The Wedding Cake in its Different FormsThe wedding cake plays an important role in many wedding ceremonies. In fact, so prevalent is the idea that it has shown up in many different country's wedding ceremonies.
Great Britain
Many argue that the tradition of the wedding cake started here. Multi-tiered and impressive, the British cake is more symbolism than treat. Usually white in color with a fruitcake base, the cake is the centerpiece of the reception and may have favors placed on the cake for the bride to hand out later.
France
The French also lay claim to starting the tradition of the wedding cake. There are two main styles of wedding cake in France and Belgium. Regarded as more traditional is the croquembouche, a cone made of round cream-filled pastries which is dipped in hot toffee. As the toffee cools, it solidifies forming a solid structure which decorations can be placed on. Each guest is served a number of pastries broken out from the structure. The second style involves multiple round sponge cakes each cake a smaller size than its predecessor. These are placed on a stand with the smaller cakes on top. The number of layers can go up to ten, and often a support which cuts through the middle of the cakes is used. The cake is often presented to much acclaiming the late hours of the reception or at the end of the meal.
America
Though most of the tradition can be traced to Europe, England in particular, Americans have taken the cake to more individualistic levels. Many couples regard the cake as a reflection of their lifestyles and personalities. The cake is still the centerpiece of the reception, as it is in England, but they come in different shapes, colors and flavors. It is also America that spawned the seldom-followed tradition of the groomcake.
Australia
Like America, the wedding cake tradition in Australia can be traced back to Great Britain. Similar in style to the multi-tiered British cake, the decorations on the Australian cake have softer edges giving the cake a more rounder effect. Unlike the British cake, the top of the cake is generally free of decorations and the base of the sides would have piped decorations.
India
In Southern India, the British influence is present here as well. Multi-tiered fruit based cakes were produced for the Christian population with a slight twist. Since the expense of creating the cake was high, a "dummy cake" was used which was covered in sugar icing. Since the cake cutting ceremony was important, a wedge of real cake was placed in the dummy-cake for cutting. The icing was then distributed to the guests for eating.
Japan
The Japanese wedding cake is an entirely different item. Cakes were too expensive to make satisfactorily, so they created artificial cakes. Multi-tiered like the British model, the cake is not real, but instead a model, it's icing made of hard wax. There is usually a slot for the bride and groom to thrust a knife into, symbolizing the cutting (and providing a picture for the photographer). Some cakes were built with a lever to emit a burst of steam as the knife is thrust in!
Our Experience with Wedding Cake The most essential aspect of wedding is the wedding cake. You have to be very careful to choose a perfectand nice cake for your wedding as it will be the most memorable day of your life. Wedding cake will be usually served to the guests after a wedding. In modern wedding, a wedding cake will be usually large, tiered or multi-layered and it has to be decorated with icing and a small statue will be placed over the top of the cake representing the couple. I had seen many people who didn’t show much importance to their wedding cake. But your wedding cake is the centre of attraction in your wedding reception. While choosing your wedding cake, you have to make sure whether it matches the style and theme of your reception and wedding. Choosing a wedding cake is one of the most enjoyable things. But it may often take some time to find the best one and the right person to make it. What are the most popular wedding cake flavors? There are different flavors of wedding cake are available in the market. The most popular wedding cake flavors include almond, charlotte royal, cheesecake, chocolate and grand marnier. For my marriage, chocolate fudge was my choice. But now a lot of flavors are available. Fruit cake is also a popular choice especially during the summer time. If you find it difficult to choose a flavor, you can go for different flavors for each layer. How to select your wedding cake? Wedding cake order should be given to an experienced baker so that he could prepare a nice wedding cake for you. If your baker has photos of previous wedding cakes which he had made for others then it will be easy for you to pick a nice one from them. Most bakeries will allow you to get sample of your choice and some even prepare a small grooms cake for you. Find out, how many styles and varieties of cakes are available. If you are not satisfied then go through cake decoration books and magazines for ideas. While ordering a cake, you have to consider color, cake type or flavor, frosting type, shape and style. If you want your cake to be delivered, make sure that the bakery provides cake delivery and will deliver the cake to the desired event location. The most popular wedding cake styles are the stacked ones because of the shapes they are available. Not only hearts and squares are the most common ones but also traditional too. Give importance to small details such as beads, bows, charms, lace, ribbons, streamers and tulle as they add a festive touch. Once the bakery is decided, reserve your date. How to decorate your wedding cake? Your wedding can be decorated with a cake topper. You can either choose a bride and groom topper or something more fanciful and whimsical. It should be made of ceramic, porcelain or plastic. Your wedding cake can also be made attractive by the use of fresh flowers. Tell your ideas and suggestions to your baker in order to make the cake more attractive. What are the traditional beliefs behind wedding cake? • The couples should cut the cakes together. This action resembles their unity in their life. Everyone in the wedding ceremony will bless them to live together for ever. • The traditional fruitcake showed up at weddings is a symbol of fertility. • It is also a tradition to bake a ring into the wedding cake as a symbol of bliss and happiness. The guest, who gets the cake containing the ring, is considered to be lucky for the next full year. • It is a common belief that if a bachelor keeps wedding cake under his pillow, it will increase the chances of finding his mate very soon. An unmarried bridesmaid who does the same will obtain the same result. • The top tier of the wedding cake is considered as a christening cake for the first child. • It’s a tradition that couple should kiss on the top of the 3 tier wedding cake and if they don’t knock the cake over, their future will be full of good fortune.
