Whether you love the traditional wedding cake flavor, or only like it in the form of a snoball, the wedding cake has been the culinary star of the nuptial show for generations. No matter the culture or location, some form of celebratory confection is used to mark the moment two people say, “I Do.”
Through this blog, we enjoy diving into the history of traditions, as well as lesser known, a bit more obscure practices that are upheld in modern weddings today. While finding out more about the legends that surround the groom’s cake, it made us wonder about the origin of the show-stopping wedding cake.
As our research progressed, the first cake-related tradition we learned more about was a typical find and included our second favorite monarch (Marie Antoinette being first, of course) Queen Victoria. She has been at the forefront of many traditions, and when we found out about this one we weren’t surprised. It seems that in her 1840’s wedding to Prince Albert, Victoria decided to place a symbol of “Britannia,” a likeness of the Queen and Prince Consort dressed in Roman costume, on her cake. She might have even been the first to add an additional likeness of one of her dogs next to the couple – a practice that is seen a lot in modern cakes. Though it took a while to catch on and make its way to the U.S., Victoria’s cake topper, is considered the one that started it all.
Additionally, the fruitcake flavored delicacy (traditional for the time) was 300 pounds, two feet tall and about nine feet in diameter.
Another tradition that caught our eye was the practice of a couple kissing over their wedding cake. More commonly, the couple cuts the cake, enjoys a bit then shares a kiss. In the Middle Ages, it was common practice for guests and townspeople to stack multiple wedding cakes as high as they could without it toppling over while the couple was tasked with kissing over the cake without it falling. If they completed the challenge, it was thought to be a positive omen for good luck, good fortune and a long successful marriage.
Taking a slightly unexpected turn were two more traditions that, for the most part, have left themselves in the past. First, the Romans used to break a cake made of wheat or barley over a bride’s head as a symbol of good luck. The couple would then eat a few pieces together and the guests would gather the crumbs off the floor as a token of luck. (Yum!)
If a bride wants to take all precautions, about 300 years ago it was practice for a bride to sleep with a piece of cake under her pillow. It was thought that this would inspire dreams of the bride’s future spouse and good intentions for the marriage. Thankfully, 300 years ago traditional wedding cakes were fruit cake and a little easier to sleep on top of than something with icing, meringue and multiple layers.
If you’re interested in more cake-related traditions, read up on cake pulls, why we freeze the top layer of cake, groom’s cakes and more traditions from Queen Victoria.
