Your wedding cake in bloom

Posted on 31 May, 2017

Floral decorations, accessories and crowns are everything in the world of weddings right now.

However, it can be overwhelming figuring out how to fit them all into one room. After all, it’s a wedding, not a flower market. So we asked Shalini Sree, founder of Cuppalini Cakes, to give us the scoop on how to incorporate florals into your wedding cake, no matter what the theme.

Cuppalini started as a hobby when Shalini began baking in 2005. Over time, she built a following and soon enough, she was inundated with cake requests for celebrations and weddings. Drawing inspiration from everything she finds beautiful in this world, Shalini became obsessed with floral designs.

“I just think they are the most beautiful thing,” Shalini says. “Florals are timeless and they completely shape an event because they are the symbol of beauty”.

For Shalini, her handcrafted cake designs are inspired by her clients and their favourite things.

“The person for whom I am baking becomes my source of inspiration and I like it that way because it makes every single cake different,” she explains.

Nearly all of Cuppalini’s cakes incorporate some sort of floral design, whether that be piped, crafted from gum paste or added fresh. She believes that they are an essential decoration to help make your cake become a spectacular focal point, regardless of your theme. So which flowers suit your wedding or event?

“Fondant or gum paste flowers are great for brides going for the modern luxe theme as they offer finer details with clean and precise lines that help create a modern feel,” Shalini explains.

On the other hand, if you are aiming for a more rustic feel at your wedding she recommends opting for the use of real flowers with their deep colours and delicate fixtures helping to create an aged and authentic look.

She also recommends that edible flowers (yes edible flowers!) can be used for those going back to basics and when softly scattered across a cake can add a simplistic, elegant pop of colour without becoming overpowering.

Finally, there is the classic and delicious (and Shalini’s personal favourite!) buttercream flowers.

“They were popular many years ago and then sadly lost their popularity,” she explains. “But I feel like they’re coming back into trend, partly because people enjoy eating everything that’s on the cake and also simply because buttercream is just so incredibly yummy”.

Combining all of that with flavours like lime and coconut, dark chocolate salted caramel and mochaccino, it’s no wonder that Cuppalini has become an Instagram sensation.

“Being able to make and create these little works of art is my way of expressing myself and I definitely treat each and every one of my creations as a piece of art,” says Shalini.
“It gives me great satisfaction to see the bride beam with joy when I deliver their dream wedding cake, it’s just the most beautiful feeling in the world”.

If you’re dreaming of your perfect wedding or event cake, you can meet Shalini in person and discuss everything from buttercream flowers to her various flavours of cakes at Cuppalini’s stall at UNVEILED The Event this Saturday 3 June at the National Portrait Galley.