Traditions and Facts About a Birthday Cake
A birthday cake draws a crowd when it is served at a birthday party. A birthday cake can be a small cake full of frosting and eaten like a piece of cake. Other birthday cakes are usually layered cakes with several frosting layers served with a small lit candle on top reflecting the celebrant’s birthday. Other variations include tarts, cupcakes, cakes, and pies. All birthday cakes have one thing in common, they need to be decorated with birthday cake decorations.
Decorating a Birthday Cake
Decorating a birthday cake starts with the base or the bottom of the cake. Most birthday cake designs have an icing of some sort covering the bottom of the cake. There will also be some sort of topping on the cake depending on the celebrant. The most popular toppings are fruit, almonds, cherries, sugar sprinkles, candy floss, bark, pretzels, buttercream, peanut butter, cinnamon, kiwi slices, raisins, marshmallows, chocolate chips, gum drops, and more.
Some History
The tradition of baking a birthday cake dates back to many centuries. In fact, in some parts of the world, birthday cakes and other sweets are given as gifts during birthday celebrations. In America, the tradition of baking a birthday cake began in the late 1800s. The origin story of this tradition is not clear, but some historians believe that it may have stemmed from the practice of giving cakes to mourners following a funeral.
As time passed, other countries began to enjoy the sweet treat of a birthday cake. These cakes started to be called birthdays by the 1930s. At that time, many couples chose to have a “wedding cake” with the names of the bride and groom on it. Today, any flavours and colours are usually left up to the baker’s discretion.
Popular Options
One of the most popular options for a birthday cake flavour today is chocolate frosting. When using chocolate frosting it is usually decorated with a theme. Some popular themes include flowers, butterflies, hearts, and purses. If a theme is not involved, other options include elegant swirls, layers, and fondant or fondue topping. Another option is to have a chocolate frosting that is coloured like the wedding colour scheme.
In addition to the traditional birthday cake, many bakeries will also give a birthday cake to a guest upon arrival at a birthday party. For instance, at a baby birthday party, the guests will receive a small cake when they arrive. The tradition started with a German baby birthday party when the guests received a cake with a birthday candle on it. The candle was lit and the cake was shared by the baby’s parents and their friends.
Cake Toppings
Most bakeries offer a large variety of food cake toppings. Some of the more common ones include fruit, nuts, chocolate cake, and carrot cake. A birthday cake may be served as a dessert before or after a meal. It is not uncommon to have a birthday cake served along with coffee, tea or a snack. This allows the guest to munch while they wait for the main meal to be served. Some guests may even prefer a cheese platter with the birthday cake.
To have a birthday cake that can be personalized a bit more, a person may want to have a custom birthday cake. Many companies will make a birthday cake with a person’s name or a special message on it. Some companies will do this for a set fee. These types of cakes are usually more elaborate and require a bit more skill on the part of the bakers. A simple homemade birthday cake may still be customized however, there are many great online resources where a person can find great ideas and great recipes for making a birthday cake.
