The art of sugar flowers
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 10:52AM 
There are endless design options when it comes to decorating wedding cakes but one of my favorites is hand made sugar flowers. These delicate adornments are incredibly time consuming as well as frustrating at times to make but can make a simple cake extraordinary. Sugar flowers can be used when maybe a favorite flower is not available to the bride or most often to stylize the wedding cake and create a unique and personal effect.
Sugar flowers are made from sugar paste (also referred to as gum paste) which is similar to fondant but can be rolled out thinner and hardens unlike the fondant that covers cakes. Technically they are edible but I suggest our brides and grooms preserve them or use them on an anniversary cake in the future. Each petal must be cut out and rolled with a miniature rolling pin and either dried and applied to a stem one at a time or applied while the petals are still soft depending on the type of flower.
Sugar flowers can be designed from copying natural flowers but they can also be stylized to match design elements of the wedding, such as a flower in a lace gown, a ruffle of a dress or a whimsical graphic taken from an invitation or table linen. Often I am inspired by flowers I see in paintings such as the gorgeous flowing magnolias painted by Martin Johnson-Heade or the unique varieties seen in Asian art.
At so many receptions I hear from my brides that their guests were amazed to learn they are not looking at fresh flowers. Consider using these special and unique adornments to make your wedding cake something that will be talked about for years to come!
Reader Comments (5)
Your sugar flowers are amazing! It must be a lot of work to get each flower done nicely and realistically. It's an artwork! The roses are beautiful!
Sincerely,
Pei Li
This post is exactly what I am interested. keep up the good work. we need more good statements. Please add more good information that would help others in such good way.
flower
Technically they are edible but I suggest our brides and grooms preserve them or use them on an anniversary cake in the future.
How long do sugar flowers last? Don't they get moldy over time? I presume that by anniversary, you're saying that it can last a year. How do we preserve sugar flowers that long? I kept a sugar bear in our refrigerator once and it lasted a week. Looking at it, I thought it would go bad if I made it stay in there any longer.
Lucy
My Blog - Fotona Laser
The cakes simple and yet really elegant! I love those sugar flowers too. It really needs talent, hard work and a lot of experience to gain to make it perfectly beautiful like that. I was hoping though that there would be more detail on how to preserve the sugar flowers though. Like Lucy, I worry that it may go bad and and go to waste if I keep it too long in the refrigerator. Will be attending a wedding this week and I'm hoping to snatch a few sugar flowers myself!
Carros Novos Brasilia
The cakes really stand out! I love those sugar flowers too. It really needs talent, hard work and a lot of experience to make it perfectly beautiful like that.
Dermatologia Brasilia