Harry and Meghan’s Wedding Cake Was Super Lavish and Broke Royal Tradition

Yum! Not only did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding cake seem totally delicious and look over-the-top gorgeous, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's confection also broke royal tradition.

Two months before Harry and Meghan tied the knot at Windsor Castle on Saturday, May 19, Kensington Palace announced in a series of tweets that baker Claire Ptak from London's Violet Bakery had been hired to create the royal couple's wedding cake.

"For their wedding cake, Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have chosen pastry chef Claire Ptak, owner of the London-based bakery Violet Cakes," the palace revealed, adding that the couple asked Ptak to create "a lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavors of spring," which "will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers."

Ptak — who was actually raised in California — previously caught the eye of Meghan when she interviewed the baker for her now-defunct lifestyle website The Tig. "I can’t tell you how delighted I am to be chosen to make Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding cake," Ptak said in a statement. "Knowing that they really share the same values as I do about good provenance, sustainability, seasonality, and most importantly flavor, makes this the most exciting event to be a part of."

Though it was once rumored that Harry and Meghan might've chosen a banana-flavored cake to serve on their big day, their selection of a lemon elderflower cake still interestingly broke royal tradition. According to royal custom, couples typically serve fruitcake at their weddings. Why, you ask? Because fruitcake usually contains rum or brandy and the alcohol is needed to keep the cake fresh well beyond the wedding day.

Years and years ago, the alcohol ingredient was helpful for keeping the confection edible for any amount of time. But since it's also tradition for royal couples to serve a tier of their wedding cake at their firstborn child's christening, fruitcake is the perfect dessert to stay fresh for future occasions.

Back in April 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton served a multi-layered fruitcake created by chef Fiona Cairns at their lavish nuptials. When their firstborn child, son Prince George, had his royal baptism in October 2015, a previously untouched piece of the couple's wedding cake was offered to guests and when daughter Princess Charlotte and son Prince Louis had their christenings, William and Kate broke tradition by serving the years-old confection at their events, too!

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