Hubby's Birthday Cake - Part 1 - Cherry Blossom Buds

Its been a birthday cake kind of a day for me today ;0)

As well as making a start on Miss SP's cake, I've also made a start on Hubby's, May is a popular month!  Hubby's cake is going to be a bit more traditional, another two tier project (maybe!!  Depends on how the first one goes hehehehe) but with some sugar paste flowers.  Specifically they are Cherry Blossom's.  "Why?" I hear you ask?  Quite simply its a bit of a mickey take at poor old Hubby's expense.  Before I met my other half he went on a holiday to the states with friends.  When he returned the only photo's he'd taken were of the Cherry Trees in DC, something he still hasn't lived down to this day!  So it seemed logical to me that his birthday cake should include some Cherry Blossoms ;0)

Cherry Blossom Buds
Cut a 33 gauge wire into four equal lengths and make a tiny hook on the end of each.

Roll a tiny ball of pale pink sugar florist paste (SFP).  Moisten the hooked end of a wire with edible glue and push it into the ball of paste.  Reshape the paste into a ball.

Use a craft knife to mark five indentations at the top of the bud.  Dust over them with cyclamen dust food colour.

Roll out some pale green SFP and cut out the calyx shape.  Apply some edible glue to the centre then thread it onto the base of the bud and mould into a natural position.

Paddi Clark's Sugar Flowers For Beginners

If we were making these in class we would have made the buds on one night and then put the calyx on another night, its a bit easier when the buds have set.  Also, I'm not 100% sure that the cyclamen dust has been applied correctly, I haven't yet added the proper brushes to my kit and had to make do with some cheap kiddies versions instead.  For a first attempt though I'm pretty pleased.

My tutor always advises to make more flowers than you will need for the finished cake, that way you can pick and choose the best ones to be included.  It makes sense too, it doesn't take any longer to make a few extra while all the kit is laid out.

Note - Use the cyclamen dust outdoors, or in an area where it isn't likely to ruin clothes or furniture!