Wedding cake flower cascade

[orchidjessy]

Hi all-

A bride has requested doing a cascade of flowers on her wedding cake with fresh flowers. Has anyone done this before? How? It is a 3 tier cake. Thanks very much!

 

[Kristine]

Is the cake stacked one layer atop of the other, or are there spacers between layers?

 

[IggyFlowers]

I usually get the measurement of the top layer, say 8", and make a topper in an oasis iglu holer (toppers start at $20 usually, depending on the flowers). I have cardboard circles of differnt sizes already 6", 8" etc. Set the topper on the circle and start with greens around the bottom so you know how big it needs to be, add greens, then flowers up to the dollar amount. This is easy for the cake person to set on top of the cake. Then, depending on if there are spaces, size of the space, or if the layers are on atop the other we talk to the cake person to see if there is room for iglus between the layers or if they would rather have loose flowers to tuck between. Another option is just a cascade of petals down the cake. The cake person uses frosting to 'glue' the petals to the cake. I find it always is better to talk to the cake people your self so everyone knows what they have to work with. Hope this helps.

Iggy

 

[orchidjessy]

thanks!

thanks for your very quick response! The layers are stacked directly on each other. So I was thinking that I would use igloos at each layer, and kind of arrange the flowers to look like they are cascading, though they would be in the igloo. is this what you mean? Of course, assuming that the igloos fit at each layer... thanks again!

 

[felicityflowers]

I did one in March and struggled with how I would put it all together. It was a three tier cake so I just bought one of the oasis dummy cake forms from my wholesaler (6 bucks) and used that as my template. I made the topper with an igloo and then made little "crescents" with decorative wire to insert into each layer of the cake.

Here's a picture:
http://www.flowerchat.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/547/cat/514

The bride didn't want a ton of cascade so that one is minimal but, you could alter the amount of stem you left on the flowers and the amount of greens to make it more dramatic.

Hope that helps!

 

[CHR]

IMO the fastest way to create a cascading effect is to make sure your flowers are clean and then design the flowers right into the cake.

There's a thumbnail shot of flowers cascading down a cake on this page. (right side of center row). Right now it links to the wrong photo (will fix today) but you'll get the idea.

 

[orchidjessy]

Thanks, these are beautiful! Technical question- is it ok to stick the stems directly into the cake? Is that food-safe? Do you wrap the stems before they go into the cake?

 

[IggyFlowers]

If the layers are right on top of each other you may not have enough room for iglus.. in that case you can just set the flowers right on the cake and kinda wiggle them into the frosting. (My cake people here would rather put the flowers on the cake themselves, so I just had them the topper and a bucket of loose flowers sometimes and let them go for it.) Another option is to do the flowers like small corsages for the layers.

Iggy

 

[Eric S]

Here's one with roses and strawberries.
http://www.everydayflowers.net/images/08-09-03_086.JPG

Good Luck

 

[Kristine]

I have a fruit and veggie rinse I use on cake flowers. If you are concerned, you could use saran/cling wrap around the stems for protection.

 

[Carrieann]

Do alot of you put the flowers on the cakes yourself's?

We will not do this, we are afraid of a lawsuit if we ruin the cake. You only get one shot at this before the frosting is ruined.

we will provide the flowers and even do a topper or whatever is needed, we will not put the flowers on someone else's work!!

 

[BOSS]

Technical question- is it ok to stick the stems directly into the cake? Is that food-safe? Do you wrap the stems before they go into the cake?

Do it all the time, poke 'em right into the cake. Never have wrapped a stem.

 

[countrypetal]

my mother does wedding cakes and I would be mortified and ticked if someone just stuck a fresh flower stem into my cake , poking all sorts of holes into the cake which compromises the stability of the cake not to mention you have bare stems on something you are going to eat.


If we get someone wanting things into the side of her cake - it is made like a little corsage and wrapped in plastic wrap and then we have the cake person put the flowers in.

We do not take responsibility of touching the cake - if it falls over or if something wasnt placed right it is the cake decorators responsibility.

 

[countrypetal]

CARRIEANN --- DITTO !!!!!!!!!!

These girls are paying anywhere from $500 on up for a cake . Some of them paying over $1,000.00

and the first things people want to see at a wedding is --- A) the dress and B) The Cake those are like the 2 big centerpieces of the wedding.

NOT something I would want to take responsibility for

and as well if I was paying that much money for a cake and had bare stems poked into it -- lol - lets just say I would NOT be thrilled.

 

[MYLORDS]

Let Them Eat Cake

WE sell fresh cakes in our store for all occasions and decorate each and every one with fresh flowers stuck right into the cake itself. Florists' have been doing this for 35 years. Don't sweat the petty things, don't pet the sweaty things.:bdaypig:

 

[countrypetal]

YUCK !

each to his own but it honestly is NOT that big of an extra step to cover the stems in plastic wrap.

I can only imagine what cutting something like that is like. Having to make sure you pull the stems out - having all these holes in the cake and then making sure everything gets pulled out so someone doesnt chew on greens.

 

[felicityflowers]

...having all these holes in the cake...

Kelly,

I'm confused. What is the difference between having holes in the cake made by plastic wrap covered stems and having holes made by clean, bare stems? Isn't a hole in a cake still a hole?

 

[Sher]

Do alot of you put the flowers on the cakes yourself's?

We will not do this, we are afraid of a lawsuit if we ruin the cake. You only get one shot at this before the frosting is ruined.

we will provide the flowers and even do a topper or whatever is needed, we will not put the flowers on someone else's work!!

Adding flowers to cakes is a big "add-on" for us. Never had an issue. If it is regular frosting, a short stem inserted , small clusters on tiers etc..if it is rolled fondant then we make a small slit with our knife and shimmy the short stem in...adds anywhre from 75 - 250 to our package....as long as you are careful there should be no problems...we also do not make our toppers like we used to many years ago..did them in small paint lids...now we do the same to the top as we do on the tiers...
Sher

 

[Joe Mioux]

I do what I am told.

If the cake person tells me to decorate the cake with flowers, I do it.

If the cake person tells me I am not qualified to stick flowers in the cake, GREAT! One less thing for me to do.

I have stuck many flowers in cakes over the years, and have not had any issues.

I have also had the cake ladies ask me to help them decorate their cake with fresh fruit and berries as well.

As far as sanitation goes regarding the cake, well..... ? Have you ever seen a drunk groomsman eat his boutiniere? It happens.

Igloos? no we use spray paint caps. Whenever we get new aerosol cans, the caps go in a bag. we cut them down by 2/3 and use the bottom as a container or base for the oasis. Works great.

joe

 

[Carol Bice]

Cascading flowers on cake

I agree with Joe. If the baker or the bride tells me to insert the flowers or decorate the cake, I do it. If they don't, that is even better. I would hate to lose $100to $300 to the bakery when I can do it myself.

I really can't see that wrapping the very short stems is any more sanitary that inserting plastic or florist tape or wire into the cake. The stems can be ever so short to accomplish this.

I will say, that the cakes where I am allowed or asked to decorate the cake are far prettier and artier than the bakery ever can do. When the cake is cut and served, that procedure is never done in front of the guests....but, out of the way and put on plates. I can only imagine how many bacteria have already been introduced into the icing at any level of the design or the preparing or baking or icing. What we don't see.... as in restaurants, etc doesn't seem to hurt us. And you know that far worse things than well cleaned flowers go into the preparation before we see the presentation on our plates.

Carol Bice