Traditional Wedding Cakes around the World

Wedding cakes are undoubtedly an essential part of any wedding reception, traditional or modern. The traditions surrounding wedding cakes differ around the world, however, and with many couples now deciding to add personal touches to their weddings these world traditions are making a comeback in the U.S. A cake that represents your family’s heritage is a nice way to honor your routes and look back on a day when all eyes are looking to the future. It's not always about the largest and most expensive cake. Here are some tips from other cultures; some of which could save you money on your wedding cake. In other cases they are simply a fun wedding cake alternative.

In the U.S.A, wedding cakes are typically multi-layered and highly decorated. The wedding cake flavors is subject to personal opinion but there are some standard flavors and wedding cake icing choices. This traditional style, however is now making way for older, more culturally diverse cakes.

In the U.K, traditional denotes that the bride and groom commission a fruit-cake for their wedding breakfast. The fruitcake is covered with marzipan, iced and decorated in exactly the same manner as in the U.S. Externally, a traditional British wedding cake may not look at all different to a wedding cake from the U.S, but the taste is entirely different.

In the Caribbean, fruitcakes are also traditionally made for wedding receptions, often soaked with rum or wine. There, wedding cakes are kept hidden at the reception under a white tablecloth.  Guests give money to the bride and groom as payment for viewing the cake.  Family members not in attendance can enjoy the cake too, their slice is mailed to them across the island. 
 
Typically, Japanese wedding cakes are a little more bizarre.  There, plastic or wax stand-ins are used as the centerpiece for the reception.  These can be elaborate without the high expense of cake decoration.  Modest sheet cakes are kept out of sight in the kitchen and served to guests.  Don’t think that this stops the Japanese from having a traditional cake cutting ceremony however.  The false cakes are made with a groove to fit the knife, making the photo opportunity just as significant as with a real cake.

Traditional wedding cakes from Iceland are tiered in the same way as cakes from the United States but their appearance is slightly different. Kransekake, or ring cake, is consists of a series of ring-shaped cakes stacked on top of each other. These distinctly almond-flavored rings are often decorated with marzipan. The hollow area in the middle of the stack can be filled with candies, chocolates, or snugly holds a bottle of wine.

Of course, some areas of the world offer an entirely different take on the wedding cake. In the Ukraine, wedding cakes aren’t cakes at all. Here weddings are celebrated with a traditional bread-like dessert known as Korovai. The Korovai is decorated with symbols denoting the merging of two families and is considered to be a sacred part of the wedding ceremony.

Wherever your family is routed, the decision to honor that culture can add a great deal of personal meaning to a wedding celebration. A cake that represents your family’s heritage is a nice way to honor your routes and look backward on a day when all eyes are looking to the future and not just a place to stick a cake topper for wedding cakes.