Sunday Sweets Is Coming Up Roses
Sometimes with Sweets I get so caught up with arranging fun themes that I neglect to show off more traditional stuff - cakes that are "just" gorgeous, if you will. So today I have a relatively boring theme: roses - but I promise there's nothing boring about these beauties:
Looking at this, you can almost feel the crisp Autumn air, am I right? (Or is that just wishful thinking from a currently roasting Florida resident?) It's perfect for a casual outdoor wedding - and can you believe those wood barrels and stapled straps are all edible?
Or, for a more traditional design:
While the rich purple roses are the show-stopper here, if you look closely you'll see that "ribbon" is actually all hand-piped. Wowza.
You're going to think I mixed up my roses with my daisies again on this next one, but look closer:
Chocolate roses! YES. And the daisies give it the perfect pinky pop of color.
(I'd also like to point out that "pinky pop" is super fun to say. Pinky pop. Pinky pop. Pinky pop!!)
(Ahem.)
Sometimes all your cake needs is a single perfect rose:
By Flickr user Meggs
But others you might want it to have nothing BUT roses:
It's like a rose tower topiary!
(Also, I give up: how do you cut this? And more importantly: how could you?)
Think roses are too old-fashioned? Then how about a more stylized approach?
Modern, elegant, and yet still still funky cool. I like it.
Here's another modern style that's a bit more casual, and more importantly, actually doable by some of us non-pro mere mortals:
By Cakes By Kim
The ombre colors really set off the rosy swirls perfectly, don't you think?
Of course, you can also do fun things with traditional roses, like arrange them into Hidden Mickeys on the side of your wedding cake:
The Dizgeek in me wants to go back in time and do this for my wedding. So fun!
And for you icing purists: yes, it IS possible to make stunning roses with buttercream:
By Arti Cakes
I think this is my new all-time favorite fondant-free cake. LOVE.
When it comes to realism, though, you just can't beat gumpaste roses. In fact, in all my 5+ years of looking at pretty cakes, these are the first roses to fool me:
Let's take a closer look at this rosy ruffly goodness, shall we?
That's gumpaste, you guys. For realz. And the rose pattern is hand-painted.
What's even more astounding is that this cake was Tonya's first time hand-painting roses, and her first time making gumpaste roses. HER FIRST TIME, you guys. Excuse me while I scoop my jaw off the floor.
Say, I just realized we haven't seen any rosebuds yet. FIXED:
D'awww. It's like a delicate embroidered baby's blanket made all 3D and delicious and stuff! (Really, bakers, you should hire me to write your menu descriptions.)
And finally, I'm going to end with a rainbow swag of roses and soft watercolor tiers, because looking at this cake makes me ridiculously stinking happy:
RIDICULOUS HAPPINESS. 'Nuff said.
Have a Sweet to nominate? Then send it Sunday Sweets [at] Cake Wrecks [dot] com! Also, be sure to check our Sunday Sweets Directory for a listing of all the bakers in your area that we've featured here on Sweets!
