The Royal Wedding Cake: William And Kate's Choice

The wedding cake of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, was a three-foot-tall fruitcake with eight tiers, weighing 220 pounds. It was designed and baked by Fiona Cairns, who revealed that the couple had two cakes, with the second being a groom's cake. The main cake was intentionally modest compared to other royal wedding cakes, as per the couple's request. It featured intricate handcrafted details, including the couple's monogram and 17 types of flowers and leaves symbolising the four nations of the United Kingdom.

The main cake was a three-foot-tall fruitcake with eight tiers

The main cake at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding was a grand affair. Standing at three feet tall, it was a traditional fruitcake with eight tiers, weighing 220 pounds. To create this impressive confection, 50 chefs led by baker Fiona Cairns spent five weeks crafting the cake and its intricate sugar decorations. The cake was so wide that a door had to be removed to get it into the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, where it was displayed.

The cake's eight tiers were adorned with handcrafted sugar details, including the bride and groom's monogram and 17 different flowers and leaves. These blooms symbolised the four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Among them was the lily of the valley, chosen to represent "sweetness and humility". The flowers also featured in Kate's veil and bouquet, tying the cake in with the wedding's floral theme.

The cake's pure white design was per Kate's request, who envisioned a romantic and informal dessert. She wanted it to reflect the architectural details of the Picture Gallery, with hanging ribbons and bows. The cake was also designed to be shorter and more modest than previous royal wedding cakes, standing at three feet compared to the towering nine-foot cake at Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding.

The assembly of the cake was a massive undertaking, requiring a team of six people and three days of work. It was then driven down the M1 motorway to Buckingham Palace, where it took centre stage at the reception. The cake was so large that it did not need to be served at the wedding, and slices were saved for the christenings of the couple's children.

The couple also had a groom's cake: a three-tier chocolate biscuit cake

For their wedding, Prince William and Kate Middleton served two cakes: a three-foot-tall fruitcake with eight tiers, and a groom's cake; a three-tier chocolate biscuit cake.

The groom's cake was a Tiffin cake, a no-bake British dessert that was apparently one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites. It was prepared for William when he visited her at Windsor Castle while he was at Eton.

The chocolate biscuit cake was created by master chocolatier Barry Colenso, in partnership with The McVitie's Cake Company. The three-tier cake was adorned with chocolate leaves and white chocolate dahlias.

While the main cake was the centrepiece, the groom's cake was a touching tribute to William's grandmother.

The main cake was decorated with 900 handcrafted sugar flowers and leaves

The wedding cake of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was a true spectacle. The couple's main cake was a three-foot-tall, eight-tiered traditional fruitcake, weighing a substantial 220 pounds. But it was the intricate handcrafted details that truly set this cake apart.

Fiona Cairns, the renowned cake baker and designer, was entrusted with the task of bringing the couple's vision to life. And one of the most striking elements of the cake was the sugar flowers and leaves. A staggering 900 of these handcrafted decorations adorned the cake, each one meticulously crafted by hand. This was a true labour of love, requiring a team of six people and three days of dedicated work to assemble the entire confection.

The sugar flowers and leaves were not just decorative flourishes; they held a deeper significance. Among the 900 handcrafted blooms were 17 different types of flowers and leaves, carefully selected to represent the four nations of the United Kingdom. This included the English rose, the Scottish thistle, the Welsh daffodil, and the Irish shamrock. The lily of the valley was also included to symbolise "sweetness and humility". These flowers mirrored those in Kate's veil and bouquet, seamlessly tying together the botanical theme of the wedding.

The sugar flowers and leaves added a delicate and romantic touch to the cake's design. They were a testament to the skill and artistry of Fiona Cairns and her team, who ensured that each detail was flawlessly executed. The all-white colour palette of the cake, including the sugar flowers and leaves, created a stunningly pure and elegant effect. This attention to detail and symbolism made the cake not just a dessert but a true work of art, befitting the royal wedding celebration.

The top tiers of the main cake were saved for their children's christenings

The wedding cake of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, was an eight-tiered, three-foot-tall traditional fruitcake. It was designed and baked by Fiona Cairns, a well-known cake baker and designer in England. The cake was intentionally more modest in size compared to other royal wedding cakes, as per the couple's wishes.

Following British royal tradition, the top tiers of the main cake were saved for the christenings of their children. Pieces of the fruitcake were served at all three of William and Kate's children's christenings: Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in 2018.

The cake itself was not served at the wedding reception. Instead, 600 separate slices of fruitcake were cut and served for breakfast on the day of the wedding. Additionally, 4,000 slices of cake were sent out by the Prince of Wales as gifts in tins.

The cake was adorned with intricate handcrafted details, including the couple's monogram and 17 different types of flowers and leaves, symbolizing the four nations of the United Kingdom. Each of the 900-plus details was crafted by hand out of sugar. The cake was also decorated with hanging ribbons and bows, creating a stunning pure white design.

The cake was displayed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, and its size was chosen to fill the space without being dwarfed by the room's grand architecture. The cake's width matched its height, making it one meter wide and one meter tall. It weighed a whopping 220 pounds and took a team of people two and a half days to assemble.

The cake was designed by Fiona Cairns, who had previously made cakes for other members of the royal family

The wedding cake of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, was designed by Fiona Cairns, a well-known cake baker and designer based in England. Cairns had previously made cakes for other members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and was therefore a natural choice for the royal wedding cake.

Cairns' experience and expertise were crucial in creating a cake that met the couple's unique vision and specific requirements. In an interview, Cairns shared that the brief was "not to be ostentatious or grand, but romantic and informal in structure". This stood in contrast to the more towering cakes of previous royal weddings, such as the nine-foot cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and the five-foot-one cake of King Charles and Princess Diana.

The cake designed by Cairns was a more modest three feet tall, with eight tiers. However, its grandeur was evident in its intricate details. The traditional fruitcake was adorned with over 900 handcrafted sugar decorations, including the couple's monogram and 17 different flowers and leaves. These flowers symbolised the four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The cake-making process was not without its challenges. Cairns recalled having to remove a door from the Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace to get the wide cake into the reception venue. This incident was even noted by Queen Elizabeth, who remarked, "I hear that you've been dismantling my house." Despite this minor hurdle, the cake was successfully assembled and presented, contributing to the memorable fairy-tale wedding of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

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