Cakes for a bride and groom
Wedding cakes began in Roman times and were very different from today's delicious ones
Originally the bride and groom would share a piece of a barley bread loaf then the groom would break the rest over the bride's head as a symbol of his dominance over her! In some cases guests brought small wheat cakes which they crumbled over the bride's head to symbolise gifts of fortune. Then the guests would eat the fallen crumbs to share in the young couple's good fortune.
In the middle ages, each wedding guest was supposed to bring a small cake. These cakes were stacked on a table in layers. The couple would then try and kiss over the pile of cakes and if they succeeded they would have good luck! The layered cakes we have today originated from this custom. Another theory for the origin of tiered wedding cakes is that the design comes from the tiered spire of a well known ancient London church called .
In the 17th century a popular dish called a Bride's Pie, filled with sweetbreads, mince or mutton, was used in place of a cake. A glass ring would be hidden in the pies and the woman who found it would be the next one to marry.
The first cut of the cake is performed by the bride and groom together, often with a ceremonial knife or even a sword. The custom of the bride serving portions to all the groom's family and male guests is symbolic of the transfer of her household work from her family to the groom's family! And in Malta the groom hands the cake round to female family and friends but we don't have a reason for that tradition!
From the 18th century most wedding cakes were rich fruitcakes, baked well in advance and soaked in spirits to preserve them. The top tier was saved for the first anniversary or the christening of the first child, a tradition which is still followed today. Another, rather sticky, tradition was that if a bridesmaid slept with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow she might dream of her future husband!
Look for the Bride and Groom competition in our competition section and win one of three sets of Playmobil's bride and groom!
In the middle ages, each wedding guest was supposed to bring a small cake. These cakes were stacked on a table in layers. The couple would then try and kiss over the pile of cakes and if they succeeded they would have good luck! The layered cakes we have today originated from this custom. Another theory for the origin of tiered wedding cakes is that the design comes from the tiered spire of a well known ancient London church called .
In the 17th century a popular dish called a Bride's Pie, filled with sweetbreads, mince or mutton, was used in place of a cake. A glass ring would be hidden in the pies and the woman who found it would be the next one to marry.
The first cut of the cake is performed by the bride and groom together, often with a ceremonial knife or even a sword. The custom of the bride serving portions to all the groom's family and male guests is symbolic of the transfer of her household work from her family to the groom's family! And in Malta the groom hands the cake round to female family and friends but we don't have a reason for that tradition!
From the 18th century most wedding cakes were rich fruitcakes, baked well in advance and soaked in spirits to preserve them. The top tier was saved for the first anniversary or the christening of the first child, a tradition which is still followed today. Another, rather sticky, tradition was that if a bridesmaid slept with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow she might dream of her future husband!
Look for the Bride and Groom competition in our competition section and win one of three sets of Playmobil's bride and groom!