Modern tiered wedding cakes evolved from a medieval English tradition where couples kissed over a towering stack of spiced buns to ensure prosperity and fertility.

The tradition of stacking wedding treats originated in medieval England, where guests brought small, sweet spiced buns to pile as high as possible. This was far more than a simple snack—it was a fertility and prosperity ritual. If the newlyweds could kiss over the peak of the bun tower without knocking it down, they were believed to be blessed with many children and great wealth.This precarious pile of bread was eventually refined in the 17th century. Legend holds that a French pastry chef, visiting London during the reign of King Charles II, was dismayed by the unstable and unhygienic heap of buns. He transformed the custom by cementing the buns together with sugar and icing, creating a solid, monument-like structure that was both elegant and functional.This innovation led to the development of the Croquembouche, a French dessert made of choux pastry puffs bound together with caramel. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the concept of tiered structures became increasingly formalized in British high society. The 1882 wedding of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, is often credited with popularizing the modern multi-tiered wedding cake, where each layer is independently supported by internal structures.Today, the tiered wedding cake remains a symbol of celebration and status. Though spiced buns have given way to sponge cake and fondant, the vertical height still echoes the medieval "tower of luck." Modern bakers continue to use internal dowels and boards to achieve the dramatic height that medieval couples once struggled to kiss over, preserving centuries of tradition in every celebration.