Royal Wedding Cake: Where Will It Be Displayed?

The wedding cake of Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was a three-foot-tall fruitcake with eight tiers, weighing 220 pounds. The cake was baked by Fiona Cairns, who was approached just a few months before the wedding. It was displayed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, and a door had to be removed to get the cake into the room. The cake featured handcrafted sugar floral designs and the couple's monogram. In addition to the main cake, there was also a groom's cake, a three-tier chocolate biscuit cake, which is said to be one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites.

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

The main cake at Prince William and Catherine's wedding was a true spectacle. Standing at three feet tall, the fruitcake featured eight tiers and weighed a staggering 220 pounds. The cake was so wide that a door had to be removed to get it into the reception room in Buckingham Palace.

Fiona Cairns, the talented baker behind this masterpiece, had her work cut out for her. It took five weeks for 50 chefs under her guidance to create the cake and complete the intricate sugar work. The cake featured the couple's monogram front and centre, surrounded by handcrafted sugar details. Each tier showcased different floral designs, incorporating 17 varieties of flowers and leaves, including lily of the valley, Irish shamrock, English rose, Scottish thistle, and Welsh daffodil.

The cake's design also paid homage to the architectural beauty of the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, where it was displayed. The Duchess requested that the cake reflect the intricate details of the room, including hanging ribbons and bows. Another unique aspect of the cake was its lack of colour—it was a stunning pure white creation.

The main cake was not the only sweet treat at the royal wedding. Prince William, who grew up enjoying chocolate biscuit cake, had a separate groom's cake. This three-tier cake, created by master chocolatier Barry Colenso in partnership with The McVitie's Cake Company, was adorned with chocolate leaves and white chocolate dahlias.

The groom's cake was a three-tier chocolate biscuit cake

The wedding of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, featured not one but two cakes. The groom's cake was a three-tier chocolate biscuit cake, also known as a Tiffin cake. This cake is particularly special as it is a no-bake cake. The couple's wedding guests were treated to a rich, indulgent chocolate cake adorned with chocolate leaves and white chocolate dahlias.

Master chocolatier Barry Colenso, in partnership with The McVitie's Cake Company, was responsible for creating this square, three-tiered confection. The chocolate biscuit cake is a classic British dessert that is especially beloved by Queen Elizabeth. In fact, it is said that the Queen would have this cake prepared for her grandson, William, whenever he visited her at Windsor Castle while he was studying at Eton.

The groom's cake at William and Catherine's wedding was a thoughtful tribute to the Queen and a nod to William's childhood. It is also a break from tradition, as groom's cakes, though originating in Victorian England, are more commonly found in American Southern weddings.

The recipe for this delicious chocolate biscuit cake is simple and requires no baking. It is made with tea biscuits, butter, caster sugar, dark chocolate, warm water, and a chocolate ganache topping. The ganache is made by combining melted dark chocolate and whipping cream. This rich and indulgent cake is a perfect treat for any chocolate lover and is sure to have been a highlight of the royal wedding.

The main cake was made by Fiona Cairns

The main cake for William and Catherine's wedding was made by Fiona Cairns, a talented baker with years of experience creating incredible sweets. Cairns first started making fruit cakes in 1985 as Christmas gifts for her friends. The following year, she established Fiona Cairns Ltd., a cake business proposed by her husband, Kishore Patel.

Cairns was approached just a few months before the royal wedding to create a magnificent cake that would be displayed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. The cake was a three-foot-tall fruitcake with eight tiers, weighing 220 pounds. It featured the couple's monogram front and centre, with each tier adorned by different floral designs. Each of the 900-plus intricate details was handcrafted out of sugar, including 17 different types of flowers and leaves.

The design of the cake was influenced by the architecture and detailing of the Picture Gallery, with hanging ribbons, bows, and a mixture of blooms such as lily of the valley, Irish shamrock, English rose, Scottish thistle, and Welsh daffodil. Honouring another tradition, the top tiers of the cake were preserved to be served at the christenings of the couple's first two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Creating the cake was no easy feat, as it took 50 chefs working under Cairns' watchful eye a total of five weeks to complete the complex sugar work and assemble the grand confection. The cake was so large that a door had to be temporarily removed to get it into the reception room at Buckingham Palace. Despite this minor hiccup, the cake took its place of honour, and the door was promptly put back in place.

The groom's cake was made by Master Chocolatier Barry Colenso

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 was a grand affair, with the couple opting for not one, but two wedding cakes to celebrate their special day. One of these cakes was a traditional multi-tiered fruit cake, while the other was a chocolate cake—a nod to William's childhood.

The groom's cake was created by Master Chocolatier Barry Colenso, who worked in partnership with The McVitie's Cake Company. Colenso's impressive career in chocolate design spans nearly thirty years, and he has created confectionery masterpieces for royalty and dignitaries alike. His journey began at general catering college, where he discovered his passion for patisserie work. He soon honed his skills as a pastry chef at several acclaimed hotels, including the world-renowned Savoy Hotel in London, where he became the youngest Head of Patisserie at the age of twenty-seven.

Colenso's creation for the royal wedding was a square, three-tier chocolate biscuit cake adorned with intricate decorations. The recipe for the cake was based on one of Prince William's favourite afternoon tea cakes from his childhood—a classic Tiffin cake. While the recipe itself was fairly simple, the McVitie's team and Colenso worked tirelessly for 29 straight days to create a spectacular cake that met the royal couple's brief. Each of the decorations and flowers was crafted by hand, with each white chocolate flower taking over six hours to make. The techniques employed were revolutionary, pushing the boundaries of chocolate confectionery.

The final cake was an extravagant masterpiece, containing over 12kg of chocolate and 1,700 McVitie's Rich Tea biscuits. It was a labour of love, with each element carefully crafted and transported separately to the palace, where it was reassembled. The pressure was immense, but the result was a stunning gastronomic delight that wowed the royal family and guests alike.

The main cake was displayed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace

The wedding cake of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was displayed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. The main cake was a three-foot-tall fruitcake with eight tiers, weighing 220 pounds. It was designed and crafted by Fiona Cairns, a talented baker with years of experience. The cake featured intricate sugar details, including handcrafted sugar flowers representing the national flowers of the four United Kingdom nations. The Picture Gallery's architectural beauty inspired the cake's design, with hanging ribbons, bows, and intricate floral patterns.

The Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace served as the perfect backdrop for the magnificent cake. The cake's pure white design and stunning architecture created a stately and elegant display. The cake stood tall, reflecting the grandeur and opulence of the royal wedding. The decision to display the cake in the Picture Gallery emphasised its importance as a centerpiece of the wedding celebrations.

Fiona Cairns, the baker, revealed that creating the cake was a complex and time-consuming process. It took five weeks for 50 chefs under her supervision to complete the cake and its intricate sugar decorations. The cake's size and complexity posed a challenge, even requiring the removal of a door to transport it to the Picture Gallery. This incident caught the attention of Queen Elizabeth, who expressed her concern about the dismantling of her house.

The main cake adhered to the royal tradition of celebrating with fruitcake. The cake was made with dried fruit, chopped walnuts, and chopped dates, soaked in alcohol or fruit juices. The traditional fruitcake was paired with a softer icing made from a sugar paste base, deviating from the typical royal icing. The result was a breathtaking confection that wowed guests and has become one of the most incredible cake designs to date.

The Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, with its elegant architecture and detailing, provided the perfect setting for the cake's unveiling. The cake's presence in the gallery added to the overall grandeur and elegance of the royal wedding celebrations, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.

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