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Gigi Hadid recently had one for her birthday, Kate Middleton requested the style for her wedding cake and Pinterest is inundated with them.
We’re talking, of course, about vintage Lambeth Cakes, which feature a very specific decoration style, all to do with the way the icing is piped.
The over-piping technique has roots in Europe, dating back to the 19th Century, but was largely popularised by cake decorator Joseph Lambeth in the 1930s thanks to his book, The Lambeth Method of Cake Decoration & Practical Pastries.
Today UK brands like Lily Vanilli and April’s Baker are beloved for their colourful cake creations featuring gorgeous colour combinations, adorable bows, and cherries on top. It takes a lot of hard work and craft to make sweet treats look that good.
But now supermarkets are attempting to get in on a slice of the action too. M&S sells a Vintage Party cake for £18, Asda has a pink, blue and purple heart-shaped one that’s £14.98 and Waitrose just launched a version as well.
The retailer says they were inspired to get involved in the retro cake trend after seeing an increase in searches on social media.
In order to do this, Waitrose has worked with renowned cake maker, Fiona Cairns, who already sells a popular range in the supermarkets. She’s also well-known for being the mastermind behind Kate and William’s 2011 royal wedding cake.
Each of the Vintage Style Lemon & Raspberry Lambeth Cakes available from waitrose.com cost £65, serve 32-34 people, and are made to order, requiring eight days’ notice.
Chandra Lalit, a cake technologist and expert decorator, who has been working as part of the Fiona Cairns team for 11 years, revealed the cakes take more than seven hours to make and decorate.
She explained: ‘The piping on this particular cake is incredibly intricate, and it’s taken a little while (and a lot of patience!) to master the steadiness and control it needs.
‘What I love most about decorating cakes like this, is how much joy and beauty they bring. There’s something magical about seeing a plain sponge turn into an elegant centrepiece. It’s not just decoration, it’s storytelling in icing. Knowing that the cake is for a very special occasion and will be enjoyed by many, that’s a real moment of pride for me.’
The Waitrose Lambeth Cakes feature three layers of sponge, lemon buttercream and raspberry jam and are decorated with whirls and swirls of lemon buttercream. Customers can choose to personalise their cakes with a hand-piped message up to 25 characters.
And Emily Wolfman, trend innovation manager for Waitrose, also recommends adding some cherries on top.
She adds: ‘The retro aesthetic and lavish appeal of the Lambeth cake is so eye-catching, it’s no wonder social media fans and cake lovers alike are being drawn to its mesmerising cake decorating content. The concentration, skill and end results are incredibly impressive, leaving fans wanting to elevate their own celebrations with something different, something that packs a serious WOW factor.
‘Luckily for Waitrose customers, they can now get that same highly decorated, skilled cake creation at the click of a button, and have the option to personalise it too, perhaps with a retro glace cherry to complete the look.’
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