Chinese Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are the center of the reception celebration following a wedding. In the Asian culture Chinese wedding cakes are elaborate and highly colored and many times have images of animals from the Chinese culture emblazoned on them for luck and strength.
The coloring of the cakes and the designs used come from the rich culture of the Chinese people. The use of animals such as dragons and birds in the Chinese wedding cake is a way to bring luck to the couple in their married lives. Modern Chinese wedding cakes incorporate the beauty of the past with modern cake technology to create striking designs.
The colors used in the Chinese wedding cakes come directly from the ancestry of the Chinese people. Bright reds and golds are combined with black and brown accents. A Chinese wedding cake incorporates several brightly colored layers with a common theme which is determined by the wedding party. It is not uncommon to see bright red layers with gold and black Chinese words for love and luck to the married couple.
Another form of decoration which is used frequently in a Chinese wedding cake is traditional Chinese flowers like the lotus flower and cherry blossoms. Some Chinese wedding cakes have cherry blossoms hand painted or made from sugar on each individual layer. Others use fresh flowers between the layers which are also used in the wedding for the bouquet and decorations.
Animals also play a very important role in the Chinese wedding cake. Through history the Chinese culture is steeped with animals as images for strength and luck. As such, these animals are also used to decorate the Chinese wedding cake.
A common design for a Chinese wedding cake has a Chinese dragon winding up the layers to the top of the cake. The Chinese dragon symbolizes the strength of the marriage and is said to give the couple future luck in marriage. A dragon and bird or phoenix can also be included on a Chinese wedding cake to represent the betrothed couple.
Another animal that is frequently used in a Chinese wedding cake is birds. Cranes can be seen on wedding cakes to represent the bride and groom. Many times the toppers of the Chinese wedding cake feature a couple of cranes either in flight or standing beside each other.
Some couples mingle their Chinese culture with American philosophies when creating a Chinese wedding cake. These cakes can be more subdued with traditional coloring however it will still contain the symbolism expected of the Chinese culture.
Many times today you will see a standard tiered wedding cake adorned with flowers with an intricate wedding cake topper with the symbolism of the Chinese philosophy. Simply having two dragons in crystal or the symbols for double peace or love will give a traditional wedding cake what is needed to enable a Chinese themed wedding.
In the Chinese culture a wedding is a very symbolic event between couples. Everything from the clothes that are worn, the food that is served and the design of the Chinese wedding cake has roots in the culture of the Chinese people.