Much Ado About Groom's Cakes

I'll admit, as a damn Yankee, having grown up in New Hampshire, the first time I ever heard the words "groom's cake" was well into my adulthood. With the majority of my cake-making history having been rooted in Georgia, however, the concept of creating a groom's cake to accompany the wedding cake is not foreign to me.

The concept of the groom's cake originated in Victorian times, but is most frequently attributed to the American South. The idea was that, back in the day, the bridal cake was pretty boring. It was usually a white or vanilla cake, frosted with vanilla buttercream, with white decorations. Yawn.

So it became commonplace for the groom to order a chocolate cake for himself, often frosted with chocolate frosting and decorated with fruit, to add a little variety to the dessert selection, and provide something that wouldn't put him and the groomsmen to sleep.

The groom's cake has evolved greatly over the years, however, with much of the transformation happening in the short time I have been in the cake industry.

At first, the groom would order a logo on top of the chocolate cake instead of fruit. Usually it was an alma mater or a fraternity.

Then it started to incorporate sculpted elements, maybe a solid chocolate replica of his pet, or something having to do with his profession.

Which then, of course, evolved into the sculpted groom's cake as we know them today. Now, I frequently create three-dimensional sports stadiums for the groom's cake, which can sometimes cost up to thousands of dollars. Oftentimes, the cake is something that reflects an interest that both the bride and the groom have.

Some of my favorite groom's cakes have included:

1) A half-constructed house, with the construction-worker groom outside in hunting garb, and a scared-looking deer peeking around the corner of the house.

2) A replica of Clemson's football stadium, with the bride and the groom tailgating out in the cake-parking-lot.

3) Han Solo in Carbonite.

4) A cruise ship pulling a dinghy with the groom hanging pathetically out of it, with a banner reading "You Have Been Adrift Long Enough".

5) A fondant cut-out of the couple's dog drinking a Dos Equis, with the description "The Most Interesting Dog in the World".

So as you can see, the sky is the limit when it comes to groom's cakes! And listen - it doesn't have to be chocolate anymore, either! Usually the groom's cake is still a fun flavor. We often create them out of banana cake, red velvet, or chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse.

So start making a list of all your groom's favorite things, now!