See Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Stunning and 'Quintessentially British' Wedding Cake
Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially tied the knot, it’s time for dessert.
Following the ceremony at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the royal couple and all 600 guests made their way to the Grand Reception Room for the luncheon reception, where the menu includes Grilled English Asparagus wrapped in Cumbrian Ham and Garden Pea Panna Cotta with Quail Eggs — and, of course, a gorgeous wedding cake.
Harry and Meghan tapped Claire Ptak of London-based bakery Violet Cakes to bake a cake that “incorporates the bright flavors of spring,” and that she did. The confection consists of tiers of lemon sponge cake drizzled with elderflower syrup and topped with an Amalfi lemon curd.
The entire cake is coated with a Swiss meringue buttercream also infused with elderflower (which Ptak has described as “satiny and super delicious”), and is adorned with a mix of 150 fresh flowers, including peonies and roses.
“The texture is really lovely and the flavor is quintessentially spring and British,” the baker said in a video released by Kensington Palace on Friday.
Ptak and her team of six bakers have spent five days baking and icing each tier of the cake in Buckingham Palace, using a total of 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, 20 kgs of butter, 20 kgs of flour, 20 kgs of sugar, and 10 bottles of Sandringham elderflower cordial. Each tier was transported individually from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle and then assembled on site on Saturday morning before the reception. The flowers were added at the last moment to remain fresh.
A filling made from Amalfi lemon curd and elderflower buttercream ties all the elements together. The cake is decorated with Swiss meringue buttercream and 150 fresh flowers, mainly British, and in season, including peonies and roses. #RoyalWedding
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 19, 2018
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For Ptak, who originally hails from California, this moment has been years in the making. “I’ve been baking since I was a little kid, and this is my dream,” she said. “To be asked to do one of the most exciting cakes is really fulfilling and wonderful. As it may or may not boost my business, that’s obviously a bonus. But I don’t really know what will happen, so I’m just pretty happy to be involved.”
To see how the cake stacks up to William and Kate’s (or Charles and Diana’s!), check out our list of the most spectacular royal wedding cakes ever. And if you want to make an at-home version of the Meghan and Harry’s elegant dessert, here’s our lemon-elderflower cake recipe.