What’s everyone’s opinion on this? I love this baker/decorator. She often decorates with flowers that are not edible or other objects (these are real stones/rocks). The cakes look absolutely stunning, but are the looks worth it to have to strip it all off before eating? I want to say yes, but part of me also thinks all edible might be better. Then again, just because you decorate with edible flowers doesn’t mean someone’s going to eat it. In fact, I’d assume most of the edible flowers being put on cakes are not eaten. Have you ever eaten a full size flower? The texture ain’t really it.. let me know what you think!
*Cake created by picnicbakedgoods on IG
by Free_Seaweed_6097
34 Comments
I don’t mind small edible flowers or petals. Otherwise, nothing nonedible should be on a cake.. too much room for error
Unless it’s a cake topper or candles, no non-edible things should go on a cake. Certainly nothing that is toxic.
Hmmm. I think I’m okay with non edible flowers but for some reason I do think I want to draw the line at rocks.
I often put toys, figurines, and other acrylic decorations on cakes – but I think it’s very obvious they are not edible.
I do make a lot of cakes for kids, so that they get to take off the toy and play with it is part of the fun for them. But I also make it clear to clients what is edible and what is not, even with it being obvious to me.
I don’t like it. I also don’t like edible flowers though so there’s that. I prefer it all to be edible.
I prefer everything to be edible. The new trend of putting non-edible ribbons on cakes drives me crazy. Lol
Edit: typo
I can appreciate technique but the cake is not pretty in my opinion.
And no, nothing that is not edible should not be put on a cake.
Your take on flowers is invalid in light of all the people deconstructing theor sandwiches to remove non-desirable pickle or onion ring. It’s edible even if someone decides not to.
What do you do with rocks? scrum them off the ganache, destroying any looks the cake might have & wash em each time? sounds like a nonsense.
(yes I often eat edible flowers, the whole gardening season I eat flowers to be exact. Nasturtium and lavender being my fav, magnolia a rare treat)
No. Because not everyone is going to know that it’s not edible. Even if you tell them people can be dumb.
Everything on a cake should either be edible or clearly be for take off before eating, like candles.
You can make rock candy and geode cakes so there wouldn’t be anything visually to indicate that these weren’t the same.
I feel like it’s too risky.
Flowers are one thing but anything else non edible I’m not a fan of.
First off you have no idea if it’s food safe unless it’s explicitly labeled that way.
In this instance you have a major choking issue because people assume things are edible when on food.
And lastly, this might just be my opinion, but I think it’s cheating. It takes skill and technique to create things out of edible mediums that look real or high quality, and it doesn’t take much skill to load a cake with fake plastic decorations or in this case rocks.
I’m against it….. unless it’s like an action figure on a kid’s cake….and only if it’s CLEARLY not edible.
The only reason nonedible decoration should be on a cake is if you don’t intend the cake to be eaten. It’s unsafe, rude, and pointless otherwise and I will not change my mind.
I thought this was a hat.
In my opinion, everything on a “grown-up” cake should be edible.
Putting rocks on a cake seems an unnecessary risk when you can just make chocolate ones that look the same. Plus that cake doesn’t really look good anyway.
It depends on the theme of the cake for me. For a child I might use a toy or figurine that they can keep after the birthday party. I use all edible for cakes other than children’s birthday cakes.
Someone’s gonna break their teeth on those rocks.
Making edible decorations is an art form and the whole point of cake decorating. It you want to decorate with random crap, do that, but don’t put that stuff on a cake!
Definitely no small danger risks like this.
Ffs someone is going to break a tooth or choke to death
They make rocks and stones made from candy, I am in the if not edible, don’t put it on something that is.
Personally I love putting random crap on my cakes (after being sanitized ofc) to fit weird there’s. That being said, I make them for myself and my family only and I take all the non edible decor off after everyone has seen it and I’ve taken photos of it, then I cut and eat! I’ve done ducks, and dinosaurs, and cat themed cats with little figurines on them and such.
I think it would be awesome to make those stones out of isomalt. Maybe cast real stones to make custom molds
No, only edible things on a cake. Not only will this break teeth, if you get someone who forgets to chew before they swallow, it’s a choking hazard
That cake isn’t even attractive. It looks very low effort with some rocks on top of it for no good reason…anything inedible shouldn’t be on a cake (besides obvious toppers, I think) at all
i would be scared someone doesnt know better and eats it.
10/10 do not recommend. I took a bite of a cake with what I thought was chocolate pearls and to my surprise they were plastic. If it’s obvious or not, they get in the way of eating and truly enjoying the cake. Picking out what I can’t eat is annoying and potentially a hazard. Otherwise, the cake is absolutely gorgeous and I love the creativity. I just wouldnt serve it to anyone for safety reasons.
There are plenty of edible alternatives for each of these stones, minerals, beads and costume pearls- that aren’t pricey. At all. (eg an entire container of pearl sprinkles, a half pint, is five bucks give or take?) That are of good quality.…? One could easily make them as well, …if she can frost and pipe as well as she displayed…!?
I understand, if you had an order- and the customer required it- but i feel that would apply more if edible things didn’t exist? certain culinary food-safety serving rules wouldn’t let this fly- lawsuits, choking hazards, etc, legal jargon (depending on the area, of course).
But… by all means, break a tooth.
(I weirdly used to work as a cake decorator, now work with stones and minerals, I love both these things displayed-cake and pretty rocks, yet this photo- does not compute, lmao)
*edited to add I have used real flowers, and as long as not poisonous, I feel that’s ok.
Everything on a cake should be edible or a toy for the cake receiver can keep and play with afterwards
I think what annoys me most is that there are always ways to make an edible version of whatever decoration you would use.
Those stones for example, there’s literally over a dozen ways to make them (modeling chocolate, gum paste, molded sugar, blown sugar, air brushed nuts, wafer paper, fondant, jellies, agar, carob, marzipan, mochi, marshmallow, shaped macarons, brushing metallic or glossy colors over shaped cookies, etc etc etc).
There’s literally no reason to use inedible decorations. The rare exceptions being candles and cake toppers, but hell even those you can technically make edible.
Even worse, she’s got them right next to edible nonpareils which would make **a lot** of people assume they’re shaped “gemstone” rock candies or chocolate “rock” bonbons.
I really hope she’s personally the one that cuts and serves them, because even if she warns the client the odds of some client **eventually** missing one or two stones and someone else trying to eat them without knowing is way too high.
Some rocks can be toxic and even if they’re washed and dried before being put on the cake, i wouldn’t want them.
And I LOVE rocks to a fault. Really!! But on a cake it’s a bit much.
There has to be a limit on non edible stuff on a cake and rocks surely (and sadly) cross that line.
The effort of picking them all off one by one would annoy me. Especially because aside from the gems it’s a pretty plain cake, so what are you actually paying for?
It tastes like liability insurance 😝
Definitely not something that is non-edible but looks delicious and could choke a toddler.
I’m almost 40 so I’m old and decrepit but my personal line when baking is nothing inedible goes on the cake or inside the cake. I personally hate it, like, it’s food meant to be eaten. I don’t want anything extra touching on it, pretty or not. Plus there are so many edible options for just about any decoration, that I can’t really see a good reason to use anything inedible.
If it’s small enough to go into the mouth, it should be edible if it’s on a cake.