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Original poster

Cakes in cafes in older books

83 replies

Tanaqui · 04/12/2021 15:03

Just reading an Agatha Christie, and Miss Marple and an acquaintance are "pressing cakes on each other", and it occurred to me that I have often been puzzled by this in books set before about 1960- did people buy a whole plate of cakes? Did they pay for the plate, or what they ate? Or did the waitress bring a hostess trolley or tray over? It's just there often seems to be a selection, or discussion on who will have the last one; and in children's books, often a feeling of being stuffed afterwards. So how did it work?! It sounds much nicer than the 'order one cake each' we do now!

OP posts:
JaneJeffer · 04/12/2021 17:08

My thoughts exactly @AtlasPine Grin

AtlasPine · 04/12/2021 16:37

Oh god I want a cake now

Shortpoet · 04/12/2021 15:23

I used to work in a cafe in 80s where you took a stand of 8 cakes to the table but only charged for what was eaten. It was generally things like an eclair, a slice battenburg, a scone, fairy cake, meringue with cream, iced finger.

oneglassandpuzzled · 04/12/2021 15:19

Yes, lots of small cakes or slices on a tiered cake plate.

Not one enormous slab or muffin, like today.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 04/12/2021 15:16

In a teashop I have a vague idea there was a tiered cake stand used to display all available cakes and customers either had the whole thing on the table or selected what they wanted when they ordered. They wouldn't be huge muffins or cupcakes/slices with more icing than cake. Fairy cakes, small slices of Victoria sponge or coffee and walnut cake, rock cakes, bakewell slice - that sort of thing.

AtlasPine · 04/12/2021 15:11

Unless it’s a full afternoon tea with a pyramid of cakes on plates! That can’t have been an every day type of thing though.

AtlasPine · 04/12/2021 15:10

And in a cafe - a trolley to choose from I think.

AtlasPine · 04/12/2021 15:09

The meal of afternoon tea seemed to be much more standard in some types of home before the 50s. Jane Eyre is given seed cake in Miss Temple’s room. I think they would have had a cake which may have been different each week. Bread and butter, maybe scones. Not loads of different individual cakes unless it was a full on party.

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