Taste Buds: Garden-Inspired Cakes

Five Chicagoland cake artists were tasked with creating a cake inspired by the essence of a specific flower. The result was a collection of cakes worthy of their own spot in a flower shop.

Photography by Rachael Schirano Photography | Location & Florals by Town & Country Gardens

Lavandula (Lavender) – Bittersweet Pastry Shop

Lavender symbolizes devotion and serenity and is well-known for its calming scent. Their clustered blooms are tiny individual buds, branching together to create a fragrant bunch. Bittersweet Pastry adorned their creation with buzzing hummingbirds, showcasing pollination and the beginnings of something new blooming.

BEST AVAILABILITY: Summer

Lavender cake by Bittersweet Pastry Shop

Lavender cake by Bittersweet Pastry Shop

Helleborus (Hellebore) – Toni Patisserie & Cafe

Hellebore is a flower associated with serenity and peace. Often this flower is seen as holding a calming air around it, sending a message of stillness in the chaos. This flower comes in many colors and petal/ leaf variations, giving it the flexibility to fit into different aesthetics. In capturing the essence of this bloom, Toni Patisserie chose to make the flowers on this cake out of wafer paper. The result showcased a translucent and airy quality reminiscent of the flower itself.

BEST AVAILABILITY: Mid-winter through early spring

Hellebore cake by Toni Patisserie & Cafe

Paeonia suffruticosa (Peony) – ECBG Cake Studio

The peony is one of the most common wedding florals for a reason. Symbolic of happiness, beauty and romance, this ravishing bloom is considered a good omen for a happy marriage ahead. ECBG Cake Studio played off of the signature texture and color tones of the peony to create a stately but feminine cake.

BEST AVAILABILITY: Spring

Peony cake by ECBG Cake Studio

Peony cake by ECBG Cake Studio

Orchidaceae (Orchid) – The Quintessential Cake

Widely seen as a flower to celebrate life’s precious moments with, the orchid symbolizes love, elegance and virility. Orchids are the epitome of grace and luxury, but also are resilient and durable. Beauty backed by strength is certainly a tenant to be embraced in wedding design. Showcasing this principle, Quintessential Cake handcrafted sugar orchids cascading down a sleek and dramatic silver-banded canvas.

BEST AVAILABILITY: Year-Round

Orchid cake by The Quintessential Cake

Orchid cake by The Quintessential Cake

Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet Pea) – Creative Cakes Bakery

The sweet pea flower evokes bliss and symbolizes well wishes, kindness and friendship. The annual floral blooms in sprawling clusters, emitting a sweet fragrance widely desired for perfumes, candles and other home scents. Creative Cakes brought the delicate femininity of the sweet pea to life on a basket woven canvas, topped with climbing pink and purple buds.

BEST AVAILABILITY: Late winter into early spring

Sweet Pea cake by Creative Cakes Bakery

Sweet Pea cake by Creative Cakes Bakery