HOLLYWOOD CAKE STYLES

THIS year, Piece of Cake Bakery is celebrating our 19th year in business. In 19 years we have witnessed a transformation in wedding cakes and the wedding cake industry. Our very first wedding cake was actually for a friend of mine. They were both UK fans, so their heart shaped wedding cake was iced in royal blue and white frosting with coordinating butter cream roses... a sight to see for sure!

The first few years many of our cakes sat on tall stands with fountains filled with colored water underneath them. Some even had plastic stairs connecting satellite cakes to the main cake. Bride and groom cake toppers were the most common adornment for the tops of our wedding cakes.

Eventually the fountains fell out of favor and were replaced with silver cake stands. We began to see more and more fondant accents on our wedding cakes. Although we do not cover our cakes in fondant, we use our own made from scratch buttercream icing, sometimes with the addition of fondant swags attached to the sides of cakes and bows on top… and of course fondant flowers became ever present. For a while, our brides went wild, and we found ourselves creating wedding cakes safari themed with cheetah and zebra print - oh my! That trend lasted a hot minute, then brides reclaimed their senses.

Today's wedding cakes might be sitting on a gold stand and adorned with sparkly sugar with a customized wedding topper. Don't you just love Etsy? Another trend is a rustic wedding cake accented with burlap ribbon on a wood slab or better yet, a whiskey barrel. Fresh flowers are a perfect embellishment to almost any of today's wedding cake designs.

It is truly amazing the changes in our wedding cake designs that have taken place in the last two decades! This got me thinking about not just our history in cake design, but wedding cake history and how it all started. The original concept of the wedding cake can be traced back to ancient Rome. Unlike today's wedding cakes that are made from sweet batter and covered in delicious frosting or not so delicious fondant, cakes made in ancient Rome were made of whole wheat flour and were more like a heavy bread consistency. The tradition was to crumble a piece of the cake over the brides head, then guests would then eat the crumbs. This was considered good omen.

In Medieval England, the first wedding cakes consisted of stacking sweet buns in a pile for the newlyweds to have their first kiss over. If they were successful it was considered a sign of fertility, and the couple would have many children. This tradition inspired a French pastry chef to create the Croquembouche, which has become the signature French wedding cake. The Croquembouche is made out of profiteroles filled with pastry cream, then stacked in pyramid and adorned with spun sugar. It is quite an elegant dessert.

In the late 17th century, the wedding cakes were known as the bride's pie. These mince pies were made of mutton or sweet breads (which is not at all what you think it is!) and all of the guests were expected to eat a piece. It was considered rude and bad luck not to have a bite.

In the 1800's, the wedding cake became more popular because sugar was more attainable. Sugar was still expensive, so only the wealthy families could afford white icing on their cakes. Consequently, wedding cakes with white icing became a status symbol for the wealthy. Then became even more so when Queen Victoria used pure white icing on her wedding cake and the icing was dubbed royal icing.

Modern wedding cakes originated from London pastry chef William Rich, who designed a cake based the steeple of St. Bride's church in London. St. Bride's, a perfect name for a church that inspired a wedding cake design! Wedding cakes have come a long way since their origination. What was first was a hope for fertility, has transformed into a cake that is a statement of style from the bride (and maybe a little input from the groom). Today's wedding cakes come in a variety of flavors and can be filled with delicious fillings, such as jam, fresh fruit, or custard. They are an artful statement as well as a decadent dessert.

Your wedding cake will be the centerpiece of your reception and will be a part of your history. Your cake will be photographed for you to look back on and remember your special day.

Photos by Shillawna Ruffner Photography Cakes by Piece of Cake Bakery Furniture by Blooming Hydrangea Co.

Cate Sisco is co-owner of Evansville's premier bakery Piece of Cake in downtown Evansville, IN. Cate and her sisters recently celebrated the award winning bakery's 19th year in business. Her passion for baking was passed down from her parents and grandparents. Many recipes used at the bakery are family recipes, though Cate enjoys making up new recipes for cookies, cakes and breakfast items. Her goal for the bakery is to continue making the highest quality products, while keeping up with current baking trends.