A Guide to Using Real Flowers on Wedding Cakes.
There is a lot of confusion regarding the use of fresh flowers on Wedding Cakes so I thought I’d clarify a few points.
First the negatives of using fresh flowers on wedding or other celebration cakes….
Despite my job I must state that fresh flowers are not a general food product and flowers should not be eaten unless they are sourced from a reputable organic edible source for the following reasons:
Firstly, and not wanting to state the obvious here, quite a few plants are actually poisonous and could cause a range of symptoms from vomiting to blistering skin around the mouth etc or worse if ingested. They have no place being attached to food items such as a cake and particularly with the boom in popularity of edible flowers on wedding cakes there is a risk that non edible flowers might be mistaken for edible when they are not. There are an increasing number of wedding cakes which are being decorated with fresh flowers and leaves that are actually poisonous. Even if they are not actually eaten there is a risk that sap or fine hair irritants from poisonous plants can leech into a cake if they come into contact with it. I recently saw a wedding cake on Pinterest with Euphorbia stems poked into the cake itself. The gardeners amongst you will know that the sap of Euphoribia is an extreme irritant and causes problems even if it comes in contact with the skin let alone ingested. The Royal Horticultural Society produces a list of those plants that have been clearly identified as clearly poisonous but this is not a comprehensive list.
In the photo below the stunning cake is made by the fabulous Bees Bakery. Bees Bakery is scrupulous about only sourcing organic edible flowers from us here at Maddocks Farm Organics to decorate their wedding cakes. The cake below is photographed alongside flowers in vases including one which is poisonous. Can you identify which one is?
Secondly, there is the temptation to pick up flowers from a supermarket or florist or to ask your wedding florist to bring along a few extras to decorate the cake when you are getting married. Please don’t for a number of reasons. Firstly floristry flowers are absolutely not the same as edible flowers even if they are the same species. Irrespective of whether you are, or are, not planning on eating them they are still going to come into contact with the cake that you are going to put in your mouth. Flowers from a florist, supermarket or garden centres are not designed to be eaten. They are routinely sprayed with insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, none of those are regulated fit for human consumption because they are designed to maximise the shelf life of the flower – not to be eaten. More importantly, more than 90% of flowers sold in uk are imported and flown long distances many from Africa and Columbia. They are not not regulated for the pesticides they use nor packaged or handled with hygiene in mind. There has been a lot of negative press in recent years about flower pickers suffering huge ill effects from coming into contact with sprayed flowers let along the impact on the environment (but that is a whole other story).
Finally, for the same reason, please make sure that your caterer or florist does not push the stems of flowers into the cake that you are going to eat. These flower stems have recently been in water in vases or florist buckets so again there are food hygiene problems. Hospitals have banned fresh flowers from wards partly because of the number of bacteria harboured in flower water. Just remember that your cake maker, whilst qualified in food hygiene, is not a horticulturalist and should not be expected to know about flowers. Likewise your florist, may well know about flowers but not cakes.
Another stunning cake from Bees Bakery using our edible flowers. Just one £10 was used to decorate this cake.
Now for the positives…….
Please don’t let the above put you off using fresh flowers on wedding cakes because edible flowers on a wedding cake are stunning and a cheaper alternative to a lot of fancy sugar work. Fresh edible flowers are more contemporary, smell wonderful and also a fantastic talking point. You just need to follow a few simple rules.
1) Buy your flowers from an reputable organic source.
Edible flowers cannot be washed and should therefore be sourced from an organic source. Do not be afraid to ask questions and to ask for a firm’s organic credentials. A company is not allowed by law to refer to itself as organic, or even state that it grows organically, unless it is both licenced and regulated. At Maddocks Farm Organics, we are licenced with the Soil Association as both growers and processors of edible flowers. Our fields and production methods are inspected annually and we have had outstanding reports every single year which is why Jan was made an Organic Hero by the Soil Association and why our products have won several awards. Whilst some organic growers do use natural insecticides such as garlic spray etc, we use nothing here at Maddocks Farm relying on crop rotation, good organic gardening practices, companion planting, sacrificial planting and beneficial insects such as ladybirds to keep our plants free of pests and diseases.
