Meghan Markle's wedding cake may start a new trend among brides
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding cake will feature a healthy twist in the form of seasonal ingredients.
Long before Meghan Markle made the world sigh with her fairy tale-worthy royal engagement to Prince Harry, she was a healthy-living guru, freely sharing her tips and tricks for smart eating and staying in shape. So it's only natural that the former "Suits" star would put a healthy(ish) spin on her wedding cake.
Now before you get too worried: Yes, there will be frosting. (It is a wedding cake after all!) Kensington Palace announced on its official Twitter page that Markle and Prince Harry have decided on a lemon elderflower cake topped with buttercream and fresh flowers. How very British.
While buttercream isn't exactly the pinnacle of nutritious eating, the healthy twist on this cake comes from its ingredients: Their baker, Claire Ptak of the London-based Violet Bakery, focuses on "seasonal and organic" ingredients, according to the announcement. Does this mean everyone will be getting organic cake from now on?
"All of my cakes are baked with organic flour, sugar, milk and eggs," Ptak says. Mounting research suggests that organic farming may mean safer and more nutritious produce and dairy. Any food called organic is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and without genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
If the cake is made with real lemon juice, it also will have the benefits of vitamin C — about 30 milligrams, or 40 percent of your recommended daily value, per fruit — a powerful antioxidant that boosts your immune system.
As for elderflower, it is used in traditional German medicine and when made into a tea, can help reduce flu symptoms. So, as with the lemon, if real elderflower is used, so much the better for health reasons. But what we really want to know is: What does it taste like? Chef Jamie Oliver describes it as "distinctly musky and sweet." Don't go foraging for it, though, because uncooked elderflower is toxic. Instead, you could try an elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain, or an elderflower-flavored cider.
With a cake that is so focused on spring-inspired flavors, we can only imagine what the May 19 reception will look like. We're just glad to see that Markle is sticking to her healthy lifestyle — with a wee bit of indulgence, of course. It is her wedding day, after all!
Read more: Unexpected Health Habits of the Royal Family Revealed!
What Do YOU Think?
Will you be tuning in to the royal wedding? What are some of your favorite natural flavors? Share in the comments section!