The wedding cake tradition goes back as far as the Roman Empire, but over the last number of years the style and shapes of cakes have changed. Traditionally, they had mostly being round or square and in white royal icing. The colour white denoted purity and the wedding cake was known as the bride’s cake as it is today considered the bride’s day.
Today the icing on the cake can wither be white or ivory. Fondant icing is the most popular choice of icing at the moment, which is easy adapted to the colour theme chosen by the bride; chocolate is also a very favourite choice of icing. The classic wedding cake is three tiers of rich fruit, covered in almond paste then icing, starting with the largest cake on the bottom, for example a 12 inch, then middle tier and the smallest cake on the top.
Cake pillars are used to separate and stand each cake on top of each other. Tradition used to have it that the top tier of the wedding cake would be saved and used for the christening of the couple’s first child. This is still widely practiced but the top tier can also be used on the wedding day or for another occasion, ie the day after, as decided by the bride and groom.
From the traditional to the modern, the simple to the simply outlandish, the wedding cake is an integral part of the wedding day.
Today wedding cakes are available in different shapes and sizes from single tiered to multi-tiered and can also be made from rich fruit, chocolate biscuit, carrot, Madeira, to name but a few.
The most important thing is that the bride and groom have the cake they want and enjoy their very special day. To help the bride and groom in choosing their cake, they can
- Ask for samples of cakes, and at most wedding fairs they are samples.
- Ask to see examples of previous cakes.
- Check out websites for designs.
- Ask to see if you can view your cake beforehand.
- Ask for recommendations from previous clients.
Some considerations
Do the bride and groom have to call for the wedding cake or can it be delivered? If the cake is being delivered, is there a charge? Will he/she set up the wedding cake?
If your wedding date is between June and October or at Christmas it’s best if you give 8-10 months’ notice. If you want rich fruitcake, it’s best made three months before your wedding. If you want your wedding cake to be used as your dessert, make sure you check this out with your hotel, as there might be a charge for serving.
