Let them eat cake! If you’re not sure where to start with your big-day bake or indeed whether you even want one, read on for some food for thought There are so many wedding traditions that nowadays, we often don’t have any idea why we still adhere to them. Indeed, many couples are choosing not to. A wedding cake may be one such custom that’s raising a few question marks for you. Unless of course you just love cake and wouldn’t ever question the opportunity to opt for a showstopper on your big day. That being the case, go right ahead and do what makes you happy. For those of you less sure whether a cake is money well spent, let’s meander through the world of wedding cakes to help you decide. Top tip Once you’ve cut the cake, have the venue’s team put aside the top tier of your favourite flavour for the two of you to take home and enjoy. Believe us, it’s all too easy to blink and miss getting a taste of the bake you spent so much time and money on! THE REST IS HISTORY Wedding cakes boast a long and vibrant history, with humble origins in ancient Rome where a simple loaf of barley bread was broken over the bride’s head to symbolise good fortune and fertility. As we move into the Middle Ages through to the Renaissance era, we start to see wedding cakes looking more like, well, cakes! During the 16th and 17th centuries, bride pies or wedding pies were a staple at wedding feasts. Indeed, one of the earliest known recipes for a wedding cake appeared in 1655, while the first recipe for sugar paste was first published in 1609. By the Victorian period, the traditional wedding cake looked much more like the showstopping confections we encounter today. Tiered cakes became popular, as did white icing inspired by Queen Victoria’s nuptials in 1863. In general, the notion of simple food was making a shift firmly into the realm of spectacle, so the once humble big-day bake dutifully followed suit. Royalty carried on inspiring the masses into the 20th century, with King George VI’s 1923 wedding cake being the most sought after – a 10-foot high, 800-pound creation complete with figurines, cherubs and intricate icing. Today, wedding cakes run the entire gambit from single tier cutting cakes, to multi-tier showstoppers. They’re also versatile when served as a wedding breakfast dessert and act as a jawdropping focal point to your venue styling, when dressed to impress. They even offer the key to conveying your personalities as a couple both through flavours and decoration. READY, STEADY, GO So, you’re sold on the idea of a wedding cake? Where do you start? While Pinterest, Google and Instagram are great places to look for inspiration, try not to get caught up in the hullabaloo. There’s 42
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