I started making sugar flowers for wedding cakes a few years ago after attending a master class with cake designer Ron Ben-Israel of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes in New York City. His approach and techniques for making such realistic flowers from sugar paste are simply brilliant and inspiring. Ron is undoubtedly an artist as well as a talented chef.
This year, Ron introduced me to Glamelias in an Extreme Flower class in Savannah, Ga. Also known as composite-flower bouquets, which were popular in the Victorian era, florists used a method of constructing bouquets that looked like large oversized roses from the petals of gladioli - hence the name Glameria. As a bridal bouquet they are stunning, and are just as beautiful as a decorative element on a wedding cake. Ron took us through the steps and techniques that he has mastered for creating these beautiful sugar bouquets. And hundreds of petals later ... voila!
These unique handcrafted creations are made from sugar paste dough, which consists of sugar, water and a mixture of gums. This dough can easily be colored and shaped into almost anything. People are always amazed that the flowers we put on our cakes are handmade from edible ingredients. They can be totally customized to compliment any wedding decor, from traditional to fantasy, or in this case, to the extreme - just let your imagination take you away.
Capital Hotel Pastry Chef Tandra Watkins infuses every one of her creations with innovative culinary techniques and classic French skills from her days at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris with the foodways of the South. Her desserts feature fresh seasonal ingredients that are a melange of colors, flavors, and textures. Tandra is an active member in Southern Foodways Alliance and her work has been featured in Little Rock Soiree and in Arkansas Bride "Real Weddings". She shares her expert wedding cake advice on the Arkansas Bride blog monthly.
