Critical Review Source 2

“The Wedding Cake… History, Customs, and Traditions” has good information on the cake that is dated back as far as the Roman Empire. It gives details to early traditions that led to the practice of new ones. Wedding cakes started to become popular during the 19^th century. There is also symbolism to wedding cakes being white representing purity. Previous to the symbolism white cakes were commonly used because ingredients to make the icing for the cake were hard to acquire. The traditional cutting of the cake is also symbolic to the bride and groom joining as husband and wife. Finally. The multi-tiered cakes originated from the English royalty for appearance purposes only, but today they are more commonly used.

I really liked this article because of how informational it was. It did a great job of showing how traditions and customs come about and how they relate to each other. I learned from this article the reason for some of these traditions. The article states “after the cake cutting ceremony, the couple proceed to feed one another from the first slice, this provides another lovely piece of symbolism, the mutual commitment of bride and groom to provide for one another”. I always thought that the couple did that for fun.

"The Wedding Cake... History, Customs, and Traditions." Hudson Valley Weddings 26.http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/cakehistory.htm.

Critical Review Source 1

Elaine Macgregor wrote Wedding Cakes: 25 Original Cake Designs. She began this book with an introduction to the importance of cakes in various cultures. The decorating of the cake has become a crucial tradition in weddings as well as many other events. There are many instructions for different ways to be creative while decorating. Along with the instructions were recipes for baking delicious cakes.

I found this book very helpful because of how easy it was to follow the instructions of new decorating techniques. One tip that has really helped me from this book is that “a characteristic of good cake design is as much in what is left off as in what is put on” (Macgregor 6). The author also did a great job of explaining herself with pictures and descriptive captions. This book has been very helpful for me because it was very informative about the history of cake decorating, and it gave me many helpful tips that have really improved my skills.

Macgregor, Elaine. Wedding Cakes: 25 Original Cake Designs. London: Merehurst Limited, 1995.