Delight your guests with distinct desserts BY HELEN HAMMOND HELEN@MOULTRIENEWS.COM
W
e all know that it is good luck to at least taste a bride and groom’s wedding cake. (Or maybe we say that so that we have an excuse to get that extra glass of champagne to toast the new couple?) Either way, most people have witnessed the traditional cake-cutting ceremony. Research suggests that the tradition of the wedding cake began back in the Roman Empire. At the time, a loaf of bread was broken over the heads of the newlyweds to bring them luck and prosperity. Guests would then scramble for crumbs that fell to the ground. Presumably, the consumption of such pieces ensured fertility. Wedding cakes still take center stage in the traditional cake-cutting ceremony, symbolically the first task that the bride and groom perform jointly as husband and wife. The first piece of cake is cut by the bride with the “help” of the groom. This task originally was delegated exclusively to the bride. It was she who cut the cake for sharing with her guests. Distributing pieces of cake to one’s guests is a tradition that also dates back to the Roman Empire and continues today. Today, bread is not used, but society has strayed far away from just the traditional cake and icing. Right here in our community, there are many options for wedding cakes- from mini
Timing the Cutting Traditionally, the ritual takes place near the end of the reception, after guests have danced off dinner. In fact, it’s often a signal that the reception is coming to an end (usually there’s 45 minutes left of dancing after the cake has been cut). Like other reception events, cutting the cake can be a clean, choreographed moment or a giggly, goofy one, depending on your preference. Customarily, the groom puts his hand over the bride’s, and they slice through the cake’s bottom layer with a fancy knife. After photos are taken, you two might want to serve slices to your in-laws before the rest of the cake is cut for all other guests. (Source: www.theknot.com.)
PHOTO PROVIDED
Cupcakes are not just for children-themed birthday parties. This cupcake cake by Cupcake is a chic alternative to a wedding cake. Guests can serve themselves and find various flavors to enjoy, from almond, lemon, and carrot to red velvet. Owner Kristin Kuhlke Cobb says that usually cupcakes with white icing (vanilla or cream cheese) are the most popular. “That way the cake can be white or even tinted to match the bride’s color scheme,” she says.
PHOTO BY TERRY KUZNIAR
STAFF PHOTO BY SULLY WITTE
IP03-455406
Shown here is a multi-tiered cake by designer Jim Smeal. The bride chose an Almond-Amaretto buttercake to suit her traditional wedding. She asked for Jim to put flowers on the cake as well as a line of pearls and a faint blue-colored ribbon of icing.
For a different option, Charleston Crepe Company offers a specialty tiered crêpe cake. Each delicate crêpe cake features 25 made-by-hand crêpes handlayered with a light vanilla or chocolate creme and the cakes are fashioned of two or three tiers of 50 and 75 crêpes, respectively.
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