Wedding Cake Traditions Across Religious Ceremonies

Wedding cakes are a well-known tradition in Christian weddings. However, the use of cakes in wedding ceremonies is not exclusive to the Christian faith. For example, Sikh weddings include a marriage hymn where the couple circles and bows to the scriptures, and Hindu weddings involve the couple offering rice to the god of fire, Agni. While the specifics of wedding rituals vary across different religions and cultures, they all celebrate the deep, lifelong commitment two people are making to each other.

Wedding cakes in non-Western cultures

Wedding cakes are a staple of Western weddings, but they are not the only type of cake used in matrimonial ceremonies. In fact, many non-Western cultures have their own unique wedding cake traditions that are just as meaningful and delicious! Here are some examples of wedding cakes in non-Western cultures:

France and Belgium

In France and parts of Belgium, the traditional wedding cake is the croquembouche, a tall, conical structure made of cream-filled pastry buns enveloped in hard sugar. The name croquembouche derives from the French "croque en bouche" meaning "crack in the mouth." On top of the croquembouche are a set of figurines symbolizing the newlyweds.

Italy

A traditional Italian wedding cake is called millefoglie, which means "a thousand layers." It is made of layers of thin pastry filled with cream, mascarpone, or chocolate and topped with berries. This cake is often served alongside other Italian desserts such as the Genoise cake, which is also served at German weddings.

Greece

In Greece, a flourless almond cake is a popular choice for weddings. This cake includes ingredients like honey, quince, and sesame seeds to symbolize the couple's commitment. Another traditional Greek wedding confection is the baklava, a rich, sweet pastry made with layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and honey.

Denmark and Norway

The krasenkake, a traditional Danish and Norwegian wedding cake, is made out of 18 or more concentric rings decorated with glaze, cream, and flags. Traditionally, it was shaped like a cornucopia (horn of plenty) and filled with candy, cookies, or a bottle of wine.

Sweden

Swedish weddings usually feature a variety of cakes and desserts, including the unique prinsesstårta. This cake is made of sponge cake, whipped cream, and a sheet of marzipan that covers its dome-like shape. The colour of the marzipan can vary, resulting in different names for the cake.

Lithuania and Poland

The sakotis is a traditional spit cake of Lithuania and Poland. It is a sweet cookie-like pastry spun into a Christmas tree shape and usually served plain at Lithuanian weddings. However, it can also be decorated with flowers, herbs, and chocolates.

Malaysia

Kek Lapis, a layered confection made for religious ceremonies and weddings in Malaysia, is a colourful treat that can be two-toned or feature various patterns. It is often used to celebrate special occasions and is considered a symbol of joy and unity.

Korea

Tteok, a type of traditional Korean sweet steamed rice cake, is commonly served at weddings and birthdays. The celebratory tteok is made with mung bean, sweet red bean paste, jujube, Korean mugwort, dried fruits, sesame seeds, and pine nuts.

China

Chinese traditional wedding cakes, also known as bride cakes, are given to the bride's family during the Guo Da Li (betrothal) ceremony. They are filled with lutes, green and red bean paste, and nuts, and bear printed characters for "double happiness" or "luck."

Japan

In Japan, fake cakes made of rubber or Styrofoam are still part of the wedding tradition. A beautiful tiered cake, often including one real layer, is used for the cake-cutting ceremony, while a plain sheet cake is served from the kitchen.

Bermuda

Bermudian weddings feature two cakes: a silver tiered cake for the bride and a gold pound cake for the groom. The groom's cake is topped with a green sapling that symbolises the couple's growing love and is replanted after the ceremony.

Jamaica

The traditional wedding cake in Jamaica is called a black cake due to its darkened texture from dense fruit-filled dough. The fruits are soaked in rum, and syrup or molasses burnt sugar is used to give it a unique sweetness. This type of fruitcake is also popular in the Caribbean, West Indies, Ireland, and Scotland.

These examples only scratch the surface of the diverse and delicious wedding cake traditions found around the world. Each culture's wedding cake is infused with its own symbolism, ingredients, and preparation methods, reflecting the values and traditions of the society.

The evolution of wedding cakes

The wedding cake has been a part of most English nuptial feasts for centuries, with its roots in Ancient Rome. The first wedding cakes were probably made in ancient Greece. The groom broke bread over the bride's head to symbolise her submission and the end of her purity. It was also believed to bring good luck and fertility to the couple.

