I knew it was originally a fruit cake (to signify the groom was nuts to get married?).
[url=http://]http://jankishlapetitefleur.com/v2/cakes_groomsstory.htm[/url]
The history of the groom's cake is as varied as its flavors and
shapes. Some sources say it originally was a rich, dark fruit cake
without icing; some say it was a fruit cake with white icing to match
the bride's cake which was decorated with spun sugar.
Still others take the lore a step further and say the groom's cake
became the top layer of the bride's cake and was not served to guests.
Instead, it was placed in a tin and drenched in brandy to preserve it
for celebration of the couple's first anniversary.
Many know the groom's cake as the confection that was wrapped in
individual, silver or white boxes monogrammed with the couple's initials
and tied with fancy ribbons. These dainty packages were distributed to
guests as wedding favors to take home.
In the South, the groom's cake tradition has enjoyed renewed
popularity in recent years, especially with single, female guests.
Legend has it that if they take a slice of the groom's cake and place it
beneath their pillows at bedtime, they will dream of their future
husbands.
Today, remnants of these various traditions remain or have evolved
into other wedding customs. For instance, couples still reserve the top
layer of the wedding cake for their first anniversary, but it no longer
needs to be preserved in brandy. And although the Southern groom's cake
customarily was a dark fruit cake, it now comes in any flavor, shape or
color.
Many couples are designing groom's cakes baked and iced to reflect
the groom's hobbies or interests. Original and engaging, grooms cakes
have resembled the groom's antique car or cowboy boots, while others in
traditional cake shapes have sported hunting scenes or his favorite hole
on the golf course.
In the past, groom's cakes, which were separate from the bride's
cakes, were either cut and wrapped to be eaten after the reception, or
they were served from another table for those guests who preferred a
darker, richer cake.
Today, the groom's cake is still sliced and served separately,
usually by a member of the wait staff. Some couples prefer to offer the
groom's cake at the rehearsal dinner, a fitting time since the groom's
family hosts the occasion.
Whatever time or theme you choose for the groom's cake, it is a
charming tradition that adds a distinctive, personal touch to your
wedding festivities while honoring the man you just married.