Discovering Sugar Flowers

Sugar flowers combine two wonderful things, which are sugar and flowers. Flowers are truly a gift of nature. They make everything in this world look brighter and more beautiful. Sugar, on the other hand, is something that almost everybody loves. Sugar is one of the main ingredients that propelled foods like chocolate and ice cream to their popular status today. That is why it is not surprising that sugar flowers were an instant hit upon their introduction to the cake decorating world. They are a perfect example of a wonderful fusion of beauty and taste.

The main ingredient for sugar flowers is sugar gum paste.  From this gum paste mixture, a porcelain dough is molded. Decorators then paint and shape this dough to copy the appearance of real flowers. At present, there are factories that manufacture sugar flowers in large volume. However, there are cake decorators and even pastry chefs who pride themselves in making original flower designs and edible flower arrangements. For them, sugar flower making is a great form of art.  Not everybody can do it. Copying the look of natural flowers, including their delicate details requires superior skills and patience. People who desire to become experts in this craft undergo formal training.

There are so many emerging techniques of brushing and decorating sugar flowers. There are even commercial books dedicated to sugar flower making. This craft has no limit  in terms of creativity. Some cake decorators go as far as creating a stem or base to easily connect these flowers to the cake. What is great about sugar flowers is that they are completely edible.  They can also last for a very long time compared to the cake they are decorating. Sugar flowers can be stored in the refrigerator to serve as a memento or souvenir of a special event.