Birthdays, anniversaries, even senior graduation celebrations – there is no question that cake is the ultimate dessert for almost any celebratory occasion. Regardless of the flavors you enjoy, the modern diversity of cake is endless, with an option for everyone and variations available from every part of the world. However, this dessert is not just a mere party favor; rather, cake has undergone a long and storied history filled with surprising significance. Let’s take a look at the events that brought us this crowd-pleasing treat.
3100 B.C. – 300 A.D.
On the banks of the Nile, the Ancient Egyptians were the first to exhibit baking skills using hot sands and ashes as ovens. They created savory bread-like foodstuffs which were consumed by all levels of society; however, the sweet flavor that we associate with cake had not yet developed. Breads and baked goods served as a staple in the Egyptian diet, and a vehicle for new innovations surrounding baking, such as ceramic ovens.
800 B.C. – 146 A.D.
As baking technologies spread across the Mediterranean, the Ancient Greeks began to morph the treat into the sweet dessert that we know today. They used honey, herbs, and berries in their baked goods, and new variations on the bread theme – such as something similar to the modern sponge cake – became available. Hellenic ovens, which were far more efficient than their Egyptian counterparts, aided in the distribution of baked goods to the general public. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, the Ancient Greeks used raisins, nuts and other fruits to sweeten their own primitive version of cake.
793 A.D. – 1066 A.D.
The Vikings were the first to coin an official term for cake: “kaka”. Like the Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples, they used honey to sweeten their baked treats, and they also began to incorporate eggs, sugar, and refined flour in their baking.
1600 A.D.
Modern cake began to take shape with increased access to sugar in 17th-century Europe. With the development of new technology, such as cake molds and advanced ovens, Europeans began to create the quintessential round, icing-laden cakes; while more sugar was used, it was a remarkably expensive ingredient, so currants and fruits were still included in most of these treats. The enjoyment of cake, especially those made with sugar, was largely limited to the very wealthy and to nobility – those of lower socioeconomic stature were generally restricted to the consumption of bread.
18th century A.D.
As a means to influence politics prior to their suffrage, women baked “election cakes” in the United States. One of the biggest fears of male voters at the time was that, if granted advanced rights, women would then abandon the kitchen (and their duties to their husbands). To pacify this fear, housewives across the nation baked these “election cakes”, which largely resembled what we now know as coffee cake. Women also used these cakes to subtly influence their husbands and male peers – by serving them cake, women thus made them more readily available to lend an ear to the political issues that were important to them.
19th century A.D.
As flour became more refined and baking powder replaced yeast, cake made the final transition away from the breads of ancient times and into a widely enjoyed and irrevocably famous dessert. The Cassell’s New Universal Cookery Book, an 1894 London cookbook, is one of the first on record to contain mention of “American layer cake” (if you’ve ever been fed cake at school, it was likely this versatile variant). As the 20th century approached, buttercream frostings – which used the titular butter, as well as cream and powdered sugar, to create a denser and more easily sculpted frosting – gained popularity.
1900 A.D. – present day
Following the Industrial Revolution, the previously expensive sugar as well as advanced baking technologies became far more readily available, especially in the United States. New variants began to spring up, including “gateaux” in France (cake with fresh decoration, such as fruits, that is best consumed right after preparation) and all manner of cheesecakes. Baking has also proved to be a powerful means of unification and political statement; for example, organization Bakers Against Racism, which was founded in 2020, recently raised over $2.5 million for civil rights organizations. Individual bakers have also exercised influence, with New York-based baker Natasha Pickowicz raising several hundred thousand dollars with her bake sales in support of reproductive rights.
Whether you are a fan of chocolate or vanilla, buttercream or cream cheese frosting, layer cake or cheesecake – cake as we know it today is remarkably versatile, with a seeming place in almost every celebration. While most of us enjoy cake as a domestic and generally unassuming treat, though, it also has the potential to wield large amounts of influence and power. When used as a vehicle for change, this dessert – which took thousands of years to perfect – truly takes the cake.
Sources:
”Why Cakes Can Be a Powerful Form of Protest”, Jenny Comita
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/baking-ancient-egypt
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1827/sacred-cakes-in-ancient-greece/
