Have you ever wondered how we have come to have the amazing wedding cakes we have today? Look no further, as I give you a brief breakdown of the history leading us to these wonderfully designed and delicious treats.
Beginning sometime in the mid seventeenth century, we started out using the "Bride's Pie". It was considered rude and bad luck if guests didn't eat a portion of the pie. Now, imagine placed somewhere inside this dessert is a glass ring. Well, much like the tossing of the bride's bouquet today, whomever found the glass ring was considered the next to be married.
Going forward, the "Bride's Pie" eventually became the "Bride's Cake". As time went on, the "Bride's Cake" was made with fruit, which was considered a symbol of prosperity and fertility. Originally, this cake was cut and distributed by the bride because when the guests ate the cake, it was seen as a sign of pending fertility. This pleased the groom, as all married men at the time wanted nothing more than to be fertile and have big families. These cakes were also covered in white, which was a symbol of purity and virginity. There was a short time period where there were two cakes, the second being the groom’s cake. The groom’s cake died out though, with the bride’s cake taking over as the main cake.
In the nineteenth century, sugar became more refined. This lead to Queen Victoria using this refined sugar to make a white icing, which came to be known as Royal Icing. With weddings becoming larger, cakes had become bigger, leading to thicker icing to support the immense size of the cake. After this began, the groom would need to help cut the cake, which is what lead to the bride and groom sharing a piece ahead of distributing the cake, symbolizing their commitment to forever be there for one another.
The layered cakes we have come to know today originated in 1882 when Prince Leopold, the duke of Albany, was the first to have his cake made to be completely edible. Prince Leopold's cake was created in separate layers with a very dense icing. The tiers would then harden and were stacked, which lead to our current cakes. Our cakes today are now made with supports inside due to their larger size and covered in a fondant that allows for more of a polished finish with perfect edging. Today, cakes are beautiful pieces of artwork.
When you see your next wedding cake, remember that they are not only tasty but a work of art created just for the bride and groom!
Written by William Pilon submitted by My Bakery Shop.
