Bake & Level Your Cake

Bake your favorite cake recipe in round pans and let it cool completely. Level the tops with a cake leveler or serrated knife so you have a flat, even surface. Fill and stack your layers with buttercream, then crumb coat the outside and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Cover with White Fondant or Buttercream

You've got two great options here — both look beautiful!

Fondant: Knead your white fondant until soft and pliable. Roll it out on a non-stick mat to about 4–5mm thick, large enough to cover the top and sides of your cake. Drape it over the cake, smooth the top, then work your way down the sides using a fondant smoother. Trim the excess at the base with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Buttercream: Apply a generous layer of white buttercream to the outside of the cake and smooth with a bench scraper and offset spatula until you get a clean, even finish. Chill for 15–20 minutes before adding your flowers so the surface is firm enough to hold them.

Make (or Place!) Your Roses

If using pre-made sugar flowers: Simply set them aside ready to place — easy!

If making fondant roses: Color small portions of fondant in your chosen shades — red, pink, yellow, white, purple, orange. Roll a small cone shape for the center, then wrap thin petal-shaped pieces around it, building outward. Pinch and curl the petal edges for a realistic look. Make a variety of sizes for visual interest.

If piping roses: Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip with stiff buttercream. Pipe a tight swirl starting from the center and working outward.

Add the Stems

Using a small paintbrush dipped in green food coloring (or green royal icing in a piping bag with a small round tip), paint or pipe thin stems directly onto the white fondant cake. Vary the heights — some tall, some short — for a natural garden look. Add tiny leaf shapes by pressing small fondant pieces on either side of each stem.

Attach the Roses

Place a rose at the top of each stem. Dab a tiny bit of water or piping gel on the back of each flower and press gently onto the cake. Start with the larger flowers and fill in with smaller buds. Alternate colors around the cake for a rainbow garden effect — it looks so joyful and vibrant!

Pipe the Grass Border 🌿

This is everyone's favorite part! Fill a piping bag fitted with a grass tip (also called a multi-opening tip) with bright green buttercream. Starting at the base of the cake, pipe short bursts of grass all the way around, covering the bottom edge and cake board. Build it up so it looks lush and full — like the flowers are growing right out of it!

Add a Topper & Finishing Touches ✨

Add a cake topper of your choice — "Happy Mother's Day," a name, a birthday message, or just a simple "Spring" sentiment. You can also tuck in a few extra small buds or leaves around the grass border for extra fullness. Step back, take a photo, and admire your masterpiece!