Cake Decorating

Sugar flowers and sugarpaste models - advice to customers

Hi all

I’m very new to cakes and this site so please forgive me if this has been answered before or is an odd question!!! Could I ask what advice you give to your clients about any sugar models and sugar flowers that you create in terms of them being edible? I generally make flowers with gumpaste and models with sugarpaste plus CMC, and I know they are made of edible ingredients but I wouldn’t particularly want to eat them (especially when I’ve spent an age making them ;) I was thinking of wedding cupcakes too – do you advise that any flowers are for decoration only (I’m assuming most people would remove them anyway)? Wedding cakes are different I guess because most couples want to keep the sugar flowers but I was just thinking about smaller cupcakes/mini cakes. Sorry for the ramble! Any advice would be very very welcomed.

Thank you!

Natasha

Go Go Sugar (www.facebook.com/thegogosugarco)

6 Replies

Welcome to cake decor Natasha. Will try and answer to the best of my knowledge. Generally items with internal support structures like wires, cocktail sticks/barbeque sticks are automatically considered as inedible for health reasons. These include all wired sugar flowers & sugar models with any of the above items.
For sugar models meant for childrens’ cakes, its advised that you use raw spargetti for support. This is edible, safe to use but must be removed before the decorations are eaten. Which ever category your items fall into edible or inedible, you are meant to notify the customer. Hope this helps!

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Thank you very much for replying :) I think I just worry as I know I would rather not eat gumpaste (yuk) or models made with CMC (I’ve read some negative things about the ingredient). I think I might just find a way of wording the details I give to customers to explain.

Thanks again,

Natasha

Go Go Sugar (www.facebook.com/thegogosugarco)

I always tell my clients that decorations are NOT edible and are NOT toys and should, therefore, be removed prior to serving the cake – even if they are made out of fondant. Being consistant on this point will avoid worrying about whether you mentioned it or not. I also state it on my invoices – especially if the cake is for a child and it has a lot of decorations!

I’m also very careful whenever I use wired flowers. I always insert them into a thin straw so that no part of the wire touches the cake. Being extra careful gives me great peace of mind.

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Thank you VERY much for replying – that’s really useful to know. X

Go Go Sugar (www.facebook.com/thegogosugarco)

One more for you: I usually tell my clients “while it’s technically food, it isn’t edible.” That alleviates concerns that I have put something inedible/unsafe on the cake.

For items that look appealing to kids, like the tiaras I did for a twins’ cake, I also say they might break their teeth. That usually gets mom’s attention. :)

Good idea! Thanks for letting me know – I appreciate it x

Go Go Sugar (www.facebook.com/thegogosugarco)