American Heritage Chocolate

There isn’t much that is more fun to display, serve, and eat than cake. I tend to prefer simple cakes like multi-layered chocolate with chocolate buttercream frosting. Obviously, because of the chocolate and butter combination, it’s the only one that I like with lots of frosting. It goes abundantly well with any drinkable liquid, from milk to bourbon!

Every cake looks fine in the baking pan or simply plated, but I have long had a love affair with cake plates and especially cake stands or pedestals. Cakes deserve pedestals! I have an assortment of square or round cake stands of various sizes and colors. Most are glass, one is pottery, and one is metal. They are of different heights, and one even has a dome to help the cake stay fresh (also suitable for displaying meats and cheese). I justify having so many because I use them for more than cakes, like appetizers or sandwiches.

Cake stands may be single-tiered or multi-tiered and add interest and space to a buffet as you can place other dishes under the elevation of the stand. I even have a couple with hollow stems that allows me to turn them upside down and use them for dips and crackers! Wrap some tiny fairy lights around the stem, add ribbon or tulle, and you have a party! Bring the outdoors inside by adding flowers, leaves, or tree branches!

What makes a cake stand attractive is that it comes in various materials and designs. They may have specific themes like nature, birthdays, or other celebrations and coordinating dishes. Some are budget-friendly, and some are significantly extravagant. You can’t go wrong with simplicity and being inexpensive. Cake stands were originally called salvers, named after silver platters used for serving food or drinks. While I have read some articles crediting the Victorian era for their advancement at tea parties to elevate tea cakes, their history goes further. They appear in early 17th Century paintings. In the 1700s, Philadelphia, PA, was home to cake stand production. Blown glass was favored, but milk glass, jasperware, jadeite gained popularity. Coincidentally, found at a flea market centuries later, Philadelphia produced my first acquisition.

By the 1990s, cake stands fell out of favor. Still, if the elevated prices on collector’s sights are any indication, they are enjoying a resurgence of interest, not only for serving desserts and other food but also for use in any room for any use, including to hold plants.

To make a budget-friendly cake stand perfect for outdoor simplicity or a child’s tea party, make your own using old plates (good use to recycle plastic) and candlesticks that may be at home or found at second-hand stores, and sticky tack or if using non-plastic, hot glue. I’ve even repurposed terra cotta plant pots in place of candlesticks. Simply glue or tack the bottom of the plate to the top of the candlestick. Be sure whatever holds the food is “food safe,” including any paint or other topical application.