A hundred-years-ago people often made cakes for Valentine’s Day parties and luncheons. Here’s some examples from the February, 1914 issue of Ladies Home Journal.
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A Hundred Years Ago 
I enjoyed seeing all the cakes , the sailboat cake has my vote as to the most creative.
It is a very creative idea. I like how they trimmed the cake to the right shape.
These are neat! The top one says the bow is of Angelica, I wonder what that is…some sort of meringue?
I’ve never heard of Angelica either. Your question made me google it. According to Wikipedia:
“The most notable of these is garden angelica (A. archangelica), which is commonly known simply as angelica. Natives of Lapland use the fleshy roots as food and the stalks as medicine. Crystallized strips of young angelica stems and midribs are green in colour and are sold as decorative and flavoursome cake decoration material, but may also be enjoyed on their own. The roots and seeds are sometimes used to flavor gin. Its presence accounts for the distinct flavor of many liqueurs, such as Chartreuse.”
Since Angelica was mentioned without comment in the old magazine, I wonder if it was more commonly used a hundred years ago than what it is now.
I’ve never heard of Angelica, either. The fondant bow is great, and I like the daisys. I think the ship is my favorite, for creativity, but for tradition, the first is the best. Actually, I’d hate to cut into any of them. They certainly would be fun to make.
I think that they’d be fun to make, too. These pictures bring back memories of some of the cakes my mother made when I was a child.
So artful!
The designs are so creative. 🙂
Wow, I think we need to return to Valentine cakes. I like the way they list the name of the designer under each cake.
It is nice the way the magazine recognized the role of the designer. It’s too bad that it isn’t done more often.
Definitely not calorie free! Great fun, and little works of art.
I try not to think about the calories. 🙂
OK my favorite is that boat. So pretty!
I like them all. I can’t decide which is my favorite. 🙂
A post just as lovely as always! 🙂
It’s nice to hear that you enjoy them.
I do! Very much! 🙂
Beautiful cakes. When you really examine them they would not be hard to do. Why do we insist on making this kind of thing so difficult today?!
I don’t know. Looking at these pictures reminds me of how much fun I had making decorated cakes with my children when they were younger.
Lots of fun!!!
These are beautiful!
I agree!
How elaborate they were back then. I think now we take the holiday for granted. Love the boat cake! ~Elle
Valentine’s Day somehow seems more commercialized now–though they definitely purchased Valentine’s Day cards back then.
They are all so charming. 🙂
Another descriptive word that comes to mind is quaint. 🙂
Yes, that is a great description.
Now I’m feeling a little inadequate, just getting my husband a card . . . . 😉
My husband got more than usual this year. I made him heart-shaped aspic salad. 🙂
Those cakes are just beautiful! I wish people could put as much thought and effort into Valentines day now. Sure makes that card and box of store-bought chocolates look dull, doesn’t it?
I also love the old cakes. They look like they would have been so much fun to make.
These are beyond precious! I love them all, especially “love’s target” w/all the guests’ names on it 🙂 I am going to watch for angelica in the seed catalogs, or ask Rosemary, a local florist. I know I would be able to open up a package of M&M’s (the “little candies” mentioned, I believe) and trim a cake–so many sweet ideas. Thanks for the inspiration, Sheryl.
If you find out anything about the angelica be sure to let us know. It’s intriguing that it was available a hundred years ago, but apparently isn’t used much any more since none of us are familiar with it. I bet that you are right about the M & Ms. I wonder how long they’ve been around.
Scrumptious!
They look beautiful and yummy. 🙂
These are real works of art. Beautiful.
I agree!
My aunt has made a cake for her husband on Valentines Day for the last 50 years. Her daughters took up the tradition with their own husbands. Such a lovely gift.
What a wonderful tradition! I love it.