The History of Cake Stands

Casa Decor has started a new mini-blog series wherein we will discover the origin story of your favorite serveware. From when these popular home decor products were first used to how their design and use changed and modified over the years – we will be discussing everything in these inquisitive home decor blogs. 

And today the subject of our research will be “the history of cake stands”. Available in almost every design known to mankind from flowers, cartoons to famous artworks painted on it, today you can buy cake stands online in any material, shape, or design. However, this was not the case in the late Victorian era, when Cake Stands were first introduced as a sweet platter during afternoon tea parties of aristocrats. 

Featuring a small stool-like structure, these kitchen accessories acted as a stage for the dessert, drawing more attention towards the treats, making them popular among the hosts. Following their popularity, these home decor items were later introduced in multiple tiers for better organizing and with a hooped handle at the top for efficient transfer and serving.  

Initially, cake stands were made from ceramic, but thanks to the significance of afternoon tea parties in the society during the time, these serving platters started being made in metal (steel, silver, or aluminum) and glass, which were considered more expensive, hence a symbol of luxury. 

Although the exact date and name of the inventor of the cake stand remain unknown, it can be argued that it was either invented by a servant or a utensil merchant. Ladies took their tea parties very seriously during the time; and were constantly looking for ways to one-up-each other, so there is also a chance that a lady designed the platter and asked their artisans to create it. However, we can only assume things now!

The Different Shapes of Cake Stands throughout the years

With working-class movements like the French revolution and other cultural disparities, tea parties became less and less relevant in society, which was replaced by cafe culture, and by the 1990s cake stands were completely out of fashion. 

At the time people were only able to find these dessert platters from the 1950s or earlier times. Cake Stands were originally made in round shape. However, with time new designs came to market. In the 1930s, cake stands were made in polygon shapes like square, rectangle, hexagonal or octagonal. Sometime down the line, a rotating motion was also introduced in cake stands that not only helped in making serving more convenient but also allowed pastry chefs to decorate more gorgeous desserts. Although the mainstream shape of cake stands still remains round, these home decor items can be found in various artistic shapes and materials. Similar to cake stands online this artistic touch can also be seen in the desserts that are served on these platters. 

The technology used for making multi-tiered cake stands also helped in the designing of multi-tiered cakes for weddings, etc., which has seen very little change in the last 50 years. The traditional technique involves the use of several wooden dowel rods - that are inserted in each layer and the cake is placed on top of it. 

Some Cake Stands you should check out from our home decor online store: 

1. Wooden Bark Cake Stand
2. Mosaic Candyland Cake Stand
3. House of Desserts Cake Stand
4. Rustic Country Cake Stand
5. Fiesta White Marble Cake Stand

Explore a beautiful collection of Cake Stands in India in kitchen-safe sustainable materials like metal, marble, and wood from our home decor online store at www.casadecor.co.in!