London-based Violet Cakes, owned by Claire Ptak, has been chosen for the prestigious job of royal cake baker for when the royal couple tie the knot on 19th May. The bakery is located in a quiet but fashionable area of Dalston, where it sits alongside designer homeware and fashion retailers.
Harry and Meghan will be getting married in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle at midday, followed by a procession around Windsor in a horse-drawn carriage at 1pm, before heading back to Windsor Castle for their reception.
Royal baker
Violet Cakes was launched by Californian pastry chef Ptak after she came to live in the UK in 2005. Initially, she started a baking business from her own home, later renting a market stall, before moving to permanent premises in 2010.
She is following in the family tradition, as her grandmother and mother were also bakers. Ptak's bakery is famous for having queues snaking round the block every Saturday morning, while the café is always buzzing, no matter what day of the week it is.
Kensington Palace released an official statement, confirming that the prince and his bride-to-be had asked for a lemon elderflower cake that incorporated the "bright flavours of spring". The exact size and design of the cake (and its cost) have so far been kept under wraps.
Tradition and protocol
It is not yet known if the royal couple will follow the tradition of having a second cake. Prince William and Kate Middleton had two cakes at their wedding on 29th April 2011. The main one was a multi-tiered traditional fruitcake, but the prince also asked for his childhood favourite - chocolate biscuit cake - as his groom’s cake.
It is also not known whether Harry and Meghan will follow royal protocol by not serving the cake at the reception, instead cutting it up and either sending it out as gifts, or letting guests eat it at their leisure afterwards.
Prince William and Kate chose to follow protocol and it was reported how their eight-tier wedding cake (created by Fiona Cairns) was cut into around 4,600 slices. After the cake had been on display, more than 600 slices were given out to guests in person and the remainder were posted out as gifts.
Historic royal cakes
The royal wedding cake is traditionally a subject of great media interest and Harry and Meghan will be following in the footsteps of a long line of royals who have enjoyed truly spectacular masterpieces.
When Prince Charles and Camilla wed in 2005, their fruit cake weighed in at a hefty 17 stone and took around 130 hours to decorate. The ingredients included 20 bottles of brandy. The bakers, Lincolnshire-based Sophisticake, made an extra 2,500 slices to go inside commemorative tins.
Prince Charles and Diana's cake in July 1981 was a 5ft-high fruit cake that weighed 18 stone and was covered in a cream cheese frosting. It was created by the head baker of the Naval Armed Forces, David Armery.
When the Queen and Prince Phillip married in November 1947, their spectacular cake was one of the tallest in royal history. The towering, ornate cake was 9ft tall and featured precision-carved cathedral-like designs. The Australian Girl Guides had given the queen the ingredients and the cake was cut initially with Prince Philip’s famous Mountbatten sword.
Going back to the 19th century, the wedding cake of Victoria and Albert in 1840 was made from "exquisite" ingredients, blended together in "delightful harmony", according to reports of the day. The cake weighed 300lbs and was decorated with pure white icing sugar. Figurines on top depicted Britannia blessing a bride and groom.
Perhaps the most spectacular royal wedding cake was that of former actress Grace Kelly at her wedding to Monaco's Prince Rainier in April 1956. The multi-tiered cake featured a built-in cage in the upper tiers that held two live turtles for "decoration" - proving that spending a massive amount of money doesn't necessarily mean you're blessed with good taste!
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