Sometimes even the simplest cake can be a real work of art. To transform a confectionery, in fact, it may take a minimum of skills, materials and time. To improve the appearance of the creation, it is worth decorating the cake with fresh flowers. This decoration option will be optimal for decorating a festive and everyday dessert. If you know a few secrets regarding the choice of colors, their installation and placement, you get a unique composition with the effect of a real flowerbed.
Conditions for decorating the cake with fresh flowers
Those who care about their health and the health of loved ones are wary of experimenting with food. Therefore, a completely natural question may arise - is it possible to decorate a cake with fresh flowers? Confectioners argue that such experiments are completely safe, especially when you consider some of the nuances:
- Flowers that will be used for decoration should be grown in ecologically clean areas. During cultivation, pesticides and chemicals should not be used.
- You need to properly prepare the buds before installing them on the cake. It is advisable to minimize the contact of the plant with the surface of the cake.
- Dressing should be done no earlier than 2 hours before serving. This will reduce the effect of the flower on the confectionery, and the bud itself will remain fresh.
If you take into account all the nuances regarding floral decoration, the living decor will be completely safe. The time and principle of interaction between dessert and plants are minimized as much as possible.
What kind of flowers are suitable for decorating a cake
Depending on what celebration a confectionery is being prepared for, the type of decor, as well as its components, is determined. But in this situation, the question arises of what kind of fresh flowers you can decorate a cake for any celebration:
- The most common option are peonies. This flower looks majestic and rich on a cake of any design.
- For special events, cake decorating is done using roses.
- In the cake, fresh flowers such as gerberas or daisies are often found in the cake. Although this decor looks bright and fun.
- Rarely used in carnations.
- For small cakes, it is worth using pansies, violets, miniature asters.
- Lilac is relevant in any composition of the cake. Often serves as a secondary decor.
There is a list of flowers that are toxic if used as food: lily of the valley, snowdrop, tulip, jasmine, hydrangea, calla lilies.
How to place flowers on a single-tier cake
Usually single-tier cakes are small in size, so decorating such a confectionery product with fresh flowers is quite difficult. If you select large buds or place them incorrectly around the perimeter of the cake, you get a regular flowerbed.
To avoid mistakes in the process of decorating a single-tier cake, you need to follow the recommendations of experienced confectioners:
- It is worth making a sketch of the cake on paper in a 1: 1 scale.
- Choose flowers that are characterized by buds of small and medium size.
- The center of the composition on a small cake is best placed on one of the edges. Large flowers will help determine the main composition.
- It is advisable to use one, maximum three average bud size.
- The rest is decorated with either small flowers or decorative elements of a vegetative nature.
- Decorating a cake with fresh flowers is optimally simple and beautifully possible if you repeat a half-arch or a wreath along the edge of the cake.
Ideally, in order for a composition of living buds on a single-tier cake to look original and complete, artistic proportions should be observed.
Ideas for arranging living decor on a tiered cake
Unlike small pastries, multi-tiered cakes allow you to show more imagination. But there is a certain fashion for a compositional solution for confectionery:
- On the lower tier you can arrange mint leaves and sweets. The styling principle is determined by the preferences of the decorator.
- The arrangement of flowers can be a snake, which is located from the crown on all tiers to the very bottom. The snake line can be curved or straight.
- You can lay small bouquets of three flowers on each tier. The main thing is that the line for laying bouquets does not coincide.
- Flowers can be a pillow for each tier. It is enough to fix the flowers around the bottom of each tier. At the top is laid out a mini flower bed.
Photos of cakes decorated with fresh flowers by this principle are often found in fashionable cookbooks and magazines.
Original wedding cake decoration
A wedding cake decorated with fresh flowers should look spectacular and fit into the overall picture of the holiday. The principle of laying buds and other decorative elements can be carried out in accordance with any scheme.
It is important to choose the flowers themselves and their color scheme. It is worth keeping a line of floristry. If the bouquets on the tables and the arch consist of roses, then for decorating the dessert it is also worth choosing roses. This is usually a standard solution. Less commonly used peonies in combination with daisies.
When choosing the color of the buds, it is worth considering the theme and palette of the wedding itself. You need to pay attention to the texture and color of the cream on the cake. Usually used white, cream, pink buds. The additional decor should be slightly different in color to create a unique contrast.
The process of fastening buds
It’s easy and simple to decorate the cake with fresh flowers, if the buds are already prepared. It is also worth preparing the dessert itself:
- Mark the places on the surface of the cream where the flowers will be located.
- Using a long wooden skewer, make a shallow hole in the cake.
- Using a spoon or spatula, slightly remove the cream from the cake.
- Insert flower blanks into the hole. Push the cream under the flower with a spoon.
You can slightly change the principle of fixing buds. Shortened cocktail tubes should be inserted into the prepared holes. And already in the tube are inserted blanks of fresh flowers.
Preparing flowers before decorating
Decorating a cake with fresh flowers is very simple, if you make the appropriate preparation of floral decorations. The processing algorithm consists of the following procedures:
- It is necessary to cut the stem at a distance of 5-10 centimeters from the peduncle.
- Place the workpieces in a wide bowl of water, the temperature of which will be below room temperature. In this state, the flowers should be around 6 hours.
- The petals of the settled buds need to be washed well, remove the spoiled petals and leaves from the peduncle.
- Using a spray gun, spray the flower with a solution of water and medical alcohol. A few drops of a medicine are enough for a glass of water.
- Combine the flowers with a floral ribbon. Such a device will help maintain the shape of the composition and nourish the flowers with moisture.
- The rest of the stem must be wrapped with cling film. Thanks to this technique, the flower will not touch the confectionery at all.
Due to all the rules, the composition can be on the cake for 12 hours without affecting the appearance of the colors. The buds will not fall off or change location.
A unique combination of fruits and flowers on a birthday cake
Original and delicious, you can decorate the cake with fresh flowers and fruits. This option is suitable for small and large desserts. On a small cake, it is enough to lay one large flower on the side of the cake, but the fruit will already be located around the central bud. If there are many tiers in the dessert, then fruits should be attached between the flowers.
Typically, the following fruits are used for decoration: grapes, strawberries, cherries, red and black currants, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. You can fix berries in different ways. On a horizontal surface, it is quite beautiful to lay the element. On the vertical - fixing is done by stringing the fruit on a toothpick.