Who is the author of the painting morning in a pine forest. Morning in a pine forest

History of the cake

Cake is one of those dishes whose age is unknown. Historians, supported by linguists, believe that the first cakes appeared about 2,000 years ago in Italy, since the word “cake” in Italian means something ornate, intricate and richly decorated.

There is also a version that cakes could not have appeared anywhere else except in Greece - pies made from ground and cooked grains, decorated with drawings and appliqués, were found on its territory. According to another version, it is believed that only in the East, with their sweets known at all times, could complex recipes for cakes appear, which can make even a sophisticated gourmet bow to their exquisite taste and enchanting aroma. Followers of this idea found that ancient culinary specialists in the most mysterious part of the world prepared desserts using milk, honey and sesame seeds. And in shape they resembled those cakes that we are used to seeing on our tables.

But be that as it may, today France is considered the trendsetter in the world of cakes, although it is not French, but German, Austrian and Russian cakes that are widely known. It was French culinary specialists and confectioners who for many centuries dictated the trends in serving and decorating this sweet masterpiece. It was in France that something without which modern cakes would be impossible appeared - meringue, cream, caramel, jelly and sponge cake.

In Russia, the concept of cake for a long time did not exist, but there were wedding loaves - the most festive and elegant pies. Such loaves were called “bride’s pies.” “Bride's pie” was made only in a round shape. This is also due to the fact that our ancestors invested in this form certain meaning. The circle symbolized the sun, which means well-being, health and fertility. The wedding loaf was richly decorated with various braids, braids and curls. Sometimes figures were placed in its center to represent the newlyweds: the bride and groom. It was customary to serve the pie at the very end of the celebration; it served as a kind of sign for the guests.

Beginning in the 17th century, weddings in Europe required two cakes - one for the bride and one for the groom. The main difference between the bride's cake was that a glass ring was baked into it; it was believed that the girl who found the ring in her piece would soon get married. The groom's cake was decorated more modestly than the bride's cake (by the way, the tradition of making a wedding or bride's cake had already formed white, symbolizing purity and innocence), but was significantly larger in size. Most often it was a regular fruit pie. The groom's cake was cut into pieces in advance, placed in white boxes, tied with a white or silver ribbon, or the initials of the newlyweds were simply written and placed next to the exit. Guests, going home, could take such boxes with them to give to those who could not attend the wedding celebration, or to eat them themselves the next morning.

In England, the cake remained quite modest until the 17th century, in the form of a cupcake with candied fruits and nuts. It was only in the 18th century that multi-tiered cakes became popular at weddings of the European aristocracy. The multi-tiered wedding cake is believed to have been invented by a London grocer. He really wanted to create something out of the ordinary, but he couldn’t come up with anything until he noticed the dome of St. Bride’s Church on Fleet Street.

Record-breaking cakes

The longest cake was made by Peruvian chefs. Its length was two hundred and forty-six meters. It was decorated with an abundance of candied fruits and cream roses. It was then divided into fifteen thousand pieces and served to all the children of Peru who were celebrating their birthday that month.

Russia also did not stay away from the sweet records. The confectioners made the largest cake for the birthday of the most famous department store in Moscow, GUM. The cake was decorated a huge amount jam and marzipan. Its height, which was recorded by invited experts from the Guinness Book of Records administration, was three meters, and its weight was as much as three tons.

