Celebrating Life: Weddings, Funerals, And Cake

Weddings and funerals are two of life's most significant events, often filled with laughter, tears, prayers, and speeches. While weddings are joyous occasions, funerals are solemn events. However, both events share similarities in their structure and purpose. Interestingly, both weddings and funerals are often associated with cake, with the former being known for its elaborate and decorative cakes, and the latter sometimes including cake as a way to provide comfort and sweetness during a difficult time. In popular culture, the phrase weddings are basically funerals with cake has been used to highlight the similarities between these two contrasting events.

Wedding cake ideas and designs

Wedding cakes should be delicious and beautiful. While the exterior of the cake can be anything you like, it's important to choose cake flavours and fillings that suit your preferences. A classic white wedding cake is always in style, but there are many other options to choose from.

Pastry chef Emily Lael Aumiller, owner of Brooklyn-based Lāel Cakes, suggests that couples take one of two routes when choosing their cake design: either focus on the dream cake you want for your celebration, or find a wedding cake you love and share it with your baker as inspiration.

If you're tying the knot near the water, an ocean-themed cake might be the way to go. Jasmine Rae Cakes, for example, created a towering Meyer lemon cake with wave- and breeze-inspired fondant for a couple's Big Sur nuptials.

Your wedding cake can also be inspired by your venue. Hey There, Cupcake! created a cake inspired by the exterior of the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs, where a couple's wedding was held.

If you're having a themed wedding, you can extend that theme to your cake. A couple who had a Monet-inspired wedding in California, for example, had a cake with watercolour-esque flowers and vines.

Pressed flowers are one of the hottest wedding trends right now, and they can be incorporated into your cake design. The Hudson Cakery, for example, used only edible blooms on a three-tiered red velvet cake for a couple's industrial New York wedding.

If you prefer a more classic, understated cake, a simple white confection can still make a statement. Flour & Bloom, for example, created a four-tiered Swiss buttercream cake with layers of banana, red velvet, and almond cake for an outdoor wedding in California.

Ultimately, your wedding cake should reflect your personal style and taste. Whether you choose a bold and colourful design or something more traditional, the cake should be a reflection of you and your partner.

Homemade wedding cakes

Planning and Preparation:

Before you start baking, consider the following:

• The size of your wedding: A homemade cake may not be feasible if you're expecting a large number of guests.
• Your schedule: Baking a wedding cake can be time-consuming, especially if you're doing it for the first time. Ensure you have enough time in the week leading up to the wedding.
• Practice: It's a good idea to do a practice run to familiarise yourself with the recipe and decorating techniques.
• Experience and supplies: If you have cake decorating experience and supplies, it will be easier to create a professional-looking cake. Otherwise, aim for a rustic or semi-naked cake design.
• Help: Enlist the help of friends or family members, especially if you have small children.

Ingredients and Equipment:

• Standard cake ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, butter, eggs, milk/buttermilk, and flavourings like vanilla or almond extract.
• Frosting: Buttercream frosting is a popular choice for wedding cakes. You'll need butter, powdered sugar, milk/cream, and flavourings.
• Cake pans: You'll need multiple pans in different sizes, such as 6-inch and 9-inch round pans, depending on the number of tiers and the size of your cake.
• Dowels and cake boards: These are essential for structural support when stacking tiers.
• Decorations: Fresh flowers, berries, sprinkles, or other edible decorations can be used to enhance the appearance of your cake.

Baking and Assembly:

• Bake the cakes: Follow a recipe specifically designed for wedding cakes, as they tend to be denser and more stable. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting and assembling.
• Make the frosting: Prepare a large batch of frosting, as you'll need enough for filling, crumb coating, and final decoration.
• Frost and layer: Start by placing a dab of frosting on the cake board to keep the cake from sliding. Then, spread frosting between each layer and apply a thin crumb coat to the outside of the cake.
• Insert dowels and stack tiers: Measure and cut the dowels to the correct size, then press them into the bottom tier within the guide created by the top tier cake board. Carefully place the top tier onto the dowels.
• Final decorations: Use flowers, berries, or other decorations to enhance the appearance of your cake.

