Let Them Eat...Cake?

Tradition. One of the words you hear a lot when making plans for modern weddings. Tradition says you have to serve cake.

Tradition dictates that your wedding cake should be tiered, possibly held up with pillars, and topped with a miniature bride and groom. Thankfully, fruit cake is no longer mandatory, and has been upgraded to include both standard and exotic cakes, but the toppings of white or ivory coloured icing and flowers are fairly "expected" at a wedding.

Can you break away from this tradition? YES! Couples today are free to choose what they want for a sweet to share and savour. The options are endless.

Let's start with that "traditional" wedding cake. The Anglo-Saxons used to have a basket of dried biscuits at their weddings which were given to the guests and any leftovers shared with the poor. In another early tradition, lots of small cakes were thrown over the bride after the ceremony or when she entered her new home. In the Middle Ages, guests brought the cakes and stacked them on each other. The bride and groom would kiss over top of the stack and if it stayed upright, it was considered an extra good luck omen. (This is most likely where the bride-and-groom-topped wedding cake originated). The shape of the three-tiered cake is rumoured to be inspired by St. Bride's Church spire in London, designed by Christopher Wren.

So if you choose this traditional shape and design of cake, you are following a long-lived ritual. Embrace the tradition, and then turn it on its modern ear; personalize it! Chocolate fudge interior with maple frosting ... carrot cake and cream cheese icing ... layers of strawberries tucked into hidden depths of lemon ... vanilla cake with chocolate swirls and a hint of mint. Yummy!

Love fruit cake? Okay. Why not consider fruit cake slices wrapped in coloured foil and given as a take-away good luck charm while you slice into a slab cake for dessert? Or serve the fruit cake with a few other delectables on a sweet table so your guests have a choice.

If you're having a small gathering, and 3 tiers is just too much cake, then make use of an ornamental bottom for the pictures, and have only the top tier for cutting into.

You can always forego the cake and opt for some other very popular choices. Individually portioned cupcakes stacked on a tiered display stand give you a stunning and elegant centrepiece with more variety for your guests, and can still offer the slicing and feeding excitement that couples share! Simple cookies in paper cups dusted with confectioner's sugar offer guests a chance to take one home as a memento as well as nibble one with their coffee.

For very large weddings, you will most likely want to consider the slab cake to accommodate hundreds of guests, but this is usually something done quietly in the kitchen, and not out front for all to see. The small and elegant real cake is on display for couples to cut into and eat together, but the top tier is kept for their first anniversary. (This used to be kept for the christening of the first child, but children are not always first priorities for the newly-married, so it has evolved). In ANY tiered cake the top tier can be kept for another occasion, but if the tiered cake is the only cake you have, chances are you will need every bite.

The sky is the limit for decorating! Shapes, styles, toppings and fillings are available with more options than ever before. Ice cream cake creations are extremely popular in Italy, and in France they favour the puff pastry drizzled with crackling caramel. What will you choose? Traditional or eclectic, be sure to keep a piece safe somewhere, it is thought to ensure fidelity (although this may be difficult if you choose ice cream cake).

You cannot make a mistake as there are no "rules". As with all of your wedding plans, the cake or sweet offered is a matter of personal preference. Have fun deciding, and enjoy all the samples along the way!



Best wishes,

Kathy



Visit iBrideif you are looking for wedding cakes and cake toppers

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