“Let them eat cake!” – Perhaps the most famous quote about cake ever by French queen, Marie Antoinette upon being informed that the peasants were so poor that they had no bread to eat.
Needless to say, her ignorance and arrogance did not win her or her husband King Louis XVI any respect or sympathy from their subjects, who then proceeded to behead them both during the French Revolution!
None of this changes the fact that cakes are arguably one of the most delicious baked goods that humans have ever made to eat, and the vast number of recipes and types of cake available continue to amaze.
Not to mention the surfeit of hugely popular television series such as Great British Bake Off, Buddy Valastro’s Cake Boss, Cake Wars and many more.
For all those reasons alone, it is obvious that the cake is more than a little deserving of its own commemoration –”Cake Day” – which is observed every year on November 26.
The first cakes – called plakous – were made in Ancient Greece and consisted of flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts, and honey.
The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word cake back to the 13th century and was derived from the Viking word kaka (boy are we thankful it was changed!).
Today cakes are everywhere – the centrepiece at weddings and birthdays, the star attraction at tea parties and a religious symbol in many countries around the world during holidays and celebrations.
Whether chocolate or carrot, cheesecake or red velvet, pretty much everyone enjoys a slice of cake!
Source: JAG Communications
