Poor Marie Antoinette. Ignited a revolution and paid for it all by being executed at the guillotine, yet she continues to be denounced for that one unfortunate phrase uttered in a moment of panic. What was a poor little filthy rich queen to do anyway? The Paris mob was out of control, Versailles Palace was infested by rats, and that silly financial crisis just would not end. The King Louis XVI was more to blame in any case. Him, the Comtesse du Barry, and that incredible Diamond Necklace.

There is historical evidence to suggest that the infamous remark attributed to the Queen was perhaps not as callous as it seems to our 21st century sensibilities. Simply because until around the mid-18th century the difference between cake and bread was not so distinct. The ancient Romans tended to add eggs and butter to bread dough which gave it a very cake-like consistency, while early English cakes were virtually bread — round, flat and hard — sweetened with honey. Cakes as we see them today — sweet, soft, squishy — have nothing in common with the original ‘Kaka’ that were made by the Vikings. Flat rounds of crushed grain baked on hot stones, they were both eaten by humans and offered to the gods.

The rise of cakes (pun intended) as we know them today was fuelled by world events. The invention of baking soda and baking powder during the Industrial Revolution simplified the process of baking cakes and thereby increased its popularity. This was also the period in which ovens with more temperature controlled settings were developed so people no longer had to fret and constantly watch over their cake pans. The Great Depression witnessed the advent of cake mix sold in boxes. It was a means of providing cheap yet satisfying food to the masses who were suffering severe financial hardships.

The marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 introduced the world to white wedding cake. In England cakes had been used to celebrate the unions of bride and groom long before 1840, but it was usually plum cake or fruit cake that did the honours. The royal wedding cake changed the trend overnight. Weighing nearly 300 pounds and measuring three yards in circumference and about 14 inches in thickness, it was pure white in colour, made with white sponge and white icing. At the time white icing was something only the rich could afford as it involved the purchase of very white and refined sugar.

Birthdays, weddings, Eid, Christmas ... cakes are a must for all festivals

A lady-in-waiting of the Queen-Empress is credited with founding the tradition of afternoon tea which included cake. Lady Bedford realised that she felt peckish at around 4pm every day. Luncheon had been consumed some while ago around noon and dinner would not be served until much later in the evening. Something was needed to lift one’s spirits during the in-between time, so what better than sweet cakes, sandwiches and a pot of hot tea.

Queen Victoria not only approved of the practice she also adopted it and by the 1860s afternoon tea had become a national craze. The traditional Victoria sandwich cake consisting of two layers of buttery sponge cake with cream and raspberry jam in the middle was created around this time and named in honour of the beloved monarch.

Sponge cake, bundt cake, carrot cake, fruit cake, black forest cake, even banana bread are just some of the many kinds of cakes and cake-like goods baked in ovens around the world. Gateau and torte are included among the long list. Gateau means ‘fine bread’ in French and probably best described as ‘a fairly unremarkable sponge [which] is in most cases simply an excuse for lavish layers of cream and fruit ornamentation’. So while a gateau qualifies as a cake, a cake does not always fit the definition of a gateau.

Tortes, which originated in Spain, are a rich, multi-layered cake filled with cream, jam and/or fruit. A torte may be made without flour; its key ingredients are usually ground nuts or crumbs, as well as sugar, eggs and flavourings.

Cupcakes hold a very special place in the cake family. Americans can claim to be the originators of this delightful treat since the first known mention of cupcake is found in the recipe for “a cake to be baked in small cups” in a book called American Cookery written by Amelia Simmons in 1796.

Cake balls are also an American invention, this one popularised in recent years by Dallas resident Robin Ankeny who used her mother’s recipe to start a business called The Cake Ball Company. Cake balls, like cupcakes, are portable, affordable and perfectly sized for people who just want a taste of sweetness. Stick the cake ball on a stick and you have cake pops which are popular features at birthday parties and bridal showers.

Birthdays, weddings, Christmas, Eid … cakes will be found at almost every celebration. Sweet and festive, they are the perfect gift to give and receive at joyous occasions. So on this Eid, if anyone is looking to give away a German Chocolate cake generously topped with caramel and roasted coconut — you need look no further.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 3rd, 2014