The Wedding Cake

As you consider the selection of wedding- cake bakers on Nantucket Island, we want to fill you in a bit on the background of these wonderful confections. Believe it or not, there's a fair amount to say about the wedding cake...it's not just a matter of baking enough delicious batter to make three or more tiers, frosting them, and plunking a cute little bridal couple on the top. Wedding cakes, if you please, have a history.

Back in the days of the Roman Empire, it was the custom to bake a loaf of barley bread for the wedding. The groom ate a bite or two, and then broke the rest over the bride's head! This little drama was supposed to symbolize two things: the breaking of the hymen and the groom's dominance over his bride. Stop muttering, brides-to-be -- things have, thank heaven, changed a lot since then.

With evolution of many sorts, including not only more enlightened opinions about male dominance but also changes in the shape, form, and fanciness of the wedding cake itself, this untidy event no longer takes place. (One wonders, however, if the somewhat messy contemporary custom of wedding couples smashing wedding cake into each other's mouths may have its roots in the barley-cake caper.) Sometime in the 1600s the bride's pie made its appearance; legend has it that this was filled with mincemeat, fruits, or plain old mutton...and a glass ring. The hopeful female who got the piece that had the ring in it was supposed to be the next one married. And in the 19th century, the Scots developed another interesting custom. After the "I do's" the bride had a napkin placed over her head, whereupon someone (probably the groom) dumped a whole basket of bread over the poor lass's head. Was this a bastardized version of the barley-cake tradition? Who knows?

In those aforementioned barley-cake breakage occasions during the days of the Roman Empire, the guests would scramble to acquire some crumbs after the bride had been caked, hoping that the pieces would bestow fertility upon those who desired it. From that probably sprang the custom of wrapping up a small piece of the wedding cake for guests. The tradition of putting a piece under your pillow so you would dream of your future spouse began in the 17th century, but it's not clear how this notion came about -- people still do it, but as far as we know, no scientific study has been undertaken to determine how often this works... In the 18th century it is said that the bride would remove her ring after the ceremony and pass cake bits through it to give to guests to place under their pillows, but that was stopped, perhaps by the church, because once the ring was on the bride's finger, it was supposed to stay there -- forever and ever Amen!

Ah, tradition! That has governed the familiar ritual of Cutting the Cake. Here's how it's usually done: the bride cuts the first piece with the sometimes awkward assistance of the groom. This is supposed to be the first of the tasks the couple will tackle together in their new life. After the cake cutting, part two of the ritual: the bride and groom feed each other a piece of cake. One can imagine that this was intended to be symbolic of mutual caring and nurturing. However, today it is usually accompanied by lots of groaning and laughter on the part of all assembled guests. Some couples even go so far as to throw the cake at each other...and at anyone else in range. Bizarre, outlandish, tasteless -- maybe, but strange how it mimics the throwing of the barley cake in ancient times.

In Victorian times, when prudent people pondered perpetually on the moral overtones of everything possible, the color of the cake was white and that stood for -- you guessed it -- purity. And the frosting of course, being made of refined sugar, was supposedly a reflection of the taste and affluence of the families involved. Today wedding cakes come in all sizes, shapes, and flavors. Anything goes for decoration, too -- one young woman, who collected tiny mouse sculptures, had a wee mouse couple (complete with wedding regalia -- gown and veil and tux) under a floral arch. And another couple, whose pregnant golden retriever was the ring-bearer, arranged for little plastic pups to be put alongside the bride and groom atop the cake.

Wedding cake used to be known for being relatively unpalatable, but these days it's generally a crowd-pleaser. Mocha cake with chocolate icing and pink sugar roses -- mmmm! Many couples getting married on Nantucket request a "basket-weave cake," a cake with icing patterned to look like a Nantucket lightship basket. Sometimes the couple saves the top tier and puts it in the freezer to enjoy on their first anniversary. Multi-tiered cakes are de rigueur today; originally they were only made for members of the British royalty. They remain the centerpiece of the reception.

So when you choose the style and flavor of your wedding cake, as well as the person to make it, do so carefully, because it may be the second most appreciated item (next to the bride's gown) in the wedding. Even if you choose to have very simple nuptials, you may decide to have a fancy cake. In any case, if you want something truly daring and different, how about a French croquembouche "a pyramid of bite-sized cream puffs coated and held in place with caramelized sugar," according to the dictionary. The puffs are filled with cream, and the entire structure may be covered with solidified toffee. It creates quite a stir.

Whatever you decide on, you'll be able to select from a number of professional wedding- cake bakers on Nantucket Island >.