Origin of cake names

Over time, preferences for cakes among residents around the world acquired their own traditions. So in Hungary, guests will certainly be treated to the famous Esterhaize cake. In France, open-faced Tarte Tatin fruit cakes are loved. In Switzerland festive tables unthinkable without carrot and cherry cake, in which cherry pit kernels are added for piquancy. Sweden is proud of two cakes at once - “Apple” and “Swedish fluffy”, decorated with whipped cream. Austria is the country of “Cake from Linz” with red currant filling - the cake is named after the city and is good because it can be stored for a very long time. There is no cake with the Russian name “Anna Pavlova” in Russia; they can only cook it in New Zealand. In 1926, a Russian ballerina toured there. She impressed New Zealanders so much that they came up with a cake as airy and light as Anna Pavlova herself.
Quite a strange cake - they offer to try it in Spain. It's called Tarta de bellota. One day a tourist from Russia asked the waiter what this cake was made of. Judging by the taste, it included honey and poppy seeds. However, there were no black poppy spots in the biscuit. The waiter said it was made from pig feed. The puzzled tourist asked for the recipe. It turned out that the waiter called acorns “pig feed”.
Despite the name, you won’t find nuts in the Italian “Nut” sponge cake. It is filled with crushed white beans. Real nuts are rarely found in “branded” cakes, except that in Portugal they add almonds to absolutely all cakes.
Now let's take a closer look at the origin of the names of the cakes. And, of course, we should start with the king of cakes.
NAPOLEON. The famous layer cake or pastry with a cream layer. It is known under the name "millefeuille" ("1000 layers") in France and Italy, in the UK it is called "vanilla slice", and in the USA and Russia as "Napoleon". His recipe appeared at the end of the 17th century.
When layers of history, time and dates are layered on a particular dish, it is difficult to reliably determine how a culinary masterpiece was once born and how it became popular. "Napoleon" is no exception. There are a lot of versions - from romantic and sentimental to philosophical and everyday...
They say that when Napoleon became the sole ruler of France, he basked in the rays of glory and was surrounded by an aura of heroism. Stormy secular and public life always had one exception: Bonaparte celebrated Christmas only with close people. On Christmas Eve in the frosty year of 1800, the emperor called his cook: “On this holiday, Josephine de Beauharnais will be next to me. Dinner should be amazing. I don’t care what you cook, but be sure to include green chicken Marengo on the menu and something great for dessert - ladies love sweets, it would be nice if you could impress Josephine.” Smiling, the cook retreated to the kitchen. For dinner, Napoleon was served green meat and a cake: the delicacy was decorated with powdered sugar on top, the cakes were generously greased with cream, but the sides remained open, showing many layers. The Emperor frowned and asked the cook what this meant. Lagupierre replied:
– Life is cyclical, events change each other, but repeat what has already happened... We must always remember them - this is the main thing in life.
So Napoleon cake became a philosophical dish.
In Russia, its appearance is associated with 1912, when the centenary of the victory over Napoleonic troops was widely celebrated, and it was invented whole line new dishes. “Napoleon” was originally a triangular-shaped cake by analogy with Bonaparte’s cocked hat, and they worked on this culinary miracle the best minds confectioners serving in the houses of aristocrats. Subsequently, the cake became a rectangular cake.
BIRD'S MILK. The phrase “bird's milk” is found in myths and tales of many countries. This is an allegorical designation of something unattainably beautiful.
If "Napoleon" became a cake from a cake, then "Bird's Milk" did more interesting way— it became a candy cake. This soufflé cake is covered chocolate icing, today has many types - creamy, coffee, chocolate, with two layers and with one. It was invented in Russia. The first experimental batches of “bird milk” were produced starting in 1968 at the Rot-Front factory.
PRAGUE. The “Prague” cake consists of three cake layers soaked in “Prague” cream and topped with chocolate fudge. The cake layers are baked from sponge dough with the addition of soft butter and cocoa powder. The cream consists of butter, chicken yolks, cocoa and condensed milk. After soaking the cake for a day in the refrigerator, the top cake and side surfaces are smeared with fruit and berry jam (usually apricot), covered with glossy chocolate fondant and decorated with cream or chocolate chips. In many recipes, chocolate fudge is replaced with a simpler chocolate glaze due to the complexity of preparation. The Czechs themselves, without sparing, add dark rum to this cake, soak the cakes with four types of buttercream, which are prepared on the basis of cognac and Chartreuse and Benedictine liqueurs, and pour thick chocolate glaze on top of the cake. The taste is extraordinary.
Kyiv. The popularity of the Kyiv cake flourished during the Soviet era. This airy nut cake was invented at a Kyiv confectionery factory. The names of his “parents” are Konstantin Petrenko and Nadezhda Chernogor. A special cream layer was invented for this cake, and it was a real triumph - a year later, “Kiev Cake” received a bronze medal at a confectionery competition. Over its more than fifty-year history, the cake has become one of the symbols of Kyiv.

