Succulents for a Birthday Cake

Succulents make beautiful decorations with their soft subtle colors, but buttercream is better than nature- for a cake that is.

I used to stay up till 3 in the morning creating sesame street cakes for my boys on their birthdays. I’d kiss them goodnight then head for the kitchen where the magic began with butter, sugar and lots of color. Before I knew it the 3:00 hour would be pulling at my tired body and I’d be staring blankly into Ernie and Bert’s big eyes. The smiles on my boy’s faces when they saw their cakes was worth all the sleepiness.

That was over 35 years ago. This month I was determined to be creative for my daughter in law’s birthday. I wasn’t going for Ernie or Bert this time, but a cake with buttercream succulents as toppers. She loves all things cactus. Pinterest is such a great inspiration for ideas, and I found just the right look.

This project was really fun in the color department as well. The basic buttercream was white and I mixed gels, pastes and food color drops to get just the right shades. Then there was the piping itself, with two tone tricks I hadn’t tried before.

Maybe I’ll get my watercolors out and try some mixing and blending to see if I can recreate these colors. That may be a good start on a Christmas project for next year.

It took me three days to finish the succulents and top the cake this time, but in the end it was worth the sleepiness.

I’m sure I saw succulents in one of my seed catalogs. I should try growing some this year. Isn’t it funny how one fun project can lead to so many more ideas?

What projects keep you moving from one idea to another? Do you have a favorite material you work with? 

Frosted and happy,

julie