Historically, the wedding cake was a sign of fertility and prosperity. Though there was no special type of cake way back when, stories tell of placing small sweet buns in a pile in front of the bride and groom. The bigger the pile the better the prosperity of the couple. Additionally, if they could reach over the pile and kiss each other, they would have many children. Single tier plum cakes were popular for most weddings, the multi-tiered extravaganzas being reserved for English royalty.
A white wedding cake and a bride in white – symbols of purity. The whiter the cake the more affluent the family as refined sugar (used for the icing) was expensive. Today’s brides don’t have this problem and often choose to colour coordinate the cake with their gown.
Cutting the cake: Helped by the groom, the bride cuts the first piece of cake signifying their first task as husband and wife. The groom places his hands over the bride’s and together they cut the cake from the bottom tier (start at the top and it will cave in). To show their mutual commitment to provide for one another, they proceed to gently feed each other a mouthful of cake. No, there is no tradition calling for the cake to be pushed down the throat or mashed all over the face. After all the trouble (and expense) the bride has gone to, the last thing she wants is to have her make up wiped off in the middle of the reception. Having said that, if that is what you want, go ahead – it’s your day. I happen to opt for manners, courtesy and respect.
Now, cutting and distributing the cake to guests used to be the bride’s job but as weddings grew and the number of guests increased, so did the size of the cake, making if difficult for the bride to perform this task alone. Imagine – cutting and distributing pieces of cake to a couple of hundred guests – without help! The bride would have no time left to do anything and her wedding breakfast would certainly not be the enjoyment is should be. Another reason cutting the cake became a task for both bride and groom is that the icing had to be hard enough to support multi tiers and ladies were seen as ‘delicate’, not having the required strength.
Keeping a tier: Freezing the top tier to have on the first anniversary was a sign of wealth. Simply, you could afford more than one tier and could afford to keep it for twelve months. (ie not need it as food). This custom is not so common nowadays, couples choosing to distribute all of the cake during the reception. That does not take into account the mothers of the bride and groom who usually tend to tuck away a tier for later. Make sure you check with your cake maker to see if your particular cake will freeze well. Speaking of money, if you are looking to keep costs down, consider a wedding cake as simple as a mud/sponge from the local supermarket (yes, they can be tiered). If your budget allows for a professional cake maker, then the sky is the limit. The French Croquembouche or Profiterole cake is a popular alternative and an array of patty cakes for a morning tea wedding is simply superb. The ideal is to have the cake cooked and decorated and then set up at the venue by the same person. Setting up a few tiers on your own is a recipe for disaster! The collapse of your centre piece cake may make for a funny home video but will only make for tears on the day. Bakers/cake makers usually work months in advance so if you want the one of your choice, get in early.
Your Decision: Be it chocolate, sponge, fruit, mud – single or multi tiered, white or coloured to match the bridal theme -the wedding cake is a tradition observed in many countries for hundreds of years. But, like most things in the world of weddings, it is your decision to follow tradition or establish one of your own. Now, there’s a thought – what can you do instead of having a wedding cake? That is another story, another time.
