CAKE WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS

this was one of the prettiest shoots i’ve worked on in a while. amy merrick & max wanger brought their talents to the studio last week and we collaborated on this gorgeous floral shoot. amy had been wanting to do a project with edible flowers and decided to adorn a white cake with them. the inspiration came from this dreamy watercolor dress shown above. (which is on sale here) this would be such a gorgeous wedding cake, don’t you think?

Edible flowers used in the post- rose petals, geranium, dianthus, carnations, calendula, violets, pansies, violas, lilac, camomile and nasturtium leaves and blossoms.

Sourcing edible flowers- try to search your local farmers market, garden center or specialty grocery store for flowers and plants that have been organically grown. Since many of these flowers won’t have been grown to consume, they may have a much heavier application of pesticides which is why sourcing organic is important.

To prepare your flowers- throughly wash and dry the flowers. Generally only the petals will be edible, so avoid eating any stem, leaf or stamens. You want to avoid eating any pollen, and people with allergies should be extra careful when eating flowers.

How to keep your flowers fresh- cut your flowers off their stems as close to serving as possible. Many flowers will last longer when kept in a refrigerator, but it’s best to keep them in water until immediately before use. Once cut, they will look fresh for about an hour at room temperature.

Ways to eat flowers- Many petals are nearly tasteless and can dress up everything from baked goods to salads, soups and vegetables. Some flowers have more of a herbal or spicy flavor (nasturtiums, flowering herbs) and those are best left on the savory side of the plate.

florals by: amy merrick - see more floral posts here!
art direction by: bri emery
photos by: max wanger
model: siri thorson