in the old days, an older female member of the family would take great pride in producing a traditional three-tier fruitcake for the reception. nowadays,however,most lrish couples visit their local baker and order a cake. which is decorated wist lrish themes such as swans or fairies.According to tradition,the couple save the top layer of the cake.they often store it in a tin and use it as the christening cake for their first baby.