Yet another gorgeous piece for The Flower Issue – “Creating Edible Floral Wedding Cakes With Cake House” gives us a glimpse into the wonderful world of cake baking & creating with the lovely Katrina Allan – the creator & artist behind Cake House. Taking us through her process of how she creates her stunning floral wedding cakes with her clients, with plenty of tips and information for what to think about when designing your flower-themed wedding cake for your day. 

Images: Wander & Follow Images

I have always loved textures, prettiness and little luxe elements to add to my wedding cakes and via Instagram, I found a few really amazing Australian micro flower farms owned and operated by incredible women. It is important to me that I use suppliers that I connect with, that love the cake & wedding industry almost as much as I do and to use florals that had meaning. I wanted to find local farms that were organic and produced edible florals, so I could safely adorn my cakes with them.

The first floral supplier I sourced & used were pressed flowers from the gorgeous Simone & David from Pretty Produce. Simone presses all her flowers and curates the most magnificent floral portfolios with an endless variety of full flowers with stems, mixed flowers & leaves, in the most beautiful natural colour palettes. The thing I love most about these flowers is that she presses these seasonally and Pretty Produce is local and located in Canungra, on the Gold Coast.

Images: Foy & Co.

Then hello to Bloomish! To say I am obsessed with Sarah’s freeze-dried edible blooms is an understatement. Creating the world’s first freeze-dried edible blooms, Sarah’s products are totally luxurious. They are available worldwide and shipped everywhere from fine dining restaurants to bakeries, home bakers to boutique cocktail bars. After years of hard work and refining her freeze-drying methods, Sarah’s edible blooms are just as you would pick from your cottage garden; full of colour, delicate and so special. Because you can buy Bloomish edible flowers in jars of solid colours, it gives you so much flexibility to coordinate the colours of a couple’s wedding and the flowers on their cake.

When I am designing a wedding cake using pressed and freeze-dried florals, I take into consideration a few details first…

1. The season of the couple’s wedding.
2. The base cake covering that the couple prefers (fondant or buttercream)
3. Colour & styling palettes
4. Budget for a wedding cake
5. What fresh flowers will be used in the wedding parties’ bouquets and reception styling?

Images: Cake House by Katrina Allan

Upon the initial design consultation, we discuss the styles of floral cakes the couple loves, whether they are wanting a simpler modern look, abstract or a more of a garden vibe with an abundance of florals. This then guides me to using either pressed or freeze-dried or a combination of both if some texture is needed. It’s a great idea if you’re planning your wedding and want a floral cake to take some time to put together a Pinterest board or something similar to take with you to a consult with your cake creator or to send through to them. This will give them a really clear idea of what your cake dreams are, and will let them manage your expectations for what can be created, and if it’s within your budget.

Image: Cake House by Katrina Allan

The season you hold our wedding in is important for these florals due to availability if we need to match colours and stems with their wedding florals. However, I have found that most couples that choose these beautiful edible floral cakes are really wanting something a little different and a more showstopper cake for display for their reception. In this case, it is more about complimenting the colours, styling & the reception flowers rather than making it all match. Vendors work closely with Pretty Produce to colour match the perfect palette portfolio which is carefully selected and customized to suit each cake design.

Images: Cake House by Katrina Allan

As a part of the design process, we discuss the use of buttercream or fondant covering for the cake. I live in Queensland with high temperatures and humidity and have often found that even the condensation in the fridge is enough to produce sweat beats on the outside of the cake, which can affect the edible florals. Both the pressed and the freeze-dried blooms are extremely tolerant to moisture and heat, so it is a matter of making sure the wedding cake is kept fully covered in a cake box in the venue fridge until it is ready to be on display. This will avoid any condensation marks on your cake and compromise the flowers.

Images: Foy & Co. 

Should we talk budgets?! These edible flowers are an artisan product. They are not a ‘budget’ detail on a cake in comparison to fresh flowers. These edible flowers are hand sown, harvested and pressed or freeze dried. They are from organic farms and labor intensive to cultivate. When choosing the final design for these edible flower cakes, the couple’s budget is considered first, and this will sway the direction of the cake. Sometimes a simpler floral detail is used, with the addition of some fresh flowers or the couple’s dream wedding cake design will incorporate both pressed and freeze-dried to give that luxury of an abundance of flowers.

Image: Wander & Follow Images

Before contacting your wedding cake maker, find your style and what types of floral cakes you love. Pinterest, Instagram and wedding blogs are perfect platforms, flourishing with designs and ideas. Choosing wedding cake designers that are experienced with using edible blooms, pressed dehydrated & freeze dried will ensure your wedding cake.

Find a cake designer that you connect with. Having a great relationship with your vendors who understand your visions and requirements will be the best outcome for you & your cake design. Your cake designer needs to be able to easily guide you through the design process and give you a lovely experience throughout.  Make sure you do some research on what cake designers offer in terms of style and detail. Their style should reflect the types of designs you love and are looking for which will ensure your cake will be of high quality and design detail for your special day.

Image: Cake House by Katrina Allan 

I would highly recommend looking at edible floral cakes for your wedding as they are so unique – no two are ever the same and they are a beautiful showstopper. You can add gorgeous details to your cake table like hurricane candle vessels, lines and fresh floral arrangements to add romance and drama to your wedding cake display. I feel our edible flower cakes look incredible standing alone on display just as much as adding extra styling elements to the table. Honestly, I am so obsessed with floral cakes at the moment, and spring/summer is the perfect time to be choosing these cakes!

Pressed and freeze-dried florals can add texture, drama, and the main focus to a cake. They provoke interest and conversation.  They are delicate & dreamy. They are a truly special element to work with on my cakes, that no two will ever look the same. Each flower is as unique as the next. Each season provides us with a different colour palette & vibe.

Images: Cake House by Katrina Allan

About Cake House by Katrina Allan: I believe that creating my couple’s dream wedding cake should be a fun, memorable and stress-free experience. From your first consultation through to delivery, my aim is to provide exceptional customer service and impeccable attention to detail. I am a qualified Chef and have been baking and designing cakes for over 10 years now. It is my love of all things sweet & beautiful that inspired me to create Cake House in 2015. All Cake House wedding cakes are unique – their designs reflect our client’s specifications and are lovingly handmade in my Toowoomba Studio & every cake created reflects my skill & ability to understand my client’s vision and bring it to life, incorporating my personal distinct style. I offer on-trend, modern mixed medium designs (buttercream & fondant) reflecting my love for elements of textural colour and I especially love working with edible florals to elevate the design of my cakes.