I am quite good at baking cakes but have never really got into icing them (apart from a lemon icing spread over the top!). Have offered to make my daughters wedding cake next December. She wants a light carrot cake, without too much fruit and nuts apparently. Thanks to this forum I sent away for the whimsical bakehouse book. I love the flower cake on page 104 and thought this would be lovely. I could do three tiers, all the same as it needs to feed quite a few and would look more impressive I think. Have never attempted buttercream roses etc but have plenty of time to practice. Our buttercream in the UK doesnt use vegetable shortening - just icing sugar, butter and flavouring I think. Would that be ok to use? We can get a vegetable shortening I think (trex) but only ever use it for roasting potatoes, so not sure we would like the taste. Kayes buttercream doesn't use shortening so perhaps I could try that one? I would like to freeze all the flowers (and the cream cheese frosted cake) and get them out on the day, just to pop on. Would this work. I know the book is so well thought of, I am hoping someone will have made this before.....and can let me know if it is worth me trying to take it on!! Looks complicated but I do have over a year to perfect it!

Any other ideas most welcome....

Thanks.

I use trex in my cream cheese frosting as it keeps it really nice and white and doesnt spoil the taste at all!! I use 200g cream cheese 100g trex 600g icing sugar and 1 tsp clear vanilla. It also crusts well. This is my favourite to use on carrot cake. I havent used it in buttercream as I cant find the butter flavouring they have in the US. You must try the chocolate butter cake from the book....it gorgeous!! made it yesterday and filled it with chocolate fudge ...Oh the calories lol!!!

I'd try fzing the flowers (and taking them out later as you plan) ahead of time. If the icing is not just right (I'm in the US and not sure how your ingredients will do for this)....they just might 'melt' into a blob after a short while.
I suggest also trying the same ic ing and let the flowers air dry. That means just put them aside - like in a cupboard out of the way and let them dry out. Do NOT put in frig or fzr - leave at room temp.
I usually put mine in a covered cardboard box....NOT in a sealed containerl. If they are to be used within 2 days they I don't even bother covering them at all.
See which method works best for you.
Fzn flowers must be handled as quickly and lightly as possible whereas airdried are much 'hardier' and can stand to be handled w/o much problems.

I also use trex in my buttercream, it doesn't make it taste bad. In fact everyone that has tasted it has loved it. I only use half butter and half trex and then however much icing sugar I need until it tastes right. I also add a bit of vanilla. I read somewhere that for bc to crust you need at least a third shortening in the shortening butter ratio. If it were just butter I think as a previous poster said it might just melt into a blob. Don't forget to use a decent butter either lol I used the morrisons value one a couple of times and my buttercream was really soft after a couple of days.

Thank you so much for your advice. Will start practising this week! Going to take a while I suspect........

Why don't you make gumpaste roses? I purchased the five petal cutter and made gumpaste roses for the first time in June for a large cake that I had to make for a friend. It's not as difficult as some think and you could make them a head of time and let them dry. I learned by watching three videos on youtube. I sat in front of my computer and watched the video and went step by step until I had it memorized. I paid 5.99 for the cutter so it was inexpensive and fun to learn. This is the one I used. 100 mm, 3 3/4"
#43-7206 by JEM $5.99