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Tradition of the Wedding Cake

A wedding cake is the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding breakfast or dinner wedding reception, after a wedding ceremony. It is usually a large cake, multi-layered or tiered, and heavily decorated with icing, occasionally over a layer of marzipan or fondant, topped with a small statue representing the couple. Other common motifs include doves, gold rings and horseshoes, the latter symbolising good luck. Achieving a dense, strong wedding cake that can support the decorations while remaining edible can be considered the epitome of the baker’s art and skill.

Tradition generally requires that the first cut of the wedding cake be performed by bride and groom together, often with a ceremonial knife, or even a sword. An older, archaic tradition had the bride serve all portions to the groom’s family, as a symbolic transfer of her household labor from her family to the groom’s family.

Tradition may also dictate that the bride and groom feed the first bites of their wedding cake to each other. Again, this may symbolize the new family unit formed and the replacement of the old parent-child union. It is also fairly popular for the bride and groom to shove the cake in each other’s faces, rather than eating it.

After, their wedding guests may then partake of the wedding cake, portions may be taken home or shipped to people who missed the festivities. (An old tradition held that if a bridesmaid slept with a piece of wedding cake beneath her pillow she might dream of her future husband.)

A portion of the wedding cake may be stored, and eaten by the couple at their first wedding anniversary, or at the christening of their first child. The wedding cake may be frozen for this purpose, formerly the top tier of the wedding cake might consist of fruitcake which could be stored for a great length of time.

History Origin of the Wedding Cake

The origins of the tradition of the wedding cake date back to medieval times, when each guest at a wedding was supposed to bring a small cake, the cakes would be stacked on the table in levels and layers (If the bride and groom were able to kiss over the top of the stack it was considered good luck). These cake stacks would eventually merge into one cake and evolve into the modern wedding cake. Sweets are traditional at many celebrations for most if not all cultures worldwide. Ancient Roman records detail sweets distributed at weddings. The book Folklore Myths and Legends of Britain details the ancient Roman practice of dropping a wedding cake on the head of the bride. Medieval and Renaissance resources also mention large cakes at weddings. Such cakes may have been fruitcake.

A large wedding cake can take a long time to make, and without modern refrigeration, a heavy fat and sugar frosting may have prevented spoilage by limiting moisture exposure. Another possibility is the use of sugar and fat required satisfying the need for conspicuous consumption for the families involved in the wedding.

The tiered design of the wedding cake originates from the tiered spire of a well known medieval church in London, England, called St Bride’s.

Henry VIII of England enacted a law specifying the quantity of sugar a wedding cake may have, possibly to control or tax this prevailing convention.

During World War II, sugar was rationed in Great Britain, so icing could not be made, and wedding cakes were reduced in size. To overcome this wedding cakes were often served inside a box, which had been decorated with plaster of Paris, to resemble a larger, traditional wedding cake.

Wedding Cake Toppers

The history of wedding cake toppers dates back many centuries ago. A baker’s daughter who was about to be married had asked her father to help her find the perfect symbol that would represent their marriage. After some careful deliberation, the father had come up with a unique ideal that would signify the love between his daughter and her husband-to-be. When the wedding day came, the baker’s daughter was so happy. Her father had placed two lovely miniature figurines in the middle of the wedding cake that were perfectly dressed.

Today this symbol is still widely used at every wedding for all to see. You can find wedding cake toppers in a wide variety of colors, designs, and styles that will allow couples to choose any style that best represents their marriage.

Chocolate Wedding Cakes

Todays modern brides are more and more choosing chocolate wedding cakes rather than the traditional fruitcake. They can be decorated with flowers or with chocolate which has been moulded or modelled into different shapes. The chocolate wedding cake is often served as a dessert along with fresh fruit or ice cream.