Wedding Cake

A wedding cake is the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding reception after a wedding. In modern western culture, it is usually a large cake, multi-layered or tiered, and heavily decorated with icing, occasionally over a layer of marzipan or fondant, topped with a small statue representing the couple. Other common motifs include doves, gold rings and horseshoes, the latter symbolising good luck. Achieving a dense, strong cake that can support the decorations while remaining edible can be considered the epitome of the baker's art and skill. Tradition generally requires that the first cut of the cake be performed by bride and groom together, often with a ceremonial knife or even a sword.
Tradition may also dictate that the bride and groom feed the first bites of this cake to each other. This may symbolize the new family unit formed and the replacement of the old parent-child union.