Fresh flowers vs Sugar Flowers
When I think of cake decor, flowers are one of the first things that comes to mind. They're beautiful, elegant, chic and gives off a freshness that lightens up a cake's overall look and feel. When I first visited the states I saw a lot of dainty and vintage inspired cakes decorated with real fresh flowers, some are edible, some are not but all of them are organic which made me wonder why. Then it hit me, of course the flowers had to be organic or else risk possible food poisoning when the guests eat the cake. I guess they are aware of the health risks that comes with using fresh flowers as cake decor in the US, but how about here in the Philippines?
We Filipinos are famous for being very resourceful and doing a lot of shortcuts to get our desired outcome without breaking the bank, most especially when we're on a tight budget. Decorating a cake with real flowers is definitely a cheap way of making a cake luxurious which can draw a lot of us in just for the sake of saving money, but it stops there and does have a lot of drawbacks which one should consider. Before deciding to adorn your cake with fresh flowers, here are some concerns that you should keep in mind:
- The presence of pesticides and chemical products (even the dyes used) are harmful and may cause food poisoning if ingested
- Unsanitary - have you been to Dangwa? This is where you go to get the cheapest flowers in the metro, flowers grown in Baguio and Benguet are unloaded there. The flowers are literally dumped in the dirty sidewalks which I have personally witnessed countless of times in the early morning on the way to the university. And no, they don't hose them down after, they just gently spritz them with a bit of water to get rid of mud/dirt and keep them fresh without damaging the petals.
- Some flowers may have allergens, that may trigger allergies after eaten
- They could dry and wilt
- You have limited options depending on the availability/seasonality of the flowers
Yes, you can opt for fresh certified organic flowers that have not been treated with toxic chemicals, but we only have a few local growers in the provinces as of yet. They are also way expensive than the regular ones which defeats the purpose of cutting back on the cost. Some people who are knowledgeable about how organic flowers are grown can also be put off with having them touch their cake, thinking the flowers might have come in contact with animal poo as natural fertilizer.
Now, if you are dead set on having flowers as cake decor then you should consider beautifully handcrafted sugar flowers. Yes they may be more expensive than using fresh flowers but think about all the perks that come with them:
- They're made of sugar, so you can be sure that they are safe to place on food.
- They are edible.
- They won't dry or wilt.
- You can safely customize the color
- You can choose any flower you want, even the ones that we can't grow locally
The talented owner, cake artist and pastry chef Ms. Aileen of Honey Glaze Cakes specializes in custom cakes and her handcrafted sugar flowers are undeniably stunning. Just look at some of their team's creations for past clients:
They are life like, wouldn't you agree? If I didn't know better, I would say that they were the real deal. It could fool anyone into thinking they were real flowers!
Check out Yan Asuncion and Yeng Constantino's wedding cake embellished with deep red sugar flowers. Story here.
If you are absolutely sure that you want flowers for your cake, then sugar flowers is the best option and Honey Glaze Cakes can make it happen for you. Check out one of the best in the country, drop by their office and cake studio today to see samples of their artistically hand made sugar flowers up close and be amazed at the detail & quality of each bloom. You will surely get your money's worth.
Official website: http://honeyglazecakes.com.ph/
Email: honeyglazecakes@yahoo.com
Viber: (63)920 9525166 (Don’t have Viber? Download here)
Skype: honeyglazecakes
Telephone: 632 703-2414 | 632 346-7336
Mobile: (63)922 8279848 | (63)920 9525166 | (63)917 5214883
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