Cakes, Cakes, Cakes – The Best Sugary Sweet Ever!

So what’s your favourite sweet? Most people won’t take but a second to say ‘cake’.

It is certainly the king of desserts and for many it is the ultimate symbol of a joyous celebration. In fact many people associate a certain type of cake with fond remembrances and some cakes even evoke nostalgia.

There is a cake for every taste possible. While some of the most famous cakes around the world have chocolate as the main flavour, there are some people who are not fond of chocolate and yet they don’t lack a sweet favourite as there are many delightful options for them as well.

The sweet history of cakes

The word ‘cake’ comes from the Norse word ‘kaka’. The very first culture to show baking skills was that of the ancient Egyptians. Their cakes were more like bread in terms of appearance and honey was used to sweeten them up.

The Grecian cake version was a cheesecake while the Romans were more into fruitcakes with nuts, fruits and raisins baked into their cakes.

Most modern cakes owe their origins to Europe, circa 17th century, where they were baked due to easy access to ingredients. In fact, icing too was most likely developed in those times with the earliest version comprising egg whites, sugar and flavouring boiled together. The cakes of those days had dried fruits inside.

The modern cake, as in the ones we have now, came about in the 19th century. Cakes were quite a ‘luxury’ item as chocolate and sugar were quite expensive. Then, cakes were made using baking powder and extra refined white flour. The icing of yore gave way to buttercream frosting.

Technological advancements, like temperature controlled ovens, slowly made the lives of bakers easier as they no longer had to keep checking if the cakes were done. Also, ingredients became cheaper over time which meant that people could easily buy them and make cakes at home.

Cakes for birthdays

Can you imagine a birthday without a cake?

While cakes are ubiquitous when it comes to celebrations of all kinds, birthdays are incomplete without them.

The ancient Grecians celebrated the births of their gods with a lot of pomp. Goddess Artemis’s birthday was celebrated with a round cake and decorated with candles so it would resemble a moon and glow like it too!

In Germany, around the 13th century, kids started celebrating their birthdays with cakes that had candles on them. These candles symbolized the ‘light of life’ with one candle for each year and an extra one for the continuity of life.

These delicious delights have different traditions in different countries but the one factor that remains the same is the sweetness they spread in the hearts of the eaters.

For any celebration at home, the very first thing of the list of must-have eats is a yummy cake. And for your special event, you can head over to Avon Bakers to get that perfect confection that will make your day even more delightful and divine.