A long time ago, people would come to a wedding with a small sweet bread and place it on a tray. At the reception, the bride and groom would kiss over the tower of sweet cakes. If they caused the pile of cakes to tumble, the marriage would be unsteady. If they did not unsettle the cakes, the marriage would be solid. The French decided to help the marriage be stable by using frosting to hold the cakes together. The ritual eventually evolved into the tiered wedding cake we know today.

The modern wedding cake, with its successively smaller layers, supporting pillars, fancy frosting and festoons, was introduced some hundred years later. It’s modeled after a confection that commemorated the marriage of one of Queen Victoria's daughters in 1859.

Even then, a few refinements were missing: only the base tier was actually cake (the rest were pure sugar), and the layers were stacked like hat boxes.

It would take the wedding of Prince Leopold in 1882 before guests could enjoy an entirely "cake" wedding cake, and another 20 years before the tiers were separated by columns (usually disguised pieces of a broom handle).

With the onset of World War II in the 1930s, money was tight. Brides were often forced to choose a more practical outfit rather than the typical fancy white wedding dress. To keep the cake interest, the icing would be tinted a color to match the bride’s dress.

Today the only limit to designing your wedding cake is the size of your imagination and decorating ability!

Picking the perfect wedding cake is a matter of preference. Whatever you choose says something about the tone of your wedding.

As today’s weddings are becoming more creative, wedding cakes are following suit. Modern brides are customizing wedding traditions to suit their individual styles, and their cakes are one of the most popular avenues of self-expression. It used to be that wedding cakes came in basic flavors like chocolate or vanilla pound. Nowadays, flavors run the gamut from chocolate truffle cake to cheesecake. Do you like the simple elegance of a round, stacked cake or do you prefer the stylish sophistication of a square cake? Cakes by Lilly is here to accommodate your tastes.

To be certain you get the best-quality cake possible, ask about the ingredients. All-natural, high quality ingredients taste best. Avoid cakes or icings made with margarine, shortening, or mixes. If it doesn't melt in your mouth, it's not made with pure butter.

Today, wedding cakes can be made with a variety of icings and filling. The two most popular choices for icing are Buttercream and Fondant. Buttercream is the most popular and, in most cases, less expensive. Rolled Fondant is popular because of its versatility and elegance.

Buttercream & Whipped Cream

For simple, natural-looking cakes, there's nothing better than Buttercream. Creamy, decadent and versatile, it's a tried and true favorite. However, always choose a filling and frosting that can last where it will be served; if it is warm, buttercream will melt or whipped cream will spoil. If it’s a cooler room, both types work well, as long as the whipped cream isn't removed from the refrigerator for long.

Fondant

Fondant is used to cover a cake and dries with a porcelain, white finish when untinted. It’s ideal for creating drapery and quilting effects, ribbons and cut-outs, and to decorate on (such as painting images). Fondant makes the cake easy to assemble; handled gently, the wedding cake tiers can just be picked up and stacked — the fondant won't smudge or smear. In addition, piping mishaps can simply be wiped clean. 

Fondant is a good choice for an outdoor summer wedding. It not only protects the cake inside, sealing in moisture, but it holds up well to sunlight, heat and humidity – Fondant won't drip or melt. Use a corresponding crumb coat and filling that can withstand as well such as a melted and strained jelly glaze, piping gel, or marzipan.

One trend in wedding cakes is using different shapes and heights of layers, sometimes mixing and matching in one cake.

Mini-cakes are one of the most popular trends today. Instead of one main wedding cake, some brides are opting to have intricately designed individual wedding cakes at each place setting, or a slightly larger wedding cake at each table. 

Another popular wedding cake option is having mini-cake or a cupcake tree. Dozens of sweetly decorated cakes are stacked and arranged in a pyramid or Christmas tree-like shape.  

If you have questions regarding Lilly’s designs, cakes, or prices, please contact us today at (860) 228-4289 or email: cakesbylilly@gmail.com.