What was the Royal Wedding cake and who is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s cakemaker Claire Ptak?

PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot on May 19, 2018 at St Geoge’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

And no wedding is complete without cake, but not everyone has one as grand as the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex…

What wedding cake did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have?

It emerged that the royal couple had a lemon elderflower cake made by pastry chef Claire Ptak, owner of the London-based Violet Bakery.

Kensington Palace said the couple asked the professional to make a creation incorporating “the bright flavours of spring” for their wedding.

The cake was covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.

It is not the first time Meghan has met Claire – she previously interviewed her on The Tig, the Suits star’s lifestyle website which has since been shut down.

California-raised Claire formerly worked as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California.

Claire said: “I can’t tell you how delighted I am to be chosen to make Prince Harry and Ms Markle’s wedding cake.

“Knowing that they really share the same values as I do about food provenance, sustainability, seasonality and most importantly flavour, makes this the most exciting event to be a part of.”

She started her own business as a stall in Broadway Market, East London, cooking from home, before opening her organic bakery.

What is a traditional wedding cake?

Traditionally, wedding cakes are supposed to bring good luck to the couple and their guests, and they were originally a sign of social status – the bigger the cake, the higher the social class.

In England and America, they were usually fruit cakes covered with marzipan and icing.

White icing used to be a symbol of wealth, so in Victorian times, it was often desired to have a white cake – as well as it being a colour of purity and virginity.

Nowadays, they can be an extravagant centrepiece of the wedding, and are often decorated with intricate sugar detailing.

What cake did Prince William and Kate Middleton have?

William and Kate had an eight tier wedding cake made by cake-maker Fiona Cairns.

It took five weeks to complete, and a couple of slices were auctioned off – one sold for almost £8,000 in 2014.

However, the couple broke royal tradition and had an extra wedding cake made by chocolatier Barry Colenso.

It was chocolate cake, and was a nod to William’s childhood.