Mysteries of the wedding cake

JUST about everything in a wedding is symbolic from the ring, to the colour of the bride's dress to name a few.

Wedding cakes are also symbolic both in their flavours and the number of layers they have.

For instance, in the old days many people chose fruitcake for weddings said to be an English tradition.

Veteran pastry chef Eceli Rosa said the English probably chose fruitcake because they could keep it for long.

"They preferred fruit cake maybe because they had no refrigeration in those days because it stayed good for long.

"Those who want tier cakes have to go with fruit separated with pillars because they need to stand up firm.

"If you go for a sponge cake it will fall over.

"Cakes supported by pillars need to have a firm base.

"I suppose that is another reason the English chose fruitcake because it is a firm cake and the significance of a marriage firm and steadfast."

Mrs Rosa also explained the meaning of the layers.

"Normally some people keep the top layer for their first anniversary or the birth of their first child," she said.

"The second layer is normally given to the two families and the bottom layer is given to the guests.

"When you talk about weddings people automatically have this picture in their heads that it has to be something standing like a centrepiece and normally standing on top of each other (tiers) supported by pillars or directly on top of each other, elaborately or simply decorated.

"It's normally something that will catch the eye, dressed up with sugar roses or artificial flowers edible."

Mrs Rosa said it was important that the colour of cake matched the wedding theme colour.

"The colour of the wedding cake normally matches the colour of the bride and bridesmaid's dress," she said.

"If the bride is wearing white and the bridesmaids are wearing red I would make the cake white, with, say red ribbons or red roses on the side."

Mrs Rosa said people who married these days planned differently.

"That was the tradition but now I think people change it to modern day themes and colours significant to them.

"Nowadays a lot of people I know don't like fruitcake, my sister is one she does not like fruitcake so they opt for their favourite like sponge, chocolate anything goes."



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