How to use flowers to decorate cakes

Using flowers to decorate cakes is popular, elegant and looks stunning, however have you ever worried about poisoning someone with fresh flowers? This blog will help you safely decorate your cakes with a wide variety of beautiful blooms.

Is it safe to decorate a cake with fresh flowers?

Flowers are a great way to add colour and impact to a cake. I often use fresh flowers on my buttercream and semi naked wedding cakes.

Most of the time I arrive at the venue to be greeted by a selection of flowers and foliage provided by the couples wedding florist. I can’t control what flowers are chosen or how they have been grown but I can make sure that I protect the cake when decorating.

I wrap the stems in plastic floral tape and double protect them with posy picks.

However, it is important to remember that not all flowers are edible or safe to use on cakes. Some flowers are highly toxic and can cause serious harm. Here are few important categories:

· Edible – safe to eat

· Non-edible –not fit for eating – the body will not digest them properly

· Toxic –poisonous and will be very harmful if eaten

· Non-toxic –not poisonous, but be wary as this does not mean that it is safe to eat

Which flowers are toxic?

Here’s a list of a few flowers that you should never use on your cakes:

Bluebells

Foxglove

Oleander

Daffodils

Poppies

Hydrangea

Lily-of-the-Valley

Clematis

Rhododendron

Edible flowers for cakes

When I’m making a cake where the flowers will actually be eaten, I buy the flowers online from Nurtured in Norfolk who have a huge range of fresh, dried and pressed edible flowers.

I also grow some of my own edible flowers such as calendula, violas and borage. Since these are grown in my own garden and I don’t use pesticides, I am in full control of how safe they are to be consumed.

If you’d like to have a go at making a petal covered cake like these, Here’s a list of a few flowers that would be safe for you to use:

Rose

Calendula

Dahlia