Can You Have a Kosher Wedding Cake?

Strictly speaking, a kosher cake must fall within the Jewish Dietary Laws -- a set of specific rules that come from the Biblical laws of the Torah. Under these laws, certain animals may not be eaten; however, the rule most relevant to wedding cakes is the method in which food must be prepared. First, there can be no mixing of meat and dairy. Additionally, utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher foods may not be used with kosher food. This means that if you're serving a meal with meat, you must serve a cake that contains no dairy and is pavre.

There are many cake designers and bakeries that know the precise dietary restrictions required in kosher food preparation. Orthodox brides need not sacrifice taste, creativity, or beauty in their cakes -- chocolate truffle, Italian cream, and even cheesecake can all be done kosher. Assuming that a meat meal is served, the baker would need to replace the butter with margarine and the milk with substitutes such as soy milk or nondairy creamer. Do your research when you talk to your cake designer, and make sure you communicate to your caterer about what kind of cake will be served. The easiest thing may be to have your caterer prepare both the food and the cake to ensure that the whole meal will be strictly kosher.