It's a given tradition that the bride and groom share a wedding cake with their guests at the wedding reception, but do you know why? The tradition of the wedding cake can be traced back to medieval times. Back then, each guest at a wedding was supposed to bring a small cake. The cakes would then be stacked on the table in levels and layers. If the bride and groom were able to kiss over the top of the stack it was considered good luck. These cake stacks would eventually merge into one cake which has now evolved into the modern wedding cake that we know and love.
Wedding Cake Trivia - Did You Know?
The tiered design of the wedding cake originates from the tiered spire of a well known medieval church in London, England, called St Bride's.
Henry VIII of England enacted a law specifying the quantity of sugar a cake may have, possibly to control or tax this prevailing convention.
During World War II, sugar was rationed in Great Britain, so icing could not be made and cakes were reduced in size. To overcome this, cakes were often served inside a box decorated with plaster of Paris to resemble a larger traditional cake.