The history of cakes began more than two thousand years ago, and today not a single celebration takes place without this delicacy. Wedding for anniversaries, but, most importantly, for children's parties. Not a single child can imagine his birthday without a cake, blowing out the candles, which are sure to be located in this delicacy. Historians still argue about the origin of the first cakes. Today we invite you to familiarize yourself with the assumptions of scientists, the types of decorations, and the history of the origin of the most popular desserts.

History of the origin of cakes

Today, no one can say with certainty the country in which this delicacy first appeared. Every part of the world is famous for its culinary masterpieces, and people have always treated sweets with special trepidation. There is an assumption that the first cakes appeared thanks to gourmets of the East, and these were well-known oriental sweets that are made from honey, milk and sesame. Many centuries ago, their shape resembled exactly those cakes and pastries that are known today. Their taste and aroma could drive even the most capricious gourmet crazy.

Others argue with this opinion and present the history of the origin of cakes from their point of view. They say that the word itself has Italian roots, and when translated it means something elegant, ornate, and beautiful. Linguists associate this meaning of the word specifically with cake decorations in the form of numerous flowers, ornaments and inscriptions.

But one cannot but agree with the opinion that France is a trendsetter in dessert fashion. It is on the territory of this country that there is a huge number of coffee shops where you can taste delicious dessert. Perhaps the culinary experts and pastry chefs of France once prepared the first cake. It was from France that many recipes came to most countries, which are still popular today. There are many dishes in Russia that are considered originally Russian, but they were once prepared by chefs from France working for wealthy Russian families.

Russian desserts

If you look at the cuisine of Russia several centuries ago, you will be surprised to note that we did not have such a variety of dishes as exists now. We drew on the experience of foreign chefs, modernized them, and created our own recipes based on the knowledge gained. The same applies to sweet desserts. The history of cakes in Russia began with the preparation of loaves for weddings. These were not full-fledged cakes, but they were still baked for the occasion, and were the most delicious and elegant of all types of pies. The bride's loaf always had a round shape, which symbolized the sun, and therefore fertility, prosperity and health. The cake was decorated with curlicues and patterns, and figures of the “bride and groom” were placed in the center.

Record holders

When telling the story of cakes, you don’t want to miss the moments when they ended up on the pages of the Guinness Book of Records.

The heaviest cake was baked by American chefs in Alabama. The giant weighed more than fifty tons, had many layers, and one of the main ingredients was ice cream. The form of the culinary miracle was unusual - it depicted the state as it appears on the map.

The USA has also prepared a record holder for height. This cake was made by chefs from Michigan. The cake towered thirty meters above the table and consisted of a hundred layers.

In Peru, they managed to create a dessert that was 246 meters long. And this masterpiece became the longest cake in history. After it was displayed for everyone to see, it was cut into small pieces and served to the children of Peru who were celebrating their birthday that month.

Russia also managed to show off its talent, and the chefs were able to prepare the largest cake for the birthday of GUM, the most famous department store in Moscow. The giant was three meters high and weighed three tons.

Multi-tiered cakes

But would it be possible to make desserts of such sizes if not for many layers? The story began in London, from there the recipe came to America, and from the USA to Russia. Historians say that the many layers made it possible to create huge desserts for celebrations where huge numbers of people gathered. They were brought into the hall on special carts, which further emphasized the moment of solemnity. Soon these culinary delights became extremely popular. Delicacies consisting of several layers are made for various celebrations and decorated in different ways. Which cakes have become the most popular?

Cream

You can create real masterpieces from cream. By the way, cream cakes were first made in France, because the confectioners of this country were able to create meringue, protein cream, creme brulee, caramel and other delicious fillings. They were the first to use cream to decorate all kinds of cakes. Today, France dictates the fashion for the design of cakes and their larger brothers.

Chocolate petals

Cream cakes can be decorated simply with grated chocolate, or you can create unique details. For example, more and more often housewives, when baking cakes themselves, decorate them with chocolate petals. You don't need to be a master to prepare them. You just need to melt a chocolate bar in a water bath, dip real rose petals or other leaves you like into it. After hardening, the chocolate will come away from the sheet well, will perfectly follow the shape and have all the veins.

