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Are you thinking, Kelsie are you crazy?! You’re telling people ‘don’t use sugar flowers!’ but that’s literally your job?!
Yes, that’s true but even I’ll admit there are exceptions to every rule!
So today I’ll go through 4 scenarios where it’s probably best if you skipped the Sugar Flowers. Even if fresh flowers still aren’t an option (because of the whole toxins/pesticides/dirt thing) there’s still other ways to make a gorgeous cake! I love cakes with everything from fresh fruits and herbs, to an elegantly sleek minimalist design!
You don’t have a cool place to store/display your cake.
Like if your wedding reception is outside in the beautiful countryside, overlooking a lake, but it’s 80º and there’s no refrigeration for the cake. There are some cakes that can handle these temperatures (best to check with your baker to see if their cakes will work!) but Sugar Flowers don’t like heat + humidity together. And Sugar Flowers are also heavy so if the cake isn’t being refrigerated, the Sugar Flowers have a higher likelihood of sliding off the cake (ask me how I know 🫥)
You do have a cool place to store the cake– but it’s also super humid.
There are some commercial refrigerators that are super humid. You can tell because when you walk into them, the walls are covered in condensation. Or (if it’s not a walk-in cooler), you open the door and see the humidity clinging to everything inside. This is not a big deal if you’re storing unfrosted cakes or cookie dough in there, but if you want to store a fully decorated cake covered in Sugar Flowers? You’re going to be disappointed. (ask me how I know 🥴)
I’ve seen some bakeries place their fully decorated cakes inside a sealed cardboard box before placing in the walk-in cooler, and this is a great alternative- the cardboard will absorb the humidity! If that’s not an option? Then it’s not a good time to use Sugar Flowers!
You need to consider food allergies or restrictions.
The Sugar Flowers I make contain egg whites. Not everyone’s recipe is the same as mine, but if you are making a cake that is vegan or allergen-free, then placing Sugar Flowers on the cake is not going to work! If you need recommendations for a vegan/eggless Sugar Flower, there are some options out there that could work depending on your situation. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Your baker/caterer/venue says no.
Sometimes other event professionals have it in their contracts not to accept outside food or decoration. If that’s the case, you can ask to see if they’ll make an exception (As an example: I can shrink-wrap your flowers before shipping them to you to fulfill the “must be unopened” requirement of some caterers).
Sometimes they say no because they don’t know if your neighbor’s cousin’s niece is going to bring some dodgy cake topper she made during summer camp, as opposed to Sugar Flowers made by a professional cake decorator. But it’s best to respect the policies of the people you hire for your event! They know their environment and processes best.
Another blog post you might enjoy —
Most of the time I say do use Sugar Flowers, and the blog post linked above goes into why I prefer Sugar Flowers over fresh flowers for cakes!
However… I still maintain that sometimes it’s best if you don’t use Sugar Flowers in every situation, so I’ll play devil’s advocate in today’s post 😋
If you liked this blog post, check out my downloadable free guide of
my best tips for storing sugar flowers
Don’t use Sugar Flowers – Pin it for quick reference!
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. That means I get a small commission if you purchase through this link. However, I make it a point to only share tools and resources I truly love and use.
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