Cakes in cafes in older books

[Tanaqui]

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!

I can't say. I only ever met the term 'High Tea' in Enid Blyton books.

Every word on this thread has been rivetting, except a prat called Upinaballoon spoke about small tiny cakes, and surely Barbara Pym and J.B.Priestley and John Betjeman and Alan Bennett must have taken tea together sometime, somewhere, and please don't spoil the idea by telling me their ages don't all match. Did John Betjeman ever mention a Fuller's walnut cake , which had white icing on it?

I remember reading about seed cake in lots of books, it seemed the last resort, nothing else to offer type of cake. I’ve never seen one in real life but always imagined it like those budgie treats made of sesame seeds but in cake form!

I love seed cake - and it's nothing like budgie treats It's made with carraway seeds, not sesame!

Myfanwy and Betjeman both loved Fullers angel-cake! 🍰 🍰 🍰

High tea is something you eat out* - a hotel round the corner offers "traditional Scottish High Teas" - a main course like fish and chips followed by chunky scones and cakes. The evening meal at home is just tea and afternoon tea is in nice cafes, daintiness of cakes depending on the establishment - personally I would prefer a decent sixed scone/cake to lots of chocolate dipped strawberries.
*often with your Gran on a Sunday in my experience

Here is Betjeman reciting Myfanwy

Oh Fuller’s Angel Cake, Robertson’s marmalade!

Betjeman

@JaneJeffer

Don't go overboard with them *@upinaballoon* they impart much flavour

I found some, i.e.caraway seeds, on the pantry shelf, best before 08 Sep 03, shouldn't be too strong. They were near the baking powder, bb Oct 2019 and the bicarbonate of soda bb end May 2014.

Sounds just like the contents of my baking press @upinaballoon