Coronation Cake collaboration for RAF Odiham military spouse

Award-winning cake artist Elizabeth Wood, who runs CakeBuds based in Reading, has told of her “absolute honour” at being invited by pladis Global and McVities to collaborate on the design and decoration of their Coronation Cake alongside cake artist Rosalind Miller.

The cake, which took five months to make from design through to decoration, stood at approximately 1.2 metres tall and was presented as a gift at Windsor Castle in commemoration of the Coronation of Their Majesties.

The design of this Coronation cake signals the Carolean age and takes inspiration from the Prince’s Foundation ethos - Respecting the Past, Building the Future. The cake, whilst modern, draws on the majesty of the Coronation with each tier inspired by aspects of historic Coronation regalia.

The bottom tier has matt stone icing reflecting the Stone of Destiny – a symbol used for centuries in the inauguration of Monarchs. The Stone of Destiny travelled from Edinburgh Castle to Westminster Abbey to be placed beneath the Coronation Chair.

The second tier is engraved with the delicate pattern taken from the Anointing spoon, on to which holy oil is poured by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the ceremony, before anointing Their Majesties.

The third tier sees marbled stone texture continuing but embossed with gilded detailing from the Coronation Chair, known historically as King Edward’s Chair – one of the most precious and famous pieces of furniture in the world. It has been the centrepiece of coronations for over 700 years in British history.

The final tier wears a porcelain surround featuring details again taken from the Coronation Chair and is topped by a ceramic interpretation of the Sovereign’s Orb, one of the Crown Jewels. Both elements have been created by Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholar, Nico Conti – a ceramicist who specialises in 3D printing porcelain, championing both tradition and technology.

Liz, whose husband is a serving member at RAF Odiham, said “I feel incredibly honoured to have been asked to take part in this amazing team and play a small part in this historical event. It has been one of the hardest secrets I have ever had to keep.”