Glaze

This is exactly the ingredient that was used to decorate cakes in most cases before the advent of creams. You can leave it white, and the dessert will look very delicate, ideal for a wedding. But if you decide to make a cake for a child, then you should make it festive and colorful. You can use food coloring, or you can make your own. Orange juice will change the color of the glaze yellow, beets - pink. At the same time, the taste of the glaze will change, it will become even tastier and healthier. To make it easier to work with the glaze and for it to lay more evenly on the cakes, you need to add softened butter to it.

A little trick

If you want the cake to retain its beauty after cutting, not to break all sorts of roses and petals, and not to crack the design, you can first cut the cake and then decorate it. Before bringing the treats into the hall, put the pieces together and you will get a complete dish.

If you do not have a special culinary syringe, and you want to create cream roses or chocolate ruffles, take a regular plastic bag and place cream or melted chocolate in it. Before you start decorating, cut off a corner and get to work.

Now all you have to do is choose a recipe. We invite you to consider the history of cakes that conquered the whole world with their taste. Perhaps you will choose one of them.

The history of sponge cake

Surely today there is not a single person left who has not tried a biscuit at least once. Cakes, pastries, rolls, and cookies are made from it. The biscuit goes perfectly with all known creams and is a favorite treat for children. A cup of tea and sponge cake served at five o'clock in the evening is a symbol of English tea drinking. It was from England that the biscuit came to France, and from France it spread throughout the world. But where did it all start?

The word "biscuit" is French and means "twice baked." But it appeared in England, and this should not confuse anyone, because in the Middle Ages the English spoke French better than native language, and it had to do with fashion. So, back to the sponge cake. It appeared a very, very long time ago; no one can say for sure the date of its origin, because this delicacy was originally the main food on long-distance ships, and only sailors ate the biscuit. Why biscuit? Yes, because butter is not added to the dough for it, and this protects against the appearance of mold on the product, which was almost the main culprit in the spoilage of sailors’ food. When going on a long journey by sea or around the world, which often happened in the Middle Ages and was associated with the study of the world, all members of the team knew what to eat long time. This happened until Queen Elizabeth's courtier decided to try the sailors' food. He was amazed by the taste of the biscuit, and from that time on the delicacy began to appear on the tables of the nobility. Soon the biscuit ceased to be a food ordinary people, and the recipe for its preparation quickly spread throughout the world.

In the seventeenth century, the recipe came to France, and from there to other countries. Cakes and pastries began to be created from sponge cakes immediately after the expansion of the English colonies.

Franz Sacher and the Austrian King

It was these people who became the founders of history chocolate cake"Sacher", which is now familiar to almost everyone. The recipe for its preparation is so simple, and the delicacy is so impressive in its taste that this dessert is no less popular than new types of cakes.

"Sacher" was first served to the table of the King of Austria. And this thing happened like this: the prince was supposed to receive guests, and told his cooks that this evening a unique dish should be served that no one had ever tried. The cooks were frightened, because the chief baker of the palace was very ill that day and could not help. Only young Franz Sacher decided to try his luck and was not afraid of the king’s possible wrath. He baked cakes, adding chocolate to them, and prepared icing - also on a chocolate base. The cake turned out completely chocolatey, fragrant, and the special highlight of the masterpiece was the orange jam.

Did the cake become famous because of the chef, or did the chef become famous because of his chocolate creation? It doesn’t matter, because since then “Sacher” has become a favorite delicacy not only of the Austrian king, but also of many people around the world. Today, even the most sophisticated sweet tooth will give preference to Sacher, choosing among a variety of sweet desserts.

"Napoleon"

There are several assumptions about the origin of this delicacy. The first story of the Napoleon cake claims that it was prepared in Naples, which is why it has such a name. But we tend to trust the second version, thanks to which the cake is considered a symbol of victory Russian troops over the mighty Napoleon.

The history of the Napoleon cake is as follows: the celebration of the centenary of the defeat of Napoleon’s army near Moscow was approaching. The best chefs were invited to create the menu. The most famous confectioners working in the homes of noble people worked on the cake recipe. As a result, they baked “Napoleon”, consisting of many cake layers soaked in the most delicate cream. The shape was given a triangular shape to evoke associations with the famous Napoleonic cocked hat. However, after the revolution, the masterpiece turned into an easy-to-prepare snack served in cheap taverns. His appearance became careless, and many housewives, when baking the cake, tried to cut it into pieces away from the eyes of the guests.

