My favourite edible flowers: Summer edition
All through Summer, my small edible flower garden is popping with colour! Here I'll share with you how I use some of my favourite home-grown edible blooms to decorate my cakes in the summer months and give some tips on how to get the best out of your edible decorations.
Bold & bright Calendula
Calendula is one of the most reliable edible flowers to use over the summer months. They have a long flowering season and provide gorgeous, bright orange and yellow petals that can take a cake to the next level! Calendula petals don't have a strong taste, so they're ideal for sprinkling confetti-style over cupcakes and cakes.
You can also pop them on a cake as a whole flower; cut the stem near to the base of the flower and 'plug’ the cut stem with extra icing as a barrier, to avoid any green stem juices seeping onto the cake! If you're using decorating tools such as a posy pick or acrylic cake pin, then this takes away any worries about stem leakage as the stem is not touching the cake (I buy mine online from Cake Stuff).
Calendula from The Floral Potager’s garden, matched with some flowering rosemary, on a malted milk buttercream cake
Vivid violas
I have to include Viola’s amongst my top fave summer edible flowers. Their minature size makes them perfect to add on top of cupcakes. The come in an array of colours, and I love the contrasting clash of purple and yellow petals.
They're also ideal to press, which is something I've loved doing since childhood. If you don't have a flower press, you can make a simple DIY version using books. Make sure the flowers are thoroughly dry, then sandwich them between two clean pieces of paper, and stack several heavy books on top of them. Leave for 2 weeks, and you'll have perfectly pressed flowers to use on cakes! Add them to your buttercream cakes for a beautiful result.
Don't forget the herbs!
Herbs are often featured on my wedding and large celebration cakes - I just love the double benefit they provide - greenery and scent! Rosemary traditionally symbolises love, so it's deep green stems are perfect for wedding cakes. It's also very durable and won't wilt if a cake is on display for several hours. Thyme is great for a softer touch of green, and symbolises courage!
Sarah’s top tips with edible flowers
Use chemical-free flowers on your cakes! Always use flowers that you have grown yourself without pesticides and chemicals, or buy from a local trusted florist who grows organically. You can also buy organically grown edible flowers online from retailers such as Maddocks Farm Organics.
Give flowers a gentle shake outside before washing, to remove any little insects that might be hiding in the petals!
Store your cut flowers in the fridge before decorating to keep them looking at their best.
If your decorated cakes aren't going to be eaten straight away, you could also store them in the fridge to preserve the flowers.
If you're unsure what flowers and plants are edible, err on the side of caution and don't eat it! You can check a trusted list of edible flowers and plants from the RHS here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/herbs/edible-flowers
Have fun decorating! I would love to see what you create!