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| Bakery workers making animal and spiral shaped bread. |
The history of cake is rich with rituals and symbolisms from different cultures and countries, all coming together to shape the cakes we know today. According to food historians, the first culture to show evidence of baking skills and interest were the ancient Egyptians. They were were probably fed up with game meat and wanted to try something new. However, they were more bread-like and instead of sugar, they were sweetened in honey. (And yup, the word cake is still of viking origin, from the norse word "kaka"... is it really pronounced like that too?) Medieval European bakers often made fruitcakes and gingerbread. These foods could last for many months.
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| The Pound Cake is a British creation that dates back to the early 1700s. |
Again, according to food historians, the precursors of modern cakes (Round one with icing) were first baked in Europe sometime in the mid-17th century. This is due to primarily to advances in technology. The first icing were usually a boiled composition of the finest available sugar, egg whites and sometimes flavourings. Many cakes made at this time still contained dried fruits like raising, currants and citrons.
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| And by the middle of the 19th century... |
Cakes got easier to make during the Industrial Revolution (1760 onwards).
Due to the invention of baking soda and baking powder, the popularity of baking cakes increased due to the ease provided to the masses. Ovens were beginning to have more temperature controlled settings which meant people could leave their cakes to bake without labouring and watching over them constantly. Railroads also made ingredients readily available and cheaper.
Symbolism of Cakes
Cakes symbolise the importance of the person you bought it for, since in the old days, ingredients like refined sugar, nuts and dried food were expensive . Although they are not as expensive today, the message still holds through. It is a way to show someone you care.
Cakes in Ancient Rituals
The Chinese celebrate the Harvest Moon festival and have moon cakes to honour their moon goddess. Russians have sun cakes called blini which are thin pancakes to pay their respect to a deity called Maslenitsa. Ancient Celts rolled cakes down a hill during the Beltane festival held on the first day of spring to imitate solar movement.
On a human level, cakes are served at special occasions (Birthdays, weddings, holidays, funerals) as they represent our best culinary offering honouring our most loved people. In "olden times" when refined sugar, spices, nuts and dried fruit were expensive as frag, it was an honour to be... honoured with a cake. Today's cakes aren't as expensive (Unless you go to those crazy tea parlour places, that aren't really worth it to be honest) and come in a huge variety of choices (Store bought, box mix, scratch, bakery special order).
But the message remains constant. Cake says: "You're important and we love you."
Why are cakes normally round?
Although cakes these days come in a variety of shapes, they tend to be traditionally round. This actually symbolises the cyclical nature of life, particularly the sun and the moon, which is probably the reason why we have cakes during important events; highlighting that we are embarking on a new journey in our life span.
Ancient breaks were also round, typically fashioned into round balls and baked in shallow pans. In the 17th century, cake hoops made from metal or wood were increasingly used.
Difference between cake, gateau and torte
Gateau, or gateaux (A french word for cake) generally denotes of items made with delicate ingredients which are best consumed soon after they confection is made. Cakes can last much longer, some even improving with age (Like fruit cake). Torte is the German word for cake, with similar properties. When tortes are multilayered and fancifully decorated they are closer to gateaux except for the fact that they can last quite nicely for several days.
Information extracted from 1 and 2.
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