Now “Napoleon” is considered an ordinary cake that can be easily prepared for home tea drinking. Each family has its own recipe for how to cook delicious, tender “Napoleon”.

Like this complicated story cakes Today it seems to us that baking them is simple, but once upon a time the best minds worked on the recipes!

The history of the cake The history of the cake The cake is one of those dishes whose exact age is unknown. Historians, supported by linguists, believe that the first cakes appeared about 2,000 years ago in Italy, since the word “cake” in Italian means something ornate, intricate and richly decorated. There is also a version that cakes could not have appeared anywhere else except in Greece - pies made from ground and cooked grains, decorated with drawings and appliqués, were found on its territory. According to another version, it is believed that only in the East, with their sweets known at all times, could complex recipes for cakes appear, which can make even a sophisticated gourmet bow to their exquisite taste and enchanting aroma. Followers of this idea found that ancient culinary specialists in the most mysterious part of the world prepared desserts using milk, honey and sesame seeds. And in shape they resembled those cakes that we are used to seeing on our tables. But be that as it may, today France is considered the trendsetter in the world of cakes, although it is not French, but German, Austrian and Russian cakes that are widely known. It was French culinary specialists and confectioners who for many centuries dictated the trends in serving and decorating this sweet masterpiece. It was in France that something without which modern cakes would be impossible appeared - meringue, cream, caramel, jelly and sponge cake. In Russia, the concept of a cake did not exist for a long time, but there were wedding loaves - the most festive and elegant pies. Such loaves were called “bride’s pies.” “Bride's pie” was made only in a round shape. This is also due to the fact that our ancestors attached a certain meaning to this form. The circle symbolized the sun, which means well-being, health and fertility. The wedding loaf was richly decorated with various braids, braids and curls. Sometimes figures were placed in its center to represent the newlyweds: the bride and groom. It was customary to serve the pie at the very end of the celebration; it served as a kind of sign for the guests. Beginning in the 17th century, weddings in Europe required two cakes - one for the bride and one for the groom. The main difference between the bride's cake was that a glass ring was baked into it; it was believed that the girl who found the ring in her piece would soon get married. The groom's cake was decorated more modestly than the bride's cake (by the way, the tradition of making a wedding or bride's cake white, symbolizing purity and purity), but was much larger in size. Most often it was a regular fruit pie. The groom's cake was cut into pieces in advance, placed in white boxes, tied with a white or silver ribbon, or the initials of the newlyweds were simply written and placed next to the exit. Guests, going home, could take such boxes with them to give to those who could not attend the wedding celebration, or to eat them themselves the next morning. In England, the cake remained quite modest until the 17th century, in the form of a cupcake with candied fruits and nuts. It was only in the 18th century that multi-tiered cakes became popular at weddings of the European aristocracy. The multi-tiered wedding cake is believed to have been invented by a London grocer. He really wanted to create something out of the ordinary, but he couldn’t come up with anything until he noticed the dome of St. Bride’s Church on Fleet Street. Record-breaking cakes The longest cake was made by Peruvian chefs. Its length was two hundred and forty-six meters. It was decorated with an abundance of candied fruits and cream roses. It was then divided into fifteen thousand pieces and served to all the children of Peru who were celebrating their birthday that month. Russia also did not stay away from the sweet records. The confectioners made the largest cake for the birthday of the most famous department store in Moscow, GUM. The cake was decorated with a huge amount of jam and marzipan. Its height, which was recorded by invited experts from the Guinness Book of Records administration, was three meters, and its weight was as much as three tons. The origin of the names of cakes Over time, preferences for cakes among residents around the world acquired their own traditions. So in Hungary, guests will certainly be treated to the famous Esterhaize cake. In France, open-faced Tarte Tatin fruit cakes are loved. In Switzerland, festive tables are unthinkable without carrot and cherry cake, in which kernels from cherry pits are added for piquancy. Sweden is proud of two cakes at once - “Apple” and “Swedish fluffy”, decorated with whipped cream. Austria is the country of “Cake from Linz” with red currant filling - the cake is named after the city