, whilst the traditional tiered style cake remains a popular choice by modern brides, many are moving towards more personal and individual styles when it comes to choosing their wedding cake. Circular, square and oval shaped cakes, either on their own, or staked one on top of another remain the most popular choice for modern wedding cakes. Over the past few years, it has also been popular among some brides to choose tiers of different shapes. They may for example have a square tier for the base, an oval for tier in the middle and a circular tier on top. This can create a lovely effect.
Another trend that is in style amongst brides of today is to choose a wedding cake in line with the theme or colour of their wedding. As an example, if you are having a wedding on the beach, you could have a cake in the shape of a starfish, or another similarly shaped ‘beachy’ design.
Alternatively you could match a pattern on your cake to that of the fabric of your wedding dress. For example, an intricate lace design featured on the bodice of your gown could be replicated as the detail on the icing of your cake, or draped down the side. You may wish to use your imagination and come up with something truly unique for your wedding day.
In recent times the ‘present’ cake has been yet another popular design. This cake is a creation of approximately three tiers all in the shape and style of gift-wrapped presents, stacked on top of one another. The presents can be created in any style, shape or colour, with matching edible bows for you and your guests to devour. This style of cake is really quite lovely, and is a great alternative to the traditional three-tiered wedding cake.
As you can see, the style of your cake really is only limited by your imagination. Anything is possible. So be creative with your design, and have fun.
As with the style of your cake being limited only by your imagination, so too is the flavour! Traditionally speaking, the fruitcake is by far the most popular base of all wedding cakes. It is known for its rich flavour, excellent keeping qualities and its symbolic representation of fidelity and longevity. The fruit cake is also strong and study, making it especially suitable for heavily decorated or large cakes and is also an excellent choice if your wedding is to be held in the hotter months, as it is less likely to melt!
So, when choosing the flavour and base of your cake, don’t completely wipe out the fruitcake as an option. It is also one of the only cakes that may be kept and stored for future use (as in the event of your first wedding anniversary or the Christening of your first child).
In recent years, cake artists have become more adventurous with wedding cake flavours and textures and so too have modern brides. Many have opted against the traditional fruitcake and are choosing from a variety of flavours for their cakes. The chocolate mud cake possibly comes equal first with the fruitcake in terms of its popularity amongst modern day brides. Not only does it taste fantastic, but it too also makes a very versatile and strong base for a wedding cake. The mud cake may also be kept frozen for a few months (usually two to three) after your big day, so you can still enjoy it when you return from your honeymoon. In saying that, if you want to keep it for your first anniversary or child’s Christening, then you should settle for fruitcake (unless, of course, bubs is already on his/her way)!
Mud cake can be decorated and covered in virtually any type of icing including, fondant, ganache, traditional ‘heavy’ icings, chocolate, confectionery and fruit, to name but a few. It is also another great option for weddings being held during the hotter months (provided that you choose an appropriate topping/icing)!
Now, if you think that neither fruitcake nor mud cake are quite what you’re after, then how about looking over the following list of flavours on offer by various cake artists around town. This list is sure to satisfy even the sweetest of sweet-tooths. And if your flavour’s not on the list, just ask!
The list goes on…
Keep in mind that it is also possible to have multiple flavours for your wedding cake. As an example, your bottom layer could be dark chocolate mud, followed by a white chocolate mud middle layer and a caramel top layer.
In addition to selecting the flavour of your wedding cake, you may also wish to consider whether you would like a filling within your cake. Popular choices for cake fillings include, white, milk or dark chocolate, mocha, coconut, strawberry crème, mousse (chocolate, strawberry, orange), hazelnut, caramel and a selection of jams and preserve fillings.
It’s a good idea to meet with your cake artist and sample a few of their culinary delights before you commit to a particular flavour. If you have a favourite cake or dessert that’s not on their list, don’t be afraid to ask. More often than not, they’ll be able to create something that suits both your individual needs and tastes.
The number of guests attending your wedding will generally determine the overall size of your wedding cake. There are however a few tricks of the trade that cake artists and bakers can use to make your cake ‘look’ bigger or smaller if that’s what you’re after.
If it’s the big ‘showstopper’ that you’d like, however only have a small guest list then it is possible to achieve this. One way of doing so, is to have false tiers or sections of cake that are decorated with icing to give the illusion of a ‘real’ tier. When the cake is cut, the false section is merely removed and the remaining edible layers may be served to your guests. By choosing a reputable cake artist, you and your guests will be unable to spot the difference between the two.
If it’s a small design that you’d prefer, however you have a large guest list, you may wish to have a separate cutting cake made. By choosing to do so, yourself and your groom can choose a small design in which you can cut during your reception and then have a spare cutting cake (left in the kitchen) cut and served to your guests. These above two options, allow both yourself and your groom to choose the cake of your dreams no matter what the size of your guest list.
When deciding upon the size of your cake, you should also consider whether you would like to have the cake served to your guests for dessert, with coffee, or to take home with them. Generally speaking, allow a 5cm square slice of cake for dessert, and a 2.5cm slice for coffee or take home servings. Your cake artist or baker will be able to work this out with you, and ensure that your cake is large enough so that neither you nor your guests are left hungry.
You may also like to allow for a few extra slices for parents or special guests who may have helped out in some way with your wedding.
When you have decided upon the style, flavour and size of your cake, it’s time to consider the decoration. Whilst fruitcakes and mud cakes will allow for pretty well any decoration, others may limit you. This is especially the case with cheesecakes, mousse cakes, or sponges, where they will only be able to accommodate lighter weight icings and decorations. Traditional ‘heavy’ style icings will simply crush your cake under their weight.
Popular types of cake icings or toppings that are available to choose from include:
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Traditional soft white icing (which may be coloured to match that of your wedding theme)
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Chocolate
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Rolled fondant icing (especially for a smooth and elegant look)
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Ganache
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Cream
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Confectionery
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Fruit
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Cream cheese (especially for carrot or banana cakes)
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Marzipan
When choosing your icing you may wish to tie the colour in with that of your bridesmaids’ dresses or other wedding colour schemes. With the icing out of the way, you can consider your final finishing touches with more specific decorations.
Modern cake decorations are becoming more unique and personalised in order to reflect the personalities of both the bride and groom. Old-fashioned cake toppers such as the plastic bride and groom are on the way out and many brides of today are choosing to decorate their cake with something that is ‘different’ and like no other. Plastic cake toppers have been replaced with more sentimental items such as hand made replicas of the bride and groom or intricate crystal designs that may be kept as a memento for years to come.
Many wedding cakes continue to be decorated with flowers made of either edible icing or silk. Fresh flowers are also very popular and may be ordered by your cake artist. It is also possible in many cases for your florist and cake artist to work together to ensure that the flowers on your cake match those of your wedding bouquet, or other floral arrangements.
Fresh flowers provide a lovely touch to any style of wedding cake and can be made into various formations from a cascading bouquet to a small arrangement. You can discuss this further with your cake artist to decide upon the most suitable flowers and arrangement for your cake design.
Other popular decorations include ribbons, lace, tulle which may also be chosen to compliment your wedding colour scheme. Ornaments representing the bride and groom’s interests (such as a surf board or snow ski) are also a popular choices amongst couples today. Obviously, it’s up to you how you wish your wedding cake to be finally presented on your big day. The important thing to remember is that when it comes to wedding cakes, you have so much choice that it is, in fact, possible to have your cake and eat it too! |
