Creating Cake Pulls For Your Wedding: A Step-By-Step Guide

Cake pulls are a fun wedding tradition that originated in the southern United States, particularly in New Orleans. This custom involves attaching small charms or trinkets to ribbons and inserting them into the wedding cake. The unmarried female friends of the bride each pull a ribbon from the cake, with the attached charm foretelling their future and bringing good luck. The cake pull is usually done during the wedding reception before the cake is cut, but it can also take place at bridal showers. It is a way for the bride to include more of her friends in the wedding celebrations without expanding the bridal party.

Cake pull charm meanings

Cake pull charms are placed on ribbons and slotted underneath a wedding cake. Each charm has a special meaning or prediction. Here are some of the most common meanings:

• Ring: The person who pulls this charm will be the next to get married.
• Horseshoe or four-leaf clover: This charm signifies good luck.
• Telephone: Good news is coming.
• Anchor: This charm encourages hope.
• Heart: Love is coming.
• Thimble or button: This charm reveals the old maid.
• Penny: Poverty.
• Wishbone: Your wish will come true.
• Boot: You will go on a journey or travel.
• Bell: This charm signifies betrothal.
• Baby booties or footprints: A baby will arrive soon.
• Anchor: You will find or have true love.
• Key: You will have a secure life.
• Crown: You will live happily ever after.
• Star: You will be famous.
• Bird: A new opportunity will present itself.
• Guitar: Your home will be harmonious.
• Butterfly: Eternal beauty.
• Dog: You will always have at least one loyal friend.
• Dolphin: You have a playful soul.
• Frog Prince: You will have your fairytale.
• Boat: An adventure awaits.
• Lady's shoe: Always fashionable.
• Pig: An abundance of the finer things.
• Arrow or heart with arrow: Romance.
• Fleur de lis: You will live a life of prosperity.
• Lion: You will conquer any problem.
• Wine glass: You will improve with age.
• Teddy bear: You will always be a child at heart.
• Watering can: You are a blessing to others.
• Garden trowel: Your work will provide a bountiful harvest.
• Teapot: You make others feel warm inside.
• Cross: You will have a life of peace and tranquility.
• Castle: You will have your happily ever after.
• Seashell: You will have a life of timeless beauty.
• Airplane: Travel awaits.
• Mask: Something fun and unexpected will happen.
• Horse: Free-spirited.
• Motorcycle: Adventure.
• Cat: You will exhibit extreme cleverness.
• Owl: You will gain wisdom.

How to insert the charms into the cake

To insert the charms into the cake, first bake and ice the cake as normal, leaving the piping detail until after the charms are in place. Stack the layers of the cake, inserting the charms between the layers or between the cake tray and the bottom layer. The charms are usually placed into the base of the cake or within a layer, leaving the ends of the ribbons sticking out. The ribbons can be arranged all around the cake, but it's best to place them towards the back so as not to ruin the cake-cutting photo opportunity. Finish the cake by adding the remaining piping details, which will also help to hide the charms.

The ribbons can be colour-coordinated with the wedding theme or be white or ivory to match the cake. The charms are usually made of sterling silver or gold and can be attached to a pearl bracelet instead of a ribbon, which can be worn by the recipient as a gift. The charms themselves can be anything from a heart, ring, or horseshoe to a more personalised, New Orleans-themed trinket, like an alligator, fleur de lis, or Mardi Gras mask.

The history of cake pulls

In 17th-century England, it was customary for brides to have charms sewn onto the skirt of their wedding dress. The bridesmaids would then pull these charms from the dress and keep them as tokens of luck and friendship. This practice, known as a "skirt pull," is believed to have evolved over time, with the charms eventually being transferred from the dress to cakes. This led to the Victorian tradition of baking a ring into a "bride's pie," considered the first true wedding cake. The woman who found the ring in her slice was predicted to be the next to marry.

In Northern Ireland, a similar tradition was practised on Hallow's Eve, where single women would bake talismans into dense fruit cakes called "bracks" or "barmbracks." The talisman a woman found in her cake was believed to foretell her future.

Scotland also played a role in the history of cake pulls, with its long-standing tradition of decorating wedding cakes with inedible ornaments.

The cake pull tradition was popularised in the New Orleans area in the early 1920s and throughout the 20th century by Scottish baker Henry C. "Mack" McKenzie, the founder of McKenzie's Bakery. Today, the tradition remains a beloved part of weddings in New Orleans and other parts of the Southern United States.

How to choose your cake pulls

Cake pulls are a fun wedding tradition that involves the bride's single friends gathering around the wedding cake to pull a ribbon and claim a charm that foretells their future. The tradition is thought to have originated in Victorian England and has grown in popularity in the Southern United States, especially in New Orleans.

Number of Charms:

The number of charms you choose will depend on the number of participants. Traditionally, all young eligible women are selected to participate, but you can also include married friends. The average bridal party today consists of about four to six bridesmaids, while cake pulls can have anywhere from six to twelve participants.

Charm Meanings:

Modern brides can select any charm they like, but eight traditional symbols are commonly used, each with a specific meaning:

• Horseshoe or four-leaf clover: good luck
• Telephone: good news
• Heart: impending love
• Thimble or button: the old maid
• Ring: the next to get married
• Anchor: hope
• Penny: poverty

Charm Materials and Presentation:

The charms are often made of sterling silver or gold and can be attached to ribbons or pearl bracelets. If using ribbons, you can choose colours that coordinate with your wedding theme or opt for a classic white or ivory.

Charm Placement:

Work with your cake baker to ensure the charms are safely inserted into the cake. Charms are usually placed into the base of the cake or within a layer, leaving the ends of the ribbons sticking out. They can be arranged towards the back of the cake so as not to ruin the cake-cutting photo opportunity.

Timing:

Cake pulls typically happen during the wedding reception before the cake is cut, but they can also take place at bridal showers or brunches.

Remember to choose charms that have special meanings to you and your partner, and don't forget to capture some photos of this delightful tradition!

When to do the cake pull

The cake pull is a wedding tradition that usually takes place during the wedding reception, before the cake is cut. However, it can also be done at the bridal shower or brunch. It is a fun way to include more friends in the wedding celebrations and does not have to be limited to the bridal party.

The cake pull is often chosen as a substitute for, or to complement, the bouquet toss. It can be a great photo opportunity, as all the single ladies gather around the cake and hold onto a ribbon, before pulling their ribbon out simultaneously to reveal a beautiful charm.

The cake pull is a great activity to do before cutting the cake, as it adds an interactive and sentimental element to the reception. It is a chance for the bride and her friends to bond and celebrate their friendship.

If you are planning to do a cake pull at your wedding, it is important to coordinate with your cake baker or decorator to ensure that the charms and ribbons are safely inserted into the cake.

Frequently asked questions