A cake is a recognised symbol of any celebration and has been for centuries. A wedding cake has always been a traditional center piece to the occasion of a marriage, but it has taken different forms. Originally called 'Bride's Pie', it was a savoury dish and the main food shared by guests. There would sometimes be a 'Groom's Cake', which was a dark, rich fruit cake described as heavily laden with liquor. Over time, the savoury pie gave way to sweet cake, sugar coated and often tiered. The whiteness and refinement of the sugar and the number of tiers, was a sign of wealth.
The term 'Royal Icing' came from Queen Victoria's wedding cake. She wanted pure white icing to match her wedding gown and the icing had to be strong to hold the tiers.
Wedding cakes take many styles, becoming an artistic feature, like layered cupcakes of different flavours and assorted colours. Fruitcake, chocolate, carrot and sponge can all have a place. Instead of building tiers supported by posts, cakes can be placed one on top of another, or separated on to cake stands of various heights and linked together by ribbon.
My, or should I say, our, wedding cake was as special as it could be. It was made for us as a gift by a lovely lady, the mother of a long-standing friend. Her kindness and generosity meant a great deal. The cake, traditional dark fruitcake, in tiers, iced in ivory with pale peach sugar flowers and silver coloured tiny charms, was a breath-taking work of art. It tasted delicious and was commented on for years.
A Good Wedding Cake
4lb of love1/2lb of sweet temper1lb of butter of youth1lb of blindness of faults1lb of pounded wit1lb of good humour2lbs of sweet argument1 pint of rippling laughter1 wine glass of common senseA dash of modestyPut the love, good looks and a sweet temper into a well-furnished house.Beat the butter of youth into a cream and mix well together with the blindness of faults.Stir the pounded wit and good humor into the sweet argument, then add the rippling laughter and common sense.Work the whole together until everything is well mixed and bake gently for ever.
Anonymous
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