24 Edible Flowers for Cakes and Garnishing

Raul Cornelius is a Senior Editor at BalconyGardenWeb and an expert in flower and herb cultivation based in Phoenix, Arizona. A frequent speaker at horticultural events, he is also an active contributor to Facebook flower groups. Holding an MBA and a BCom, Raul blends his gardening skills with strong leadership and analytical abilities. Passionate about writing and photography, he enjoys early mornings with coffee and books, and nature bike rides during weekends.
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Using these Edible Flowers for Cakes, you can make them look more beautiful while adding a dash taste to enhance the flavor!

Apart from putting icing on cakes to add to their beauty, you can also use Edible Flowers for Cakes to make them look more professional. Choosing the right blooms, you can make a colorful addition to your tasty creations and sell them literally like hot cakes!

Check out our article on edible flowers to flavor your food here


Edible Flowers for Cakes

1. Apple Blossom

Edible Flowers for Cakes

Botanical name: Malus domestica

Apple blossom has a citrusy-tart taste that can add a delightful flavor to cakes. It also gives a hint of sourness to sweet apple pies and other desserts.

2. Bachelor Button

Botanical name: Centaurea cyanus

The bachelor button has a subtle sweet to spicy, clove-like flavor. It looks like small pom-poms when garnished on a cake.

3. Begonia

Edible Flowers for Cakes 2

Botanical name: Begonia x tuberhybrida

The flower has an unmistakable light, lemon-like taste with a crisp texture that tastes delicious on cakes. The bright colored petals also look smashing!

4. Borage

Botanical name: Borago officinalis

Borage flower tastes like cucumber. Its dark blue flowers look like mini stars when garnished on light color fondant or buttercream!

5. Carnation

Edible Flowers for Cakes 3

Botanical name: Dianthus caryophyllus

Carnation’s petal has a vaguely sweet flavor, with hints of light bitterness. The flower comes in almost all shades of red and gives an elegant touch to cakes.

6. Dahlia

Botanical name: Dahlia pinnata

Dahlia tastes like a mix of water chestnut and spicy apple with hints of carrot. The plant also produces sweet potato-like tubers that are extensively consumed in various cuisines.

7. Gladiolus

Edible Flowers for Cakes 4

Botanical name: Gladiolus

Gladiola tastes mildly like lettuce. Use individual colorful petals for decorating cakes, spreads, or mousses for various occasions.

8. Geranium

Botanical name: Pelargonium

These flowers have a strong citrus fragrance with a mild citrus flavor. They go perfectly with the sweet taste of cakes and desserts, giving them a sour aftertaste.

9. Hibiscus

Edible Flowers for Cakes 5

Botanical name: Hibiscus

The big flowers of hibiscus have sour berry and mild citrus flavor. Its pairs really well with desserts and cake, making them more delicious. You can also add it to salads.

10. Honeysuckle

Botanical name: Lonicera

Honeysuckle, like its name, has a honey-ish flavor. Only consume the flowers as other parts like berry and stem can be poisonous.

11. Grape Hyacinth

Edible Flowers for Cakes 6

Botanical name: Muscari botryoides

With a sour, grapy taste, it can be a great addition to cakes. However, these flowers have a bitter aftertaste and may not be of everyone’s liking.

12. Impatiens

Botanical name: Impatiens walleriana

Impatiens have a very mild flavor, but look stunning on cakes thanks to the fact that they come in many colors! The flowers are delicate, so use them with proper care.

13. Cape Jasmine

Edible Flowers for Cakes 7

Botanical name: Gardenia jasminoides

Known for the enchanting fragrance, the flowers can be shredded to decorate cakes and can also be used in jams. They have a slightly sweet flavor.

14. Lavender

Botanical name: Lavandula

Lavender tastes lightly like mint and rosemary. Garnish the cake with its tiny petals for a floral look. It also adds a stunning fragrance and goes best with chocolate cakes.

Note: Avoid using lavender oil as it may be poisonous if taken internally.

15. Lilac

Edible Flowers for Cakes 8

Botanical name: Syringa vulgaris

Lilac tastes like lemon with hints of slight bitterness. Its delicate flowers are available from blue to pale pink and give a refreshing punch to various cakes.

16. Marigold

Botanical name: Tagetes

Marigold carries a slight citrus taste sour to bitter. Some of the most flavorful species are Tagetes patula, Tagetes tenuifolia, and Tagetes patula x erecta.

Note: They can be harmful if consumed in large amounts. Eat occasionally in moderation.

17. Garland Chrysanthemum

Edible Flowers for Cakes 9

Botanical name: Chrysanthemum coronarium

These flowers have a strong spicy flavor, which might not taste well with every flavor of cakes. However, its flowers will enhance the beauty of simple cakes and give a floral touch!

18. Nasturtium

Botanical name: Tropaeolum

Nasturtium has a mild peppery flavor. It looks attractive and is a typical garnish for cakes, cream cheese, or canapés. These flowers are also packed with Vitamin C.

19. Vanilla Orchid

Edible Flowers for Cakes 10
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Botanical name: Vanilla planifolia

Chefs around the world garnish cakes and desserts with its stunning petals. The flavor adds the famous vanilla flavor to cakes!

20. Pansy

Botanical name: Viola x wittrockiana

Popular in salads, pansy has a fresh, slightly lettuce-like flavor. It comes in a variety of colors, adding a dash of colors to pâté, desserts, and cakes.

21. Pot Marigold

Edible Flowers for Cakes 11

Botanical name: Calendula officinalis

Gives out a tangy flavor with brilliant colors. The soft flowers can also be dried and used in place of saffron and offer a bright and tasty addition to cakes.

22. Peony

Botanical name: Paeonia

Peony’s taste is considered to be similar to a peach or strawberry. It has attractive, significant, and light-colored flowers that add a dash of colors to desserts!

23. Rose

Edible Flowers for Cakes 12

Botanical name: Rosa

Rose offers a mild and versatile flower with a subtle sweet taste. Its petals are used to garnish cakes. Just don’t forget to remove the bitter white portion at the end of the petals.

24. Tulip

Botanical name: Tulipa

Offering a sweet flavor with a crisp texture, these flowers can be great to glamorize cakes! Remove pollen and stigmas before using them for garnishing.


Tips Before Using Flowers on Cakes

  • Just because it smells good, doesn’t mean it is edible. Some blooms can be poisonous. Always use flowers mentioned in the list above.
  • Use only those flowers that are not sprayed with pesticide or insecticide!
  • Always prefer fresh flowers for garnishing. Avoid old and stored ones.
  • Wash them thoroughly before using
  • Do not put the stems while garnishing.

Also Read: How to Make a Garnish Garden in Containers

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