Cake is the dessert of choice for many celebrations. Everyone likes celebrating with something sweet! But birthdays were once cake-less and cake wasn’t always so moist and fluffy. It took centuries for cake to become the treat we enjoy today!
Cake was sacred in the ancient world
Bread has been around for thousands of years, but the ancient Egyptians were probably the first to sweeten it. They mixed barley flour with honey, nuts, and fruit to create a sweet flatbread. The Egyptians thought this food was so divine (tasting) that they offered to it to their gods! Later, the ancient Greeks and Romans created their own sweet flatbread recipes with cheese and spices.
The Vikings named cake
Vikings are commonly thought of as bloodthirsty warriors, but home life was actually an important part of their culture! Viking women made practical clothing and ornate accessories, and Viking houses were built with large ovens for preparing food. One of their staple dishes was kaka, a type of flatbread. Historians think the word “kaka” inspired the English word “cake” - both words sound and are spelled similarly, and they both refer to bread!
Cake, but make it fancy
In Medieval Europe, weddings and other important events were marked with increasingly elaborate celebrations. To meet the demand for occasion-ready food, bakers began piping icing onto the cakes and topping them with edible flowers and fruit. This was the first recorded occasion of cakes being decorated. It makes since, because a cake was sometimes the centerpiece of the entire party!
The cake Renaissance (during the regular Renaissance)
The Renaissance was a great time of scientific and artistic innovation when Europeans uncovered forgotten wisdom from the ancient world. Famous artists and thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo lived during this time. Surrounded by all this change, bakers used their own creativity to transform cake! Ingredients like sugar and butter were added to cake recipes and new types of cake were introduced. Sponge cake was probably invented as a dessert by the Spanish, but today, many Spaniards eat it for breakfast!
Baking powder power!
In the 1800s, baking powder became widely available to home bakers and professional bakers. Instead of using labor-intensive processes to make cake dough rise, bakers could simply add baking powder! Cakes made with baking powder were also much fluffier than those made with yeast or without a leavening agent. Baking powder requires an acid in the dough to activate it, so people quickly began including a small amount of lemon juice, vinegar, or even sour milk in their recipes. Cake has been airy ever since!
Even if it’s just a regular day, you deserve a slice of cake - or whatever treat you like! What’s your favorite baked dessert? Click the blue button below to vote! 👓