A Sneak Peek into the History of the Birthday Cakes

Cake cutting has been associated with birthday celebrations since ages. The warm wishes, love, and gifts pouring in from friends and family make birthday celebrations even more exciting. And the touch of the famous loud-and-long Happy Birthday song adds music to it. But have you ever wondered why people cut the cake on their birthday and where did this tradition come from? Read further to know about the evolution of the famous cake cutting ceremony at birthday parties.

In Roman culture, the cakes were occasionally served as a gesture during wedding ceremonies. In those times, cakes were made in flat circles using nuts and flour, which were sweetened with honey. During the 15^th century AD, the bakeries in Germany introduced one-layered cakes for the birthdays and busted the myth that cake can only be cut on the occasion of a wedding. And that’s how birthday cakes came into tradition.

Further, we will talk about the origin of popular lip-smacking cakes around the world.

Table of Contents

Chocolate Cake

The history of chocolate cake goes back to 1764 when Dr. James Baker discovered to make chocolate by grinding cocoa beans between circular millstones. In 1828, Conrad Van Houten developed a method where he used a mechanical extraction process to extract the fat from cacao liquor, which resulted in cacao butter and defatted cacao. In 1879, the process of making smoother chocolate was developed by Swiss Rodolphe that is known as conching. This method made it easier to bake with chocolate as it mixes smoothly with cake batters. In the 1980’s chocolate decadence cakes become extremely popular. The chocolate cupcakes are also savoured worldwide during festivals and special occasions.

Black Forest Cake

The Black Forest cake is one of the most desirable birthday cakes for girls, boys, and adults. This cake has a rich history that spread all over Germany since the 1930s. Known as the classic German cake, it has multiple layers of chocolate sponge cake, cherries, and whipped cream. A possible origin story states that the cake was created by people living near the black forest region in Germany. Another story claims that the name of the Black Forest cake is inspired by the traditional costume of the women living in the Black Forest region- a black dress (like the chocolate flakes), a white blouse (like the cream), and a hat that has red pom-poms (like the cherries) on top. Similarly, according to another origin story, the website of the Café Schaefer professes that the credit for the creation of black forest cake goes to Josef Keller, a pastry chef who handed down his recipe book to his apprentice turned co-worker, August Schaefer. The book had the recipe for the black forest cake.

Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a much-loved dessert around the world. The first cheesecake was created on the Greek island of Samos. In Greece, cheesecakes are considered to be a good source of energy, and there are evidences that it was served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. The cheesecake was also served as a wedding cake in Greece. The writer Athenaeus was recognised for writing the first Greek cheesecake recipe in 230 A.D. When the Romans conquered Greece, they modified the cheesecake recipe by including crushed cheese and eggs to it. The ingredients were baked under a hot brick and the prepared cake was served warm. As the Roman Empire expanded, they brought cheesecake recipes to the Europeans. In the 18^th century, the cheesecake started looking the way it looks now.

Tiramisu Cake

The Italian translation for tiramisu is “carry me up.” Tiramisu was originally made as a loose custard but in recent years using mascarpone cheese in preparation of tiramisu cake has become a trend. The tiramisu cake is believed to be Venetian in origin, which was invented in the 1960’s. The dessert is first claimed to be created by a confectioner named Roberto Linguanotto, the owner of “Le Beccherie.” Statement by Carminantonio Iannaccone claims that the tiramisu sold at Le Beccherie was first made by him in his bakery on 24^th December 1969. Some other sources claim the creation of the tiramisu cake originated towards the end of the 17th century in Siena in honour of Grand Duke Cosimo.

Reading about the interesting origin of these cakes will definitely leave you craving for them. You can order these cakes online to relish with your loved ones on special occasions or whenever you feel like.

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