History of Birthday Cakes
Cakes date back to ancient times; however, they were very different then. According to food historians, ancient Egyptians were the first to show evidence of advanced baking skills. The ancient Greeks made round or moon-shaped honey cakes or bread and offered it at the temple of Artemis: The Moon Goddess.
A later tradition of birthday cakes started in Germany in the middle ages. Sweetened bread dough made in the shape of baby Jesus, in swaddling cloth, was used to commemorate his birthday. This special birthday cake later re-emerged in Germany during children's birthday celebrations a.k.a. Kinder Fest. Germans also baked another special kind of layered cake called Geburtstagorten. This was sweeter than the ubiquitous coarse, bread-like cake.
Centuries Ago …
In medieval England, symbolic objects like coins, rings and thimbles were often added to the cake batter. It was believed that the one who found the coin would be wealthy, whereas the unfortunate finder of the thimble would never marry. And if the cake happened to fall, the bad omen symbolized terrible luck for the person in the coming year.
Halfway through the 17th century, Europeans had made considerable advancement in the art of cake-making. They'd begun to create the precursor to today's modern cakes. This was mainly thanks to technological development: reliable ovens, food moulds and refined sugar to make icing. Round cake hoops of wood and metal began to be used as moulds.
Progress, a sweet progress
The first icing was made from a boiled composition of the finest available sugar, egg whites and various flavors. It was then poured on the cake, which was put back into the oven for a while. The cake was soon crowned with a hard, glossy, ice-like covering. Molded cakes and fancy icing was hugely popular in Victorian times. The art of baking cakes progressed through the ages, and it was not until the middle of the 19th century that the modern cake as we now know it was born. The taste and appearance was enhanced with extra-refined white flour and baking powder (instead of yeast).
In the 21st century:
The 'World's Largest Birthday Cake' was on display at Cashman Center in Las Vegas on Nevada May 15, 2005. The 1,30,000-pound cake, made as part of the City of Las Vegas' Centennial celebration, was 102-feet long, 52-feet wide and 20 inches tall, and took 500 volunteers 14 hours to construct and decorate. A Sara Lee Foods facility in Tarboro, North Carolina baked the 30,240 half-sheet cakes needed for the project.
Across the world, several specialist areas of cake-making and decorating have emerged. From multiple-tier, ornate wedding cakes to naughty bachelor(ette) party customized creations and oh-so-cute cartoon character moulds for kiddie birthday; there are cakes to make each special occasion all the more special.
