The Wedding Cake
The modern Western iced wedding cake, multi-tier and usually complete with male and female toppers, is a relatively new invention. However the basic custom goes back many centuries, albeit with simpler designs.
History
Weddings in all cultures and traditions have always been a time of celebration and feasting, so sweets or cakes are commonly associated with the events. The earliest such cakes were made from wheat and were in essence pagan fertility symbols.
In Roman times the wedding cake was usually a simple affair baked from wheat with salt. After the
wedding ceremony the groom would break the cake above the head of the bride to ensure
fertility and prosperity. Wedding guests would try to catch crumbs from the broken cake
to share in this good fortune - an early forerunner of our modern tradition of giving
guests a thin slice or an individual mini cake to take away.
Western wedding cakes continued to be largely plain affairs until late medieval times. However there are reports of sweet buns being made into a pile over which the bride and groom would kiss.
Our modern tradition of a large, sweet and fruity cake became popular during the 19th century. Today, of course, anything goes and you can buy wedding cakes in all variations from savoury to chocolate!