The Tasty Evolution of the Wedding Cake
(CA.ARA)
- After the "I do's" are murmured and the toasts
shouted, the bride and groom immediately conduct
their first task together as husband and wife.
Cutting the first slice of cake together is a
tradition that has stood the test of time.
Today's wedding cakes have become centerpieces of
grand proportions, as elaborate and creative as one
can imagine, but wedding cakes from centuries past
were anything but elaborate. In fact, they weren't
cakes at all, but wheat bread.
Believed to have originated in Roman times, the
groom would break the bread over the bride's head to
symbolize his dominance over her. As the crumbs fell
through her hair, guests scurried for the pieces and
kept them as good luck tokens. Some even believed if
placed under a pillow, the bread would bring a woman
visions of the man she would marry.
The wedding bread took on a sweeter taste in England
around the 17th century in the form of sticky buns.
Two centuries later, the buns evolved into a pie and
were finally replaced by a wedding cake, known then
as a bride's cake.
Today, wedding cakes are elaborate, detailed works
of art. The actual cake serves as a canvas on which
couples can express their individuality. Lisa Best,
a Windsor, Ontario-based wedding planner says
today's cakes are very colorful, and usually
decorated with strong contrasting hues. According to
Best, decorating styles are influenced by
trendsetters like Martha Stewart.
Pinpointing the perfect cake usually begins with the
couple sampling a variety of cake flavors at their
bakery of choice. Among some of the delicious
choices are chocolate, carrot and marble pound cake.
These tasty layers can be filled with lemon,
amaretto, raspberry -- the list goes on.
As the centerpiece of the reception, all eyes
eventually make their way to the cake. Whether it's
a towering, seven-tier creation or an intimate size
cake for a smaller wedding, ornamentation and
decoration add personality and character to the
dessert.
A
variety of elements are used to decorate a cake
uniquely, including edible flowers, fruit and even
leaves. Another option is ganache -- a sweet, rich
chocolate that has a pliable texture. Using ganache,
bakers are able to create any color of flower, one
petal at a time, to adorn a cake. Another workable
material with a sweeter taste is marzipan. Marzipan
is a paste made of ground almonds, sugar and egg
whites that can be used as icing or molded into
edible flowers or other decorations. Even with the
endless possibilities for a unique and memorable
wedding cake, Best says the traditional white cake
is still the most popular.
In addition to wedding cakes, many couples are
choosing to have a sweet table -- a sort of dessert
buffet for guests. To some, these tables are a great
way for couples to express their ethnic backgrounds.
Some of these expressive desserts include the French
croquembouche, a traditional form of wedding cake in
France that actually consists of small pastry puffs
arranged in a pyramid and covered in a caramel
glaze. The Scandinavian Kransekage is a traditional
almond cookie baked in graduated rings and assembled
with curls of icing. It is still used as a wedding
cake in regions of that area.
Whether it's a table of desserts or a tasteful cake,
the sweetness of a wedding day can be greatly
enriched with the dessert of your dreams. Working
with your local baker and sampling fillings and
decorations is the best way to create the perfect
cake for the perfect day.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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