Did you know that by decorating your child’s birthday cake or your co-worker’s retirement cake you are keeping a centuries-old tradition alive? The art of baking and decorating cakes can be traced all the way back to the rein of Rameses, an Egyptian pharaoh, in 1175 B.C., evidenced by a painted panel of cakes and breads found at his ancient court bakery. History has found that small cakes, similar to cheesecake, were served to athletes in the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. It has since been carried on throughout the years with many cultures, such as the ancient Romans, Greeks, and much of Medieval Europe having their own take on cake.

Wilton Enterprises, Inc., a leading innovator in cake decorating and candy making designs, products and publications, has followed in the footsteps of these ancient bakers and decorators. The company had its beginnings in 1929 when Dewey McKinley Wilton opened a cake decorating and candy making school for caterers and chefs in a single room of his Chicago, Illinois, home. He grew up working in a candy factory possibly at the age of 14 or 15 years old where he learned to perfect his craft of pulled sugar candy making. He eventually learned about cake decorating from German and French pastry chefs and in return he would teach them about pulled sugar. His first classes charged $25 per lesson, which was considered quite a lot of money in those days. In addition to teaching, Dewey created specialty cakes for fancy caterers all around the Chicago area and worked in various hotel bakeries.