and is good because it can be stored for a very long time. There is no cake with the Russian name “Anna Pavlova” in Russia; they can only cook it in New Zealand. In 1926, a Russian ballerina toured there. She impressed New Zealanders so much that they came up with a cake as airy and light as Anna Pavlova herself. Quite a strange cake - they offer to try it in Spain. It's called Tarta de bellota. One day a tourist from Russia asked the waiter what this cake was made of. Judging by the taste, it included honey and poppy seeds. However, there were no black poppy spots in the biscuit. The waiter said it was made from pig feed. The puzzled tourist asked for the recipe. It turned out that the waiter called acorns “pig feed”. Despite the name, you won’t find nuts in the Italian “Nut” sponge cake. It is filled with crushed white beans. Real nuts are rarely found in “branded” cakes, except that in Portugal they add almonds to absolutely all cakes. Now let's take a closer look at the origin of the names of the cakes. And, of course, we should start with the king of cakes. NAPOLEON. The famous layer cake or pastry with a cream layer. It is known under the name "millefeuille" ("1000 layers") in France and Italy, in the UK it is called "vanilla slice", and in the USA and Russia as "Napoleon". His recipe appeared at the end of the 17th century. When layers of history, time and dates are layered on a particular dish, it is difficult to reliably determine how a culinary masterpiece was once born and how it became popular. "Napoleon" is no exception. There are a lot of versions - from romantic and sentimental to philosophical and everyday... They say that when Napoleon became the sole ruler of France, he bathed in the rays of glory and was surrounded by an aura of heroism. The stormy social and social life always had one exception: Bonaparte celebrated Christmas only with close people. On Christmas Eve in the frosty year of 1800, the emperor called his cook: “On this holiday, Josephine de Beauharnais will be next to me. Dinner should be amazing. I don’t care what you cook, but be sure to include green chicken Marengo on the menu and something great for dessert - ladies love sweets, it would be nice if you could impress Josephine.” Smiling, the cook retreated to the kitchen. For dinner, Napoleon was served green meat and a cake: the delicacy was decorated with powdered sugar on top, the cakes were generously greased with cream, but the sides remained open, showing many layers. The Emperor frowned and asked the cook what this meant. Lagupierre replied: “Life is cyclical, events change each other, but repeat what has already happened... We must always remember them - this is the main thing in life.” So Napoleon cake became a philosophical dish. In Russia, its appearance is associated with 1912, when the centenary of the victory over Napoleonic troops was widely celebrated, and a number of new dishes were invented. “Napoleon” was originally a triangular-shaped cake similar to Bonaparte’s cocked hat, and the best minds of confectioners working in the homes of aristocrats worked on this culinary miracle. Subsequently, the cake became a rectangular cake. BIRD'S MILK. The phrase “bird's milk” is found in myths and tales of many countries. This is an allegorical designation of something unattainably beautiful. If “Napoleon” became a cake made from a pastry, then “Bird’s Milk” took a more interesting path - it became a cake made from candies. This soufflé cake, covered with chocolate icing, today has many types - creamy, coffee, chocolate, with two layers and with one. It was invented in Russia. The first experimental batches of “bird milk” were produced starting in 1968 at the Rot-Front factory. PRAGUE. The “Prague” cake consists of three cake layers soaked in “Prague” cream and topped with chocolate fudge. The cake layers are baked from sponge dough with the addition of soft butter and cocoa powder. The cream consists of butter, chicken yolks, cocoa and condensed milk. After soaking the cake for a day in the refrigerator, the top cake and side surfaces are smeared with fruit and berry jam (usually apricot), covered with glossy chocolate fondant and decorated with cream or chocolate chips. In many recipes, chocolate fudge is replaced with a simpler chocolate glaze due to the complexity of preparation. The Czechs themselves, without sparing, add dark rum to this cake, soak the cakes with four types of buttercream, which are prepared on the basis of cognac and Chartreuse and Benedictine liqueurs, and pour thick chocolate glaze on top of the cake. The taste is extraordinary. Kyiv. The popularity of the Kyiv cake flourished during the Soviet era. This airy nut cake was invented at a Kyiv confectionery factory. The names of his “parents” are Konstantin Petrenko and Nadezhda Chernogor. A special cream layer was invented for this cake, and it was a real triumph - a year later, “Kiev Cake” received a bronze medal at a confectionery competition. Over its more than fifty-year history, the cake has become one of the symbols of Kyiv.