In medieval England, bakers would stack individual cake layers as high as possible, and the newlyweds would kiss over the towering layers. If they were successful in kissing without knocking the cake over, then it was believed that they would be blessed with many children. This tradition evolved into the Croquembouche, a complex pastry made of cream puffs and caramelised sugar, which is the traditional wedding cake in France.

In the 17th century, two cakes were made: one for the bride and one for the groom. The bride's cake was usually a simple pound or plum cake with white icing because white was a sign of virginity and purity. The groom's cake was typically a darker, rich fruit cake and much smaller in size. The groom's cake eventually fell out of favour as the bride's cake became the main cake for the event.

In the early 19th century, sugar became easier to obtain, and white icing began to be used as a symbol of the bride's virginity and an indicator of the wealth of the bride's family. When Queen Victoria used white icing on her cake, it gained a new title: royal icing.

The modern wedding cake as we know it today originated at the 1882 wedding of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. His wedding cake was the first to be completely edible, with separate layers stacked on top of each other using dense icing. This method was a groundbreaking innovation for wedding cakes at the time.

Today, wedding cakes are often more of a centrepiece than a traditional cake. They come in a variety of sizes and flavours, and can be made from ingredients such as marzipan, fondant, gum paste, buttercream, and chocolate. Wedding cakes are usually priced on a per-person or per-slice basis and can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.

Wedding cake traditions

Wedding cakes have been a part of most English nuptial feasts for centuries, with their roots in Ancient Rome. The wedding cake was originally a luxury item, a sign of celebration, and a symbol of social status. The bigger the cake, the higher the social standing.

In ancient Rome, a cake of wheat or barley was broken over the bride's head to bring good fortune to the couple. This tradition evolved over time, with the groom breaking bread over the bride's head to symbolise her submission and the end of her purity.

In medieval England, bakers would stack cakes as high as possible, and the newlyweds would kiss over the towering layers. A successful kiss meant a prosperous life together.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the "bride's pie" was served at weddings. This was a savoury dish filled with oysters, lamb testicles, pine kernels, and cocks' combs. It was considered rude and bad luck not to eat a piece.

In the 17th century, two cakes were made: one for the bride and one for the groom. The bride's cake was usually a simple pound cake with white icing, as white was a symbol of virginity and purity. Over time, the groom's cake fell out of favour, and the bride's cake became the main event.

In Victorian times, white icing was a symbol of money and social importance, so only the wealthiest families could afford it. When Queen Victoria chose a white lace wedding dress and a white-iced cake, she accentuated the existing symbolism of the colour white.

Today, wedding cakes are often tiered and made with marzipan, fondant, gum paste, buttercream, or chocolate. They are usually displayed at the wedding and served to guests, but sometimes they are only for show, with a single edible tier for the couple to share.

In some cultures, such as Italy, different couples choose different types of cakes according to their preferences. In other cultures, a single type of cake is traditional for most weddings. For example, the traditional wedding cake in Korea was a rice cake topped with red bean powder, but now it is more common to see a sponge cake with fresh fruit.

• In Bermuda, there are traditionally two cakes: a silver-tiered bride's cake and a gold-pound groom's cake topped with a green sapling that symbolises the couple's growing love.
• A traditional Italian wedding cake is called millefoglie, which means "a thousand layers". It is made of thin pastry layers filled with cream, mascarpone, or chocolate and topped with berries.
• A flourless almond cake is popular in Greek weddings. It includes ingredients like honey, quince, and sesame seeds to symbolise commitment.
• In Japan, fake cakes are still part of the wedding tradition. A beautiful tiered cake made of rubber and styrofoam is used for the cake-cutting ceremony, while a plain sheet cake is served from the kitchen.
• The traditional wedding cake in Jamaica is called a black cake, so named because the dough is dense and filled with rum-soaked fruits like plums and raisins, giving it a darkened texture.
• In China, the couple begins cutting a multi-tier cake from the lowest level and gives the first pieces to their parents and ancestors to honour their place as the foundation of the family.
• In Appalachia, a stack cake was a way for poorer people to celebrate potluck-style. Guests would each bring a thin cake, which would be stacked and filled with apple butter or cooked apples.
• In the American South, two cakes are presented: a large, white-tiered bride's cake and a groom's cake, usually chocolate or another dark, liquor-soaked fruitcake.
• In the UK and Australia, the traditional wedding cake is a rich fruitcake decorated with icing and sometimes filled with almond paste.
• In Norway and other Scandinavian countries, a Kransekake, a pastry made of concentric rings decorated with glaze, cream, and flags, is the preferred wedding cake.
• Kanom sam kloe is a fried pastry served at Thai weddings. Three balls of dough made from coconuts and sesame seeds are fried together, and if they stay together, it is said to predict a successful marriage and at least one child.
• In the Jewish religion, marriage is considered mandatory, as a single person is seen as incomplete. The wedding ritual includes kiddushin (engagement) and nissu'in (the actual wedding). During kiddushin, the groom places a ring on the bride's right index finger, and she clenches her fist to show acceptance.

