Date of Award
2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Honors Thesis
Department
History
First Advisor
Jason Lantzer
Abstract
This thesis is a historical timeline of American cake and its evolution between the late 1700s and now. This timeline addresses the resource availability, cultural and historical changes, and innovations that have influenced its evolution. Cakes are a reflection upon the time they were popularized, and this paper will reveal several perspectives on the interplay between cake and the relevant cultural and historical climates. Supplementing this timeline, cake’s identity and how it has changed over the centuries is discussed. The cake of 1780s America holds a much different meaning than the cake of the 21st century. Cake has now become more accessible and its identity has changed over time through influencing factors such as technology and modern media.
Recommended Citation
Overby, Rachel, "A Cakewalk Through History: The Evolution of Cake and its Identity in America" (2018). Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection. 455.
https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ugtheses/455