The History of Cake

The sweet aroma fills up your lungs. The fluffy sponge melts in your mouth. The perfect combination of frosting, sponge, and fruits explodes in your mouth, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction like no other. A satisfaction only cake can bring. When you chow down on the cake on your plate, do ever wonder where it came from? How it was made, or what kind of genius created such a perfect dessert?  Like all of our favorite superheroes or supervillains, each and every type of cake has its own origin story.

It all starts hundreds of years ago, in the lands of ancient Egypt, where a sweet, bread-like dessert was enjoyed. These were thought to be some of first cakes. Cakes were very different from the frosting encrusted, decorative desserts that we know and love today. They were originally bread-like and were often sweetened with honey, dried fruits, and nuts. The Egyptians weren’t the only ones enjoying their cakes. The Norse joined in on the fun too. In fact, the word cake originates from the old Norse word, kaka. Kaka also means feces in many other languages; yuck, I know. By now you may be thinking, but that isn’t cake, that’s just fruit bread! The Europeans thought the same. In the mid-17th century, Europeans made the first round cakes with icing. These would be the predecessors to our cakes today. The reason why cakes are round is because the first cakes were made into a ball-like shape and then baked on low shallow pans, griddles or hearthstones. This cooking method resulted in them to finish in a round shape. Finally, in the 19th century the first modern cakes were baked. They were layered and finished with a butter-cream frosting.

We can all agree a birthday isn’t a birthday without cake. But where did the tradition of feasting on cake to celebrate birthdays originate? It is thought that birthday cakes go back to the middle ages in the land of beer and sausages, Germany. They called the celebration Kinderfest, eating cake on children’s birthdays. The candles would represent the “light of life.”  The candles are thought to have come from the Greeks. They would bake round cakes to worship Artemis, the goddess of the moon. The worshippers would then place candles on the cakes and light them, representing the glow of the moon. The smoke from the candles would send their prayers to the gods in the far reaches of the sky. Weather the prayers reached them is a mystery, but they definitely enjoyed themselves a delicious cake.

Cake has evolved and changed throughout history, but it has also taken on many unique forms. The experimentation of countless people has resulted in all our favorite types of cake. Now, imagine a wedding. The first thing that comes to mind is the bride and the groom, followed by a piano playing the iconic wedding music, and finally, a big fancy cake. But why cake? you might ask. Back in medieval times, cake was made with wheat, which represented prosperity and fertility. In the 19th century, Romans had a unique ceremony in which the groom would eat part of the wheat cake and break the rest over the bride’s head. Strange, I know, but they had their reasons. This was supposed to bless them with good fortune and a long life with many children.

Wedding cakes began to modernize into a larger shape, so they became unsuitable to break over the bride’s head. The tradition of piling up smaller cakes with icing was followed in medieval England but was soon changed to stacking them in a more solid structure by King Charles II, a French chef. The white icing of the classic wedding cake represents purity and dates back to Victorian times. Another reason that the icing was kept white was due to the ingredients of the icing. Ingredients for colored icing were difficult to obtain compared to the simpler ingredients that the white frosting required. These cakes were much simpler than the elaborate, more decorative cakes that come with most weddings today. You may think that the multilayered wedding cakes we have are expensive, but back in the day, only English royalty could enjoy them. The top layers weren’t even real cake! They were merely for show and were crafted from spun sugar. It was difficult for bakers to solve the problem of supporting the top layers. They finally figured out how to incorporate pillars and hardened frosting to make real wedding cake, bringing us to modern day, where wedding cake continues to become more intricate. Modern wedding cakes are decorated with realistic sugar flowers that are edible. They are also decked out in fancy frills and patterns that give each cake it’s own unique, magical look. 

Other sweets that may not immediately come to mind as cake, such as pancakes or cupcakes, also have their reasons. Cupcakes, every child’s favorite birthday snack, was first invented in the 19th century. The invention of cupcakes was groundbreaking because of how much easier it was to make them. Originally, cupcakes were referred to as number cakes because the measurements of the ingredients were so simple and easy to remember. The recipe only called for two cups of butter, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of milk, one spoonful of soda, and a cup of butter. The modern recipe has been altered and added upon, with there being various different flavors and decorations. The origin of the name “Cupcake” isn’t entirely known, but there are two likely theories. The more obvious of the two is that cupcakes used to be cooked in cups, and the second theory is that the ingredients measured out to bake cupcakes were by the cup.

Another favorite, much simpler cake, the pancake, has an extensive history. The “first” pancake dates back 30,000 years ago to our Neolithic ancestors. Evidence has been found of ancient flour made of cattails and ferns. This prehistoric flour is thought to have been mixed with water and cooked on hot, greased rock. “That’s not a pancake!” you might say, and yes, although the primal blob that our ancestors made might not have been what you imagine as a classic flapjack, it technically is the first pancake. Our next step in the evolution of pancakes skips right to Rome in first century AD. The Romans created a very ancient form of pancake that was called Alita Dolcia, which translates to “Another Sweet.” It was a very simple dish, calling for eggs, milk, flour, and spices. By the 15th century, a more recognizable type of pancake was being made across Europe, adding wheat, flour, cornmeal, or buckwheat to the original recipe. The next relative to modern pancakes was a breakfast food called “Pannekoek” (sound familiar?) and was enjoyed in Friesland on special occasions back in the 18th century. In the American colonies, pancakes were often referred to as johnnycakes, hoecakes, or flapjacks. Recipes for these were recorded in the first all-American cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, published in 1796. These recipes called for milk, indian meal, molasses and eggs. Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson was a fan of pancakes, and he sent a copy of the recipe to his residence. The recipe was picked up by French chef Etienne Lemaire. He would soon continue to create what we call crepes today.

All cakes have unique, intriguing origins. From 30,000 years ago to our modern day, cakes have taken on my many different shapes and sizes. Each cake has been passed down through families, books, and word of mouth, evolving as the years passed. The next time you eat cake, whether it be pancakes for breakfast, or chocolate cake at a party, remember that every bite you take is thanks to hundreds, or even thousands of years of baking.

-Tomoki Cooper