how to decorate cakes with fresh flowers
a Q&A guide to decorating with botanicals
hey hi hello!
So, I’ve been known to put a flower or two on cakes— it’s actually pretty much all I’m known for. Over the years, I’ve been asked time and time again how I’m safely using flowers on cakes and I answer what I can when I can. But, today I’m dropping all the answers to your questions here in one neat and tidy (by my standard, so still a little chaotic) guide ♡
WHICH FLOWERS CAN I USE?
As a general rule of thumb I use flowers that are edible or non-toxic and organic/pesticide-free. Nothing from the grocery store because those are usually sprayed with tons of pesticides. Regardless, I’m telling customers the flowers are purely for decoration and not meant to be consumed because they don’t add anything to the flavor profile of the cake and to take ‘em off before digging in.
There’s a lot that falls into the non-toxic + edible categories. Roses, dahilas, snapdragons, orchids, scabiosa, and cosmos, to name a few. This is a great resource for finding cake safe flowers, as well as noting which flowers are toxic.
When in doubt, ask! If you’re sourcing your flowers from a local grower/farmer, you can always ask if they know about the possible toxicity of a flower. If they don’t , at the very least they’ll know the name of the flower and you can do a little google search to figure it out.
We carry the internet in our pockets these days. You can even use your phone to snap a pic and it’ll help to identify the flower for you!! iPhones have a feature when you can scan a plant and it’ll let you know the type of flower it is. Same goes for Google, you can Google image search a flower to get it’s name and from there search “Are roses toxics to humans” etc etc.
WHERE CAN THE AVERAGE PERSON FIND ORGANIC AND EDIBLE FLOWERS?
Now, I can really only speak to CA and where I get flowers here. But, I source my flowers from a few different places, which may help you find an equivalent source where you are!
The flower market in downtown Los Angeles, which is open to the public! There’s one specific booth called “Gather Flora” that sources and sells local + organic blooms.
The farmer’s markets- SMFM and HWFM in LA most of the time. You can usually find bundles of cut stems or clam shells full of violas and rose buds.
Specialty Produce in San Diego— also open to the public!! They have a big fridge full of produce and edible flowers.
Local growers! When I did my long cake demo with Elisa back in 2023, we reached out to Borrowed Garden for the florals for our cake. Elisa had found and met them through instagram. Across LA and San Diego you can also find people who have converted their yards in to floral oases to cut and sell.
I’ve also been known to approach the owner of a house who I notice has a plethora of rose bushes that never seem to get cut from. I’ll ask if they’re okay with me cutting a few roses or other blooms to use. It’s a benefit to both of us, I get free flowers and they get free gardening/dead-heading! ALWAYS ASK BEFORE CUTTING SOMEONE ELSE’S PROPERTY!!
these roses were plucked straight from my neighbors bush!
HOW TO PREP FLOWERS BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON A CAKE?
I cut what I think I’m going to need for the cakes I’m planning to decorate. Then I give them a good rinse under cold water to wash away and dirt or bugs that may have hitched a ride in the petals. After that, I give ‘em a good, but gentle pat down with a clean paper towel. I wash only what I plan to use that day or in the moment (especially if I’m using the flowers over a course of a weekend) because water can get trapped in the petals and foster mold growth as well as wilt your cut blooms.
IF YOU TAPE THEM, WHAT KIND OF TAPE DO YOU USE? MINE ALWAYS FALLS OFF OR IS SO BULKY.