If you follow me on social media, you will probably know about my gardening and dahlia obsession! The garden is brimming with the dreamiest dahlias at the moment. So this week I decided to have a little play with them and create some dahlia cake inspiration for you.
A bit about the dahlias…
I am now in my second proper year of my garden and I can’t believe how much it has evolved! From the 5 dahlia tubers that I grew last year, in the Autumn I set about dividing them. After lots of googling on how to do this, I crossed my fingers and had a go at identifying the eye, crown and neck. (if you know, you know!) I thought I had probably massacred them all… Undeterred though, I proceeded to overwinter them in cardboard boxes lined with sawdust and hoped for the best. I checked on them every couple of months to check for mould (all seemed good) and then set about potting them in the Spring. Much to my amazement, nearly all of them sprouted!
Dahlias galore!
I added 2 new tubers to my collection this year (Peaches and Waltzing Mathilda) and so in total had about 20 tubers to plant out in May once the frosts had passed. Not a bad return on investment hey?
Enjoying the dahlias inside and out
At this time of year, I try to ensure that I have a fresh arrangement in the kitchen each week so that I can really enjoy the flowers that I have grown. It has to be one of the most rewarding things about gardening. I also genuinely believe it makes a huge difference to my mental health. The dahlias pair so well with cosmos (another of my favourites) and amaranth which adds so much dimension and texture to arrangements.
My dahlia cake
It’s not often that I get to have a proper play with cake designs. Sadly life is always “life-ing” and it doesn’t facilitate much time for creative freedom with my cake designs. Determined to not let the best of the summer flowers pass without recognition, I shoehorned a dummy cake design into my busy week of sugar flower and wedding prep. I wanted something deep and moody to contrast with the bright pops of colour from the flowers so opted for a deep navy blue. To add a few highlights, I created some of my favourite bas-relief detailing and dusted it with gold. A navy blue backdrop completed the mood and then I set about picking my blooms and getting creative.
The dahlias featured are “Totally Tangerine”, “Labyrinth”, “Cornel Brons”, “Waltzing Mathilda” and “Peaches”. I have also grown 2 new cosmos this year with seeds sourced form Alma Proust: “Apricotta” and “Apricot Lemonade” which brings such a vibrant zing to arrangements…I love it! And then of course the trailing Amaranthus (“Red Army” I think!)
Non-toxic flowers
Something that I am always trying to relay to my wedding clients is the importance of using non-toxic flowers on cakes. Although this is just a dummy cake, these flowers are all non-toxic and so what I would consider safe for use on a cake. Not only that, but they have been grown and picked without the use of any pesticides.
Did you know that most of these flowers are actually edible too? Dahlia petals are a pretty addition to sprinkle on salads. The leaves from amaranthus can be used as a replacement for spinach in dishes. Plus the seeds can be harvested and used as a grain. I am determined to try this out this year! Even some cosmos are edible too – note that not all are though so do your due diligence before trying them.
And Finally…The Dahlia Collection
Over the summer, I have added a few new “Collections” to the Online School. This is your opportunity to buy multiple classes in various bundles giving you huge savings on purchasing the classes individually. The Dahlia Collection includes 3 of my favourite dahlias for cake arrangements: “Cafe au Lait”, “Waltzing Mathilda” and “Happy Single Kiss” pictured above. You can check out the Dahlia Collection here or take a browse of the other Collections on offer here.
I hope you have enjoyed a peek into my playtime as much as I did getting creative. Has it inspired you to “grow” some of your own (either in the garden or from sugar?!)
As always my lovelies, happy flowering!
C x
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