Edible Petal Cake Instagram Q&A

Q: What do edible flowers taste like?

A: Some taste lightly perfumed, some taste of nothing at all, some taste like lavender and rose. If you’ve never tasted one before – give it a try! Some are a little bitter, or savoury, and herb flowers and leaves have a stronger taste.

Q: Why shouldn’t you use flowers from a supermarket? They’re much cheaper than organic ones.

A: Most non-organic flowers are sprayed with chemicals that aren’t safe for humans to eat, this includes ones that are technically edible, e.g. rose petals. I prefer to use organic flowers from an edible flower farm, as there’s no chance they could have been sprayed with anything harmful.

Q: How can you make a flower cake more masculine?

A: There are edible flower petals and blooms in every colour imaginable, so tailor those to the audience! If you fancy a change, you could try using edible herb leaves and flowers, which are all sorts of beautiful shades of green, and look less frilly and flowery than petals do.

Q: Can I use flowers from my garden?

A: Yes, absolutely, if you are growing without the use of pesticides and herbicides. Double-check they are definitely an edible variety and wash them before use.

Q: Which flowers are safe to eat?

A: There are countless varieties, of all shapes and sizes that are safe for humans to eat. Seed packets will be labeled, and your local horticultural society should have a list – this will change from region to region.

Q: What do I do to the stems of the flowers that I stick into the cake?

A: To be on the very safe side, I hardly ever stick stems into the cake – it’s hard to prevent liquids leaking from the stem into the cake, and even harder to tell what might be in that liquid. I use a combination of icing and cocktail sticks to support the weight of the stem/bloom on the outside of the cake.

Q: How do I use dried flowers?

A: Exactly the same way as you’d use fresh ones, they are less likely to bleed their colours and won’t wilt either, which means they could be sitting on the icing for longer without causing damage.

Q: How do I prevent flowers from wilting once on the cake?

A: This totally depends on the variety, the temperature, and the length of time. Generally speaking, add your fresh flowers and petals at the last possible minute, keeping everything chilled until that time too.

Decorating Cakes With Edible Flowers & Petals

Fern Godfrey