Frosted cakes have been a staple dessert for many years. They have been used to celebrate special occasions with personalized decorations. Many of these cakes had flowers and writing on them. Elaborate cakes consisted more of various tiers than fancy decorations. All of that has changed. Modern cakes are now works of art. The people who make them specialize in creating colourful desserts that are a monument to whatever occasion is being celebrated.
Flat cakes are out these days. Even at children's parties, cakes must have volume, shape and a variety of bright colours. If a child has a favourite cartoon character, the cake must be that character in their signature pose. While difficult, a happy birthday message and the child's name will be somewhere on the cake. The visual impact of the cake is more important than any written message. These types of cakes have been a huge hit with children and their parents.
Special occasions such as graduation or being the winning team have also been recognized in modern cake décor. A sheet cake no longer graces the dessert table. It has been replaced by a cake that shows the favourite pastimes of the graduate or the trophy the team has won. Each cake is a representation of the event being celebrated. A full range of colours and styles are available. If the important soccer match has been won, the cake may represent the stadium where it was played. A graduate's cake may have the colours of the school and a diploma complete with the graduate's name.
More events than ever before are being celebrated with cake. The marriage of modern grooms is one example. In the past, grooms were an overall small part of the wedding. Their involvement was to show up and get married because the bride made most of the wedding choices. As more grooms are becoming involved in wedding plans, they now have a special cake of their own. Groom cakes sit beside the main wedding cake. They are decorated to reflect special memories and interests of the groom and are made of a flavour chosen just for him.