Wildflower Cakes Are the Biggest Thing Since Naked Cakes—Here’s What You Should Know Before You Try the Trend

Inexplicably, it seems like a new trend in cakes rolls around every few years. In the early 2010s, it was “naked,” with minimal frosting and a rustic-chic design. Then came the dreaded (or celebrated, depending on your take) unicorn-slash-mermaid era, followed swiftly by over-the-top, sprinkle-filled confections that showered “confetti” when sliced. Last year we saw the rise and fall of the bubble cake, and don’t forget that in between all this were cake pops, cupcakes, drippy glazes and tie-dye batters. This all begs the question, what’s next?

Enter the “wildflower cake,” which, according to trend forecaster Pinterest Predicts, are poised to be the next sweet sensation. Searches for “daisy cupcakes” and “purple floral cake” are both up 85 percent on the platform, while “wildflower cupcakes” have seen an increase of 110 percent. Here’s everything you should know about the trend, plus how to make your own wildflower cake at home.

Wildflower cakes are pretty much what they sound like: cakes decorated with flowers. They can be any flavor and range from diminutive cupcakes to multi-tiered wedding centerpieces. Even the flowers themselves aren’t beholden to one style—we’ve seen wildflower cakes with pressed, edible flowers, piped buttercream botanicals and sugared blooms.

True, flowers on cake are nothing revolutionary—both real and sugar-spun blossoms have been used as garnishes for years. But these wildflower cake trends seem to embrace a less fussy, more botanical aesthetic than before.

Perhaps it can be linked to 2020’s love for the pastoral-perfect cottagecore, which embraced a relaxed, romantic quaintness. And if wedding trends have had any influence, we can totally see the elegant, garden-inspired venues and bold floral arrangements making their mark. (Not for nothing, PureWow predicted a rise in wildflower wedding bouquets way back in 2018.)

Or maybe a bunch of millennial plant moms and dads decided they couldn’t fit another monstera in their living room, so they moved their hobby into the kitchen. (Just a thought.)

In any case, we’re not mad about the trend—unlike unicorn cakes, which were borderline tacky (sorry not sorry) and naked cakes, which left a lot to be desired if you were in it for the frosting, wildflower cakes manage to seem elegant and restrained yet whimsical at the same time.

If this entire time you’ve been thinking, flowers are edible?!, you’re in for a treat. There are plenty of blossoms that are safe for human consumption—you can even grow them yourself if you have a green thumb. And while they look like a pretty garnish, they can add flavor just like herbs and spices do. According to the upcoming The Edible Flower by Erin Bunting and Jo Facer, they can even be used in savory dishes like salads, soups and roasts.

Here are a few edible flowers worth mentioning:

• Borage
• Carnations
• Chamomile
• Chive blossoms
• Cornflowers
• Dahlias
• Daisies
• Geraniums
• Hibiscus
• Honeysuckle
• Lavender
• Lilac
• Marigolds
• Nasturtium
• Pansies
• Roses
• Squash blossoms
• Violets

Now, we don’t recommend tossing petals into your mouth with abandon. You should only eat flowers you know are safe for consumption—when in doubt, consult a reference book on edible plants (like Edible Wild Plants) or trusted gardening resource (like this guide from Thompson & Morgan).

If you want to jump on the bandwagon and try your hand at a wildflower cake, you’re in luck: The trend can be as beginner-friendly as you want. Start with a frosted cake (or cupcakes), then add your bouquet of choice. If your piping skills aren’t up to snuff, opt for fresh, edible flowers over buttercream. To take your botanicals a step further, you can crystallize them in sugar—simply brush the petals in egg white before dusting them with granulated sugar and letting them dry completely.

Of course, before you can get to the fun part (decorating), you’ll need to source edible flowers. In our experience, dried flowers are easier to find than fresh, and they also tend to be less expensive. But if you’re set on gilding your cake with violets straight from the garden, you’re not out of luck (you’ll just have to pay more). Here are a few places to shop:

• Etsy: Many small sellers have Etsy shops where you can buy fresh and dried wildflowers.
• Gourmet Sweet Botanicals: This is one of our favorite resources for fresh, edible flowers, but know that the overnight shipping cost is not cheap.
• Freshly Preserved: This small business sells freeze-dried edible flowers that are shelf-stable.
• Urban Farmer: If you’re really committed to the trend, here you can find entire plants and seeds to start your own edible flower garden. (Don’t worry, you can also buy a box of mixed blossoms that are ready to use.)
• Amazon: You can find dried edible flowers on Amazon, but make sure to read the descriptions closely to understand exactly what you’re getting. (We’ve found the results to be murky at times.)

Now if you’ll excuse us, we have baking to do.

_{Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.}