How to Add Real Flowers to a Cake

Asia Coffee
Jun 23
2 min read

Some occasions call for beautiful flowers, and one of the best ways to incorporate them is by adding them to a cake! Let me take you step-by-step through how to add real flowers to a cake. The method for properly adding fresh flowers to a cake requires some effort, and I'll explain the do's and don'ts along the way. This blog post is not sponsored, but it does contain Amazon affiliate links (from which by clicking I may receive a commission).

The most important thing to know is that you never want to stick flower stems directly into a cake. You'll want to create a barrier between the stems and your cake.

First, identify which flowers are going to be used. Choose flowers that will best work with the size of your cake and the colors on your cake! Including a green element other than stems and leaves is always a nice touch. Start by cutting these flowers away from the bouquet at an angle and place them into a shallow glass of water.

If you encounter clusters of flowers, cut only the main stem. Remove the leaves from the stem.

Once the blossoms have been separated, let's prepare them to be placed into the cake. We'll need large bubble tea straws. These are available in different colors, but bright ones stand out easier to whoever is cutting the cake. We'll also need plastic wrap and floral tape.

large red straws with flowers in the background

Gather a small grouping of flowers and wrap the bottom of the stems tightly in plastic wrap. This will help to seal in the moisture and keep the flowers from wilting.

a small bunch of flowers being wrapped with plastic at the bottom

Next, wrap floral tape over the plastic wrap to secure the flowers. I find this easier to do when the flowers are positioned upside down. The floral tape must be gently pulled to activate the adhesive. We'll continue taping. Repeat this process as many times as necessary.

floral tape being wrapped around gathered flowers

Next, place a wrapped cluster into a straw. You should be able to see the wrapping through the straw. The next step is to position scissors about an inch below where we can see the wrapped stem and cut the straw at a diagonal. This leaves a nice, pointed edge that will make it easier to insert the straw into the cake. Repeat these steps until complete.

a triple image with red straw being prepared to insert into a cake

Now we can easily add flowers to the chilled cake. Allow your cake to chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

red straw being inserted into buttercream cake

If your tea straws are too noticeable, you may use some frosting and an offset spatula to cover and smooth these areas. You'll want to add your flowers right before delivering the cake. Avoid placing a cake with fresh flowers into a refrigerator for an extended period of time. Gases from other things being stored in the refrigerator could cause the flowers to wilt!