Wedding cakes and religion

Wedding cakes have been a part of wedding ceremonies for centuries, though they were not always the focus of the event and often came in different forms, such as pies or bread. The contemporary wedding cake has grown out of several different ethnic traditions. One of the first traditions began in Ancient Rome, where a cake of wheat or barley was broken over the bride's head to bring good fortune to the couple. This tradition symbolised the “breaking of the bride's virginal state and the subsequent dominance of the groom over her".

In medieval England, cakes were stacked as high as possible for the bride and groom to kiss over. If they successfully kissed without knocking the cakes down, they were guaranteed a prosperous life together. This tradition inspired the croquembouche, a complex pastry made of cream puffs and caramelised sugar, which is the traditional wedding cake in France.

In the 17th century, two cakes were made: one for the bride and one for the groom. The groom's cake was typically a dark, rich fruit cake and much smaller than the bride's simple pound cake, which was iced white to symbolise virginity and purity. The bride's cake became the main cake for the event and, in the 19th century, sugar became easier to obtain, with refined and whiter sugars being used to symbolise wealth and social status.

In the United Kingdom, the traditional wedding cake is a rich fruitcake, though modern cakes may be vanilla sponge, chocolate sponge, or carrot cake. In Greece, the traditional flavour combination was honey, sesame seed, and quince, though a more common choice now is an almond torte. In the Philippines, the cake may be vanilla sponge or purple ube cake. In Bermuda, there is a tradition of having two cakes: a silver-tiered bride's cake and a gold-pound groom's cake topped with a green sapling to symbolise the couple's growing love.

In China, the couple begins cutting a multi-tier cake from the lowest level and gives the first pieces to their parents and ancestors, honouring their place as the foundation of the family. In a traditional American wedding, maidens pull ribbons attached to the bottom layer of the cake, with only one ribbon containing a charm or ring, signifying that the maiden who finds it will marry next. In other countries, the wedding cake is broken over the bride's head to ensure fertility and bring good fortune.

Wedding cakes in ancient societies

The wedding cake has a rich history, with its roots in ancient Rome and Greece. In these ancient civilizations, the wedding ceremony was finalized by breaking a cake of wheat or barley (known as "mustaceum" in ancient Rome) over the bride's head to symbolize fertility and prosperity. The guests would then consume the crumbs, and the newly married couple would also eat a few crumbs together in a custom known as "confarreatio".

In medieval times, bakers would stack individual cake layers as high as possible, and the bride and groom would attempt to kiss over this towering structure, which was believed to bring good fortune. These early wedding cakes were decorated with intricate pastry designs and filled with fruits, spices, and sweeteners like honey and sugar.

The tradition of the wedding cake continued to evolve, and by the 17th century, "bride pie" had developed into "bride cake", which was the predecessor of the modern wedding cake. These cakes were often fruited and symbolized fertility and prosperity.

The influence of royalty, particularly Queen Victoria's wedding cake in the 19th century, had a significant impact on shaping the modern concept of wedding cakes. Queen Victoria's cake was adorned with intricate white icing, symbolizing purity and opulence. This inspired couples from all walks of life to seek similarly grand confections for their weddings, and subsequent royal weddings further influenced trends in wedding cake design.

Today, wedding cakes can be found in various forms around the world, incorporating cultural and regional variations while still retaining the symbolic significance of abundance, happiness, and togetherness that the union of marriage brings.

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