2) Ask how your flowers are grown, picked and processed.
Here at Maddocks Farm our plants are grown directly in the soil (as is a requirement of the Soil Association) so that they have a ready source of minerals and other nutrients they need for healthy natural growth. We grow in raised beds to keep the plants clean and use a mixture of unheated polytunnels and natural outside planting. Our flowers are brought into the preparation room within 15 minutes of being picked and each flower is checked before being packed into food grade approved recycled and recyclable packaging. They are then put immediately into a fridge before packing up for despatch in thermal biodegradable boxes. Our flowers are sent out by overnight courier with chiller packs included to ensure that they arrive before 12 noon the following day in perfect condition. This is particularly important in the height of summer.
3) Discuss with your edible flower grower how you want to use the flowers.
The way you plan to use your edible flowers on your cake should also dictate to a large extent which sort of flowers you choose and how they are picked and prepared. Thing to consider are:
- Are you having a naked or iced cake and if so what sort of icing are you having?
Some edible flowers have very soft petals which absorb the fat from butter icing or cream if they are left on the cake for too long – an example of this is borage. Having said that, cakes with fresh cream etc should not be left on display for too long anyway – food hygiene regulations state no more than 4 hours and less if the weather is very hot.
An Autumn naked wedding cake with fresh cream and fruit looks stunning with fresh edible flowers – this one made by MMYC Bakery.
- Where is your cake going to be displayed and for how long?
With the best will in the world, if you want your cake to sit outside, in directly sunlight or in a boiling hot marquee for several hours then you might want to consider crystallising your flowers, using really robust flowers that can cope or using flower picks. Your edible flower grower can advise on this.
At Maddocks Farm we generally send out our flowers without stalks on them so that they can either be balanced on, or pinned/stuck to the cake as you choose. If you want the flowers to hold for a long time, or want larger statement flowers then you can request that they come with stalks on them and these can be placed into florists picks which look like small golf tees and can contain small amounts of sealed water so that statement flowers don’t wilt. These are very cheap and widely available and at Maddocks Farm we can advise on the size of picks you might need depending upon the type of flowers and thickness of the stems.
– When should you add the edible flowers to your cake?
The later you add fresh flowers to your cake the better. Most good wedding cake makers will assemble the cake on the day of the wedding for you at the venue. If they are delivering the cake the day before then keep the flowers separate in the fridge in their container until the morning of the Wedding. Edible flowers will survive for several days in their sealed boxes in the fridge but will deteriorate if they are put on the cake the day before and then refrigerated on the cake. They just dry out.
A stunning cake, using fresh edible flowers made by an amateur wedding cake maker using 4 boxes of edible flowers from Maddocks Farm Organics. They used the edible flowers to sprinkle over the entire table.
– Do you want to use edible petal confetti?
Petal confetti is a stunning and extremely fashionable option. It is also one to consider if you are planning on making and decorating your own wedding cake and are working on a budget. It is an extremely cost effective option as 1 large box of flowers for petal confetti will cover a standard three tier wedding cake with ease. The petals can just be scattered over the cake, (requiring no expertise!) for a stunning natural look. A few accent flowers can be used as a flower cake topper if required. Edible confetti made from calendulas and cornflowers holds extremely well on a cake as well so is a good summer choice.
– The personal touch
Do also consider using edible flowers out of your own garden for a lovely personal touch. Remember to ensure that the species and variety are definitely edible; that they have not been sprayed with anything; and that they away from where pets have been. Alternatively have a go at growing your wedding cake flowers. The best source of edible flower seeds in the UK is The Edible Flower Shop. Just ensure when you grow your own that you grow them organically.
I hope this helps. If you’d like any more advice on using fresh flowers on Wedding Cakes then please do give Jan a ring on 07935 268744.
Using fresh flowers on wedding cakes.
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