Once I learned Royal flowers, I loved the idea and used them ever since. I love how they harden up and are handleable and not so fragile, don't loose their shape, etc. However, the last few months, I've been trying to get back into doing Buttercream ones, because I'm thinking it's kinda strange to have to pick off the flowers before you can slice it. Now that I'm getting to the point of selling cakes, I wonder what you all do? I did a bridal shower cake a few weeks ago with Royal flowers that looked awesome, but when I mentioned they were hard like candy, the mother seemed almost confused. Now I'm almost leary of using Royal. I have two (free) cakes to do this weekend and feel limited in my design using buttercream only. I'm thinking of adding some royal ones in them too, but I've never mixed both on a cake, is that done normally?

Royal is nice simply because you can make them ahead of time. If I make a cake with royal icing flowers, I don't use buttercream flowers....and vice versa. I did do a cake with both once, and the sharpness of the royal icing flowers made the softness of the buttercream flowers seem not so great.

You can make bc flowers ahead as well, and freeze. I've never made a batch of RI in my life that I liked for anything, but that's personal preference. Anything I can't do in bc I do in fondant or gumpaste.

rlsaxe, that's true, the contrast wouldn't be good...

Zmama, I've done that with roses, but I've never attempted some of the royal flowers like that, like apple blossoms, pansys, etc. Have you done those in BC and frozen them? I figured they'd be too dainty and wouldn't freeze well enough.

I actually take the best of both worlds and make all of my flowers out of air-dry buttercream....still is soft enough to eat and cut, but stiffens enough that you can handle it, even little drop flowers! Love it!!

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2278-0-Airdried-Buttercream-Icing.html

I like both, but I feel I can do more in RI. I like being able to do them ahead of time, handle them easily, and I can do a 'trial run' of the placement on the back of a cake pan.


Just did this one in royal, but bc leaves. I was happy with it. I actually hadnt made any RI flowers in awhile and it was fun!

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=merissa&cat=0&pos=0

I mostly use royal because I make lots and lots of violets, daisies, etc....ahead of time. I keep them in an air tight container and they keep a long time! They do soften up once on the cake a bit. They are very edible...chidren love them.

Thanks for posting the link to the recipe. I usually do roses and freeze but sometinmes they are still hard to handle. I am anxious to try this. Could be a lifesaver. Most of my friends say the royal flowers are too hard. I quit making them.

I just finished a floral cake in SMBC and froze the flowers before I put them on..violets, small apple blossoms, roses and a few I piped directly on the cake.
Worked very well with this type of icing, no problems at all placing them and held up perfectly when thawed..sat out for quite a few hours at work.

Loved the RI flowers but haven't done much with them..advantage is that you can really do them early and just have them ready to go.

REally pretty cake Jane! Reminds me of a whimsical bakehouse cake

I like using buttercream, if you have a crusting recipe you can make days ahead and let them dry a little.

I LOVE Royal and gumpaste flowers. Buttercream, for me, is reserved for when I have no time. I don't think there's any comparison between BC and the other two. It's a learning process tho....you have to walk before you can run, and I learned on BC. AS someone has said....it's such a treat to have them ready made in advance and not have that stress when you're doing the actual decorating. Just my personal opinion!

I use royal icing all the time for a couple reasons. I like doing them in advance because it makes decorating time go faster. I also like the royal icing taste better than buttercream. And finally, I have a terrible time transferring buttercream ones from the nail to the cake, and I don't like doing them directly on the cake. It usually takes me several attempts to get a flower right, and with royal icing, I only have to use the really good ones!

merissa, your cake is gorgeous! And exactly why I love Royal! I know I couldn't do that out of buttercream, especially for placement, like you said. I've frozen roses of BC (some in the freezer right now for todays cake!) but it's still not the same, one I put on yesterday's cake got small cracks along a leaf edge from getting placed, that doesn't happen w/royal!
BTW, what green color did you use for your leaves? Lately I've had a hard time getting it right and have used 3 different greens mixed together to get a more color look like yours.

Momofjakeandjosh, I also have a hard time transferring them from the nail! I'm afraid they'll plop face down in the wrong spot! Even frozen ones thaw super quick I think.

ribbitfroggie thanks for that recipe, I'll give it a try, it would be nice to have something that's the best of both worlds!

eieio: I love avacado green (americolor) for leaves or juniper green (wilton)

Thanks Merissa!