Tips for Success:

• Work in stages: You can bake the cakes and make the frosting ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate them until needed.
• Use parchment paper: Line your cake pans with parchment paper for added insurance against sticking.
• Keep it simple: A rustic or semi-naked cake design is more forgiving and less stressful than a fully frosted or fondant-covered cake.
• Enlist help: Don't be afraid to ask for help with cake assembly and final decorations, especially if you're short on time or feeling stressed.

Wedding cake prices

The cost of a wedding cake typically includes the cake itself, a design consultation, a cake tasting, delivery, and set-up. Some bakers may also include supplies like cake stands, toppers, and cutting utensils, as well as an extra top tier for the couple's first anniversary.

The type of frosting can also impact the price. Fondant-covered cakes tend to be more expensive than those covered in buttercream, with fondant cakes starting at around $5 per slice and buttercream cakes starting at $4 per slice.

To save money on a wedding cake, couples can opt for a smaller, simpler cake with fewer tiers and fresh flowers instead of sugar flowers. Another option is to have a "display" or "dummy" cake for photos and cutting, with a less expensive sheet cake served to the guests.

When budgeting for a wedding cake, it's important to consider the number of guests and the desired number of servings. Couples can also provide their own cake or hire a friend or family member who is a talented baker to create the cake for them.

Wedding cake traditions

Wedding cakes are steeped in tradition, with many rituals dating back hundreds of years. Here are some of the most common wedding cake traditions:

Feeding Each Other Cake

After cutting the cake, the couple feed each other a small bite of cake. This dates back to Ancient Roman times and symbolises the couple's first act as a unified team, as well as their commitment to providing for one another.

Freezing the Top Tier

Many couples save the top tier of their wedding cake and eat it on their first anniversary. This tradition dates back to the 19th century when couples would eat the preserved top layer on the day of their first child's christening, which was likely to occur within the first year of marriage.

Cake Pulls

A tradition dating back to the Victorian era, cake pulls involve placing ribbon-adorned charms on the bottom layer of the cake. Single friends and wedding party members then take turns pulling charms from the cake. Common charms include clovers for good luck and purses for good fortune.

Sharing Cake with Guests

In most cultures, sharing the same celebratory confection is symbolic of good luck and wishes for a sweet future. For example, in old French tradition, a giant croquembouche (tower of cream puffs) is served, which the couple break with a sword, causing the cream puffs to fall. Guests then reach for a cream puff to wish the couple a sweet future.

White Wedding Cake

White wedding cakes date back to the Victorian era when white sugar was extremely expensive, so a white cake symbolised the family's wealth and social standing. The white cake also symbolised purity and the start of the marriage union, as brides traditionally wear white.

Sleeping with a Piece of Cake Under Your Pillow

A 17th-century superstition says that sleeping with a slice of wedding cake under your pillow will lead you to dream of your future spouse. This tradition dates back about 300 years when fruitcakes were the typical wedding cake.

Funerals in Rick and Morty

In the Rick and Morty episode "The Wedding Squanchers", Rick Sanchez states, "Weddings are basically funerals with cake. If I wanted to watch someone throw their life away, I'd hang out with Jerry all day." This quote has become a popular meme and GIF, and is often used to describe weddings in a humorous way.

While the show Rick and Morty is known for its absurdist and dark humor, it has also explored the concept of funerals and death in a few episodes. One episode, titled "Rick and Morty's Funeral Ceremony," features the deaths of the main characters, Richard "Rick" Sanchez and Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith, Sr. The episode is a collaboration with the animated series Smiling Friends, and features a number of characters from other popular animated shows, including BoJack Horseman, Futurama, The Simpsons, South Park, and Bob's Burgers.

In typical Rick and Morty fashion, the episode likely takes a humorous and satirical approach to the funeral ceremony, possibly poking fun at the traditions and rituals associated with funerals. While the full context of the episode is not available, it is safe to assume that the show uses the funeral setting to explore the themes of death, loss, and the afterlife in its own unique and eccentric way.

The show has a history of tackling serious topics through a lens of comedy, and it is likely that "Rick and Morty's Funeral Ceremony" uses the funeral as a vehicle to explore the characters' relationships, their views on death, and their own mortality. The episode may also serve as a form of social commentary on the funeral industry, the grieving process, or the ways in which different cultures handle death and mourning.

Overall, while the details of "Rick and Morty's Funeral Ceremony" are scarce, the episode promises to deliver the show's signature blend of humor, satire, and thought-provoking storytelling, all while exploring the serious topic of funerals and death.

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