Wedding Cakes

Since medieval times, the wedding cake has been an important inclusion in wedding ceremonies. Back then, the wedding cake was thrown at the bride, symbolizing fertility. Soon adopted by the Romans, their ritual required the groom to eat a portion of the cake and break the remaining cake over his bride's head. This signified good fortune, long life and abundance of children. In medieval England, small cakes were stacked in a tall pile; the idea was to create difficulty for the couple to kiss over the tower of cakes; if the couple does succeed in kissing over the tower, then they would attain a lifetime of prosperity. By the 17th century, the Bride's Pie was a popular dish at weddings. The star ingredient of this pie was the 'glass ring'. An adage claimed that the lady who found this 'glass ring' would be the next to get married. Today wedding cakes are as extravagant as the wedding. Though traditionally white, contemporary wedding cakes may have a touch of color or be designed according to the central theme of the wedding. The cutting of the wedding cake symbolizes the first act of the bride and groom as a couple. The size of the cake depends on the number of guests present at the wedding. The humble single tier wedding cake has evolved into an intricate, multi-layered cake, with fancy edible and non edible decorations. The most important part of the cake is the miniature dolls of the couple placed on the top layer. Other ornamental motifs include doves, gold rings and horseshoes. A popular wedding cake idea nowadays is the Fairy wedding cakes. These are small, individual cakes that can also be used as place cards. Where flavor of the wedding cake is concerned, fruit cake is a favorite for its traditional value. Off late though, carrot, chocolate, sponge, and lemon wedding cakes are also quiet popular. The top layer of the wedding cake is often saved by the couple as a remembrance. A modern day practice is to serve the wedding cake with fruits, ice cream or toffee sauce.