The wedding cake is a tradition that has been passed down through the ages but wasn't always the sweet treat that we know today.
In ancient Rome a barley cake was used and the groom would smash it over the bride's head. In other locations, a groom would break a loaf of bread over the bride's head. In the medieval times a pile of buns were used. Newlyweds would kiss over the buns and that would ensure a great future. If you were an unmarried guest attending the wedding you would try to take a small piece and would place it under your pillow for good luck.
One early version of the wedding cake was called Bride's Pye in Britain and included cockscombs, sweetbreads, oysters, lamb testicles, calf's feet, and spices. I'm pretty sure you all are very glad that recipe is no longer the norm!
By the sixteenth century, the wedding cake we think of today started to become popular due to the rising supply of sugar. Along with the refined white sugar, pure white icing became available and became a wedding cake staple. The color of the frosting alluded to the bride's virginity, however, it also alluded to the families wealth and status symbol, the whiter the frosting the higher the families ranking was.
Nowadays, you can have whatever type of wedding cake you would like. You can have a 5 tiered white cake all the way to a cake in the shape or theme of anything you want. You can have white frosting, colored frosting, or ombre designs. You can also forgo the cake all together and have cupcakes, pie, pizza, or really whatever you fancy.
Today's blog features all of the beautiful and yummy cakes from my 2017 weddings. Just wait until you see them!
