Markel Wedding Cake: A Sweet, Layered Treat

The wedding cake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a lemon and elderflower cake created by pastry chef Claire Ptak. The cake broke with royal tradition, as most royal wedding cakes are fruit cakes. Ptak, a California native, owns the Violet Bakery in East London and is known for her American-style cupcakes and brownies made with high-end ingredients. The cake was decorated with fresh flowers and covered in buttercream, in line with the season and the couple's spring wedding date.

The cake was a lemon and elderflower flavour

The lemon and elderflower cake was designed by Claire Ptak, owner of East London-based bakery Violet Cakes. Ptak, a California native, had previously interviewed Meghan Markle for her lifestyle blog, The Tig, and was chosen by the couple for her dedication to using organic ingredients and low-intervention baking.

The cake was made with 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, and 44 pounds each of butter, flour, and sugar. It was a "lemon sponge, a special sponge that I developed just for the couple," Ptak said, and the layers were drizzled with elderflower cordial from the Queen's Sandringham estate. The cake was covered in elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers, including three types of peonies and roses.

The cake consisted of three separate pieces: one two-tier cake and two single-tier cakes. This was a more modest creation compared to other royal wedding cakes, which have been taller and more elaborate. The cakes were displayed on gold ornate stands from the royal family's collection.

The lemon and elderflower flavours of the cake were described as a "very lovely thing" by Ptak, who said that the sweetness of the buttercream, the tartness of the lemon curd, and the ethereal quality of the elderflower created a perfectly balanced bite.

It was designed by Claire Ptak

The wedding cake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was designed by Claire Ptak, a California-raised baker who owns and runs the bakery-café Violet Cakes in London's East End. Ptak is an American baker, food writer, and food stylist. She grew up in Inverness, California, where she learned to bake with her mother and grandmother. She moved to London in 2005 and quickly became a food stylist for celebrity chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigella Lawson, and Jamie Oliver.

Ptak was selected to make the cake for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding in 2018. Markle had previously read Ptak's book, 'The Violet Bakery Cookbook', and interviewed her for her lifestyle blog, The Tig. The cake was a layered sponge filled and covered with lemon and elderflower buttercream icing. It was an unconventional choice, departing from the traditional fruit cake typically served at royal weddings.

Ptak brought six different samples to Kensington Palace for the couple to taste, and they selected the Amalfi lemon and elderflower flavour, which was also Ptak's personal favourite. The cake took five days to prepare, with final touches such as fresh flowers added during the ceremony. Many of the ingredients, including elderflower syrup, were sourced from the Queen's estate at Sandringham. The cake was designed to emphasise different heights and sizes, with two single-tiered cakes and one two-tier cake.

Ptak described the flavour of the cake as a "very lovely thing" happening when you take a bite, with the sweet buttercream, tart lemon curd, and ethereal elderflower creating a perfectly balanced combination. The cake was a departure from traditional royal wedding cakes, reflecting the transformation of British attitudes towards baking and an embrace of cakes beyond "stale sponges."

It was decorated with fresh flowers

The wedding cake of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was decorated with fresh flowers. The flowers were placed on the cake by the baker, Claire Ptak, who owns Violet Cakes in East London. The flowers were mostly British peonies and roses, with three different types of peonies—the bride's favourite flower. The flowers were artfully piled around the cake, with 150 blooms in total. The flowers were fresh and seasonal, in keeping with the spring-inspired theme of the cake. The flowers were also in keeping with the rustic-chic style of the cake, which was designed to be eaten and enjoyed, rather than simply admired. The fresh flowers added a touch of elegance and romance to the cake, reflecting the beauty and joy of the royal wedding celebration.

The flowers were not the only decoration on the cake. The cake was also covered in elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream, which added a sweet and ethereal flavour. The buttercream provided a smooth and creamy base for the fresh flowers to rest on, creating a beautiful and delicious contrast. The cake itself was a lemon sponge, with layers of lemon curd and elderflower cordial, creating a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours. The overall effect of the decorations was a stunning and unique wedding cake that delighted the royal couple and their guests.

The choice of fresh flowers for the cake was also a subtle break with tradition. While royal wedding cakes often feature elaborate sugar paste flowers, Markle and Prince Harry opted for fresh blooms, reflecting their commitment to sustainability and seasonality. The fresh flowers added a touch of whimsy and spontaneity to the cake, as they were carefully selected and arranged by Ptak just before the wedding. This choice also ensured that the cake was truly a reflection of the couple's personal style and values.

The fresh flowers on the Markle wedding cake became a signature element of the celebration. They symbolised the couple's love for nature, their commitment to using seasonal and organic ingredients, and their desire to create a modern and light-hearted atmosphere for their guests. The flowers also became a source of inspiration for other couples planning their own weddings, as they offered a simple yet elegant way to add a touch of freshness and beauty to the traditional wedding cake. Overall, the use of fresh flowers on the Markle wedding cake was a delightful and memorable detail that contributed to the magic and joy of the royal wedding celebration.

It was a departure from the traditional royal wedding cake

The wedding cake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a departure from the traditional royal wedding cake in several ways. Firstly, it was not a fruit cake, which is the traditional flavour for royal weddings. Instead, it was a lemon and elderflower cake, inspired by their spring wedding date. This choice also reflected Markle's preference for organic ingredients and low-intervention baking.

Secondly, the cake was not a grand, multi-tiered confection like many previous royal wedding cakes. It consisted of three separate pieces: one two-tier cake and two single-tier cakes. This made it relatively more modest in size compared to other royal wedding cakes, such as the eight-tier cake of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 or the five-foot-tall cake of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981.

Thirdly, the cake was not covered in the traditional royal icing but was instead frosted with elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream. This gave it a stark white exterior and a smooth, luscious texture. The cake was also adorned with 150 fresh flowers, mostly British peonies and roses, which added to its spring-inspired design.

Finally, the cake was not baked in a traditional bakery but in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace by a team of six bakers, including Claire Ptak, the owner of Violet Cakes in East London. Ptak, like Markle, is a native Californian, and her focus on organic ingredients and seasonal flavours resonated with the royal couple. The cake took five days to prepare and was assembled at Windsor Castle on the morning of the wedding.

The cake was made at Buckingham Palace

The cake was a masterpiece, a gorgeous dessert. It was covered in buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers, including three types of peonies and roses. The flavour was a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and ethereal. The lemon curd was made from Amalfi lemons, which the baker believed had the most delicious flavour.

The cake was made over five days by a team of six bakers. It was assembled at Windsor Castle on the morning of the wedding. The cake was not a traditional tiered cake but instead featured two single-tier cakes and one two-tier cake. The entire process, from conceptualization to design and baking, took place in the Buckingham Palace kitchen.

The cake was a unique creation, a spring-inspired departure from the traditional fruit cake. It was a nod to the season, with the elderflower cordial coming from the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The cake was a labour of love, requiring 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs, 44 pounds of butter, flour, and sugar, and 10 bottles of elderflower cordial. It was a true masterpiece, both in taste and appearance.

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