Cake Talk: Cake Flowers 101

Fresh flowers can enhance the look of a wedding cake.

They can also take away the beauty of a cake when not done properly.

Here's today's story.

It was a beautiful cake, patterned after the cover photo of Martha Stewart's Wedding Cakes.

Pretty much all of the cakes in this classic book have been copied or used as inspiration for normal people's weddings. We've done many of them ourselves. This one was no different. Inspired by Martha, but done in simpler buttercream, with pink accents. The cake contract specified that fresh flowers would be placed on the top of the cake only.

So we arrive at the venue to find the decorators setting up the table with yards and yards and yards of tulle and satin and swags and bows.

Wow. Very frou-frou.

We set up the cake on top of all that glam, and go looking for the flowers for the top. I'm just starting to place a few on the cake when the florist comes in and announces I'M SUPPOSED TO BE PUTTING THE FLOWERS ON THE CAKE.

I looked at her in her frilly apron with a flower behind her ear and asked if it would be ok for me to continue?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Allrighty then. We removed the three stems we had placed on top of the cake and stepped back, watching in horror as she treated our cake like it was a two dollar piece of florists foam. She shoved flowers in the top and pulled them out, then put them in again. The cake shook from the beating.

It was painful to watch, there was a small garden growing out of the top of the cake.

Then she started sticking flowers in the lower tier.

I had to speak up. "The bride told us she only wanted flowers on the top of the cake."

I got a scowl as she pulled a rose from the front of the cake.

Looking at the big hole in the center of the cake, I said "well, its too late now, we can't fix that big hole."

OH, THE BRIDE WON'T MIND, as she shoved more flowers into the cake.

Whispers between the florist and her assistant; the assistant disappears and returns with ivy.

Ivy is toxic. So are many types of flowers commonly used in bridal arrangements, including narcissis, calla lilies, gardenias, jasmine, oleander, lantana, tulips and wisteria. I make things people eat, so I have to know this. I couldn't take it any more.

"Umm, you know ivy is toxic, right?"

She rolled her eyes. It was hard but I kept my mouth shut.

OH, I WON'T PUT IT ANYWHERE IT WILL BE EATEN, as she stuck it into the buttercream.

I almost cried.

We now have a list of florists we won't work with. It's a very short list, but I'd rather pass on a cake than relive today's experience.

Comments

Nice, and thanks for sharing this info with us.Good Luck!

Posted by: Timberland Store | December 15, 2011 at 10:20 AM

That's a very sad story. It's so hard to see your beautiful work tampered with in a way that diminishes its artistry, and then to have toxic plants stuck in the cake...!

Posted by: Cricut Cakes | October 18, 2011 at 01:07 PM

I am loving the wedding cake, it has not only got very good detailing on it but the flowers look amazing, any bride would be proud to have a cake like this on her wedding day.

Posted by: Joanne | August 29, 2011 at 08:40 AM