Learn the secrets of sugar floristry with Petalsweet Cakes founder Jacqueline Butler. In her exquisite and long-awaited debut book, you'll learn in step-by-step detail how to create modern and sophisticated, stylized sugar flowers, and how to use them to create beautiful arrangements on wedding and celebration cakes.

Introduction
Essential Tool KitSpecialized Tools and Supplies Gumpaste and Coloring

The Formula
Getting Started Hydrangea Additional Leaves Filler Flowers, Buds and Leaves
The Flowers

• Anemone
• Camellia
• Cherry and Apple Blossoms
• Cosmos
• Dahlia
• Freesia
• Lavender
• Lilac
• Magnolia
• Peonies
• Phalaenopsis Orchid 
• Ranunculus
• English Rose
• Garden Rose 
• Climbing Rose
• Sweet Pea

The Cake Projects

• Single Tier Arrangements
• Multi Tier Arrangements
• Pre-Made Arrangements

Finishing Touches

I started baking as a teenager, creating fancy treats for my family during the holidays. Cookies, cakes and pies, I experimented with them all, to mostly enthusiastic sibling reviews. Working in the kitchen with careful precision made sense to me, and I loved the time watching and learning from my mom. Those early days led to baking cakes for friends' and family celebrations, and I soon ventured into sprinkles, piping bags and modeling cute animal figurines. I happened upon a book on pulled sugar flowers, and worked my way through all of the blossoms quickly. The process of shaping a simple ball of paste into a stunning, delicate flower was truly magical to me, and I couldn't get enough of the art form! I researched artists whose work I admired, and traveled extensively to learn a solid foundation in making sugar flowers. At home, I practiced these new skills over and over again until I felt confident enough to try new flowers on my own. Over time, I began incorporating sugar flowers into all of my cake designs and developed a personal style that became Petalsweet. The sugar flowers I create are stylized, and simply my own interpretation of the real thing. The flowers take a bit of practice, but are not overwhelming, because I try to keep extra details as simple as possible. If a flower detail isn't pretty or functional to me, I might change it or even omit it, and that keeps the flower-making process relaxed and fun. I also use simple cutter shapes and veiners across a variety of flowers where possible, and find this helps me work quickly and efficiently. I encourage you to not focus on perfection, but rather on learning how to make flowers that are well crafted. Practice the techniques, and soon you will be creating beautiful flowers with ease. Petalsweet cakes are clean and modern, with flower arrangements that are full and fresh. I'm so excited to share some favorite flower combinations in the cake project designs, as well as a variety of arranging techniques that work for me across a range of cake sizes and styles. Most of the projects are on small cakes, so if you are new to flower making, you can jump right in and make a beautiful creation for the next birthday or anniversary! If you are more experienced, you can easily scale up to a stunning wedding cake by working several of the arranging techniques into a larger design. I'm honored to have the wonderful opportunity to travel the world and teach sugar flowers to truly lovely and passionate students. The best parts of class are meeting the students on the first day, who are usually nervous about making sugar flowers, and then the moment later in class when they are smiling and excited because they have created something they love, and they can't wait to make it again. I hope you find the tips and techniques helpful so you can begin adding beautiful new sugar flowers to your repertoire right away! And I hope all of the projects and photos will inspire you to create your own elegant and charming floral cake designs.

Anemone 32–5 Over-the-Edge Arrangement with 130–3 Apple Blossom 24–5, 40–5 arranging sugar flowers cake projects 126–55 foundations lessons 122–5 attaching sugar flowers 123 Blossom Apple 24–5, 40–5 Cherry 24–5, 40–5, 134–7, 154–5 brushes 16 buds all-purpose 28 Blossom 44–5, 154–5 Camellia 38–9 Climbing Rose 109–10, 112–13, 154–5 Cosmos 50–1 Dahlia 56–7 Filler Flower 28 Freesia 59, 60–1, 148–9 Hydrangea 20, 22, 132, 148–9, 151, 154–5 Lilac 70–1 Peony 82–3, 148–9, 151 Phalaenopsis Orchid 90–1 cake projects 120–57 finishing touches 156–7 multi-tier arrangements 138–49 pre-made arrangements 150–5 single tier arrangements 126–37 calyx Camellia 44–5 Climbing Rose 110, 112–13 Dahlia 56–7 English Rose 100–1 Lavender 66–7 Ranunculus 94–5 Sweet Pea 118–19 Camellia 24–5, 36–9 Cherry Blossom 24–5, 40–5, 134–7, 154–5 Climbing Rose 108–13 Floral Separator with Climbing Roses 152–5 color coloring gumpaste 10–11 schemes 124 setting 16 Cosmos 46–51, 124, 148 Wide Ledge Arrangement with 138–41 Dahlia 24–5, 52–7, 124 dusting 16, 22, 44–5, 50–1, 56–7, 60–1, 66–7, 70–1, 80–1, 90, 94–5, 100–1, 106–7, 112–13, 118–19 English Rose 96–101 Filler Flowers 26–9 Floral Crown with Cherry Blossom 134–7 floral tape 16 flower piks 123 flower shapes 124 'Formula, The' 12–13 Freesia 58–63, 140, 148–9 