Prince William and Catherine Middleton chose Leicestershire-based cake designer, Fiona Cairns, to create their wedding cake.

The wedding cake was a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake. The cake, decorated with cream and white icing, had a strong British floral theme using elements of the Joseph Lambeth technique.

The wedding cake was made from 17 individual fruit cakes (12 of which form the base) and had eight tiers. There were up to 900 individually iced flowers and leaves of 17 different varieties decorated on the cake.

A garland design around the middle of the cake matched the architectural garlands decorated around the top of the Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace, the room in which the cake was displayed.

A chocolate biscuit cake was also created for the reception by Mcvitie's Cake Company using a Royal Family recipe at the special request of Prince William.

Fiona Cairns

Fiona was chosen for her creative style and beautifully crafted handmade cakes using traditional British ingredients. Her business, started 25 years ago on her kitchen table, is now based in a state of the art bakery in Leicestershire, the heart of the English countryside.

The Joseph Lambeth Method

The Joseph Lambeth Method is derived from a style of decorating that was popular in England where chefs and decorators would use intricate piping to create 3-D scrollwork, leaves, flowers, and other decorations on a cake. A cake decorated in the Lambeth Method and accented with fresh fruit or flowers is the wedding cake of choice for anyone who wants a traditional looking, elegant wedding cake.

Each of the 17 different flower designs on the official wedding cake has their own individual meaning according to the Language of Flowers. They include:

White Rose - National symbol of England
Daffodil - National symbol of Wales, new beginnings
Shamrock - National symbol of Ireland
Thistle - National symbol of Scotland
Acorns, Oak Leaf - Strength, endurance
Myrtle - Love
Ivy - Wedded Love, Marriage
Lily of the Valley - Sweetness, Humility
Rose (Bridal) - Happiness, Love.
Sweet William - Grant me one smile
Honeysuckle - The Bond of Love
Apple Blossom - Preference, Good Fortune
White Heather - Protection, Wishes will come true
Jasmine (White) - Amiability
Daisy - Innocence, Beauty, Simplicity
Orange Blossom - Marriage, Eternal Love, Fruitfulness
Lavender - ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck.

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