National Cake Day is on November 26. We believe Marie Antoinette said it best when she (allegedly) said “let them eat cake!”
We’re not sure the peasants of 18th century France were too fond of the sentiment but nevertheless we’ll take her advice do just that.
Can’t wait for your birthday? Remember, National Cake Day falls on November 26. No one really knows how this holiday came about, but we all know that we all love to eat cake.
The term “cake” has a rather complicated history. The word itself is of Viking origin, from the Old Norse word “kaka.”
The ancient Greeks called cake “plakous,” which was derived from the word for “flat.” The simple ingredients include flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts, and honey. They also had a cake called “satura,” which was a flat heavy cake. During the Roman period, the name for cake became “placenta,” which was derived from the Greek term. A placenta was baked on a pastry base or inside a pastry case.
The Greeks invented beer as a leavener, frying fritters in olive oil, and cheesecakes using goat’s milk. In ancient Rome the basic bread dough was sometimes enriched with butter, eggs, and honey, which produced a sweet and cake-like dessert.
Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during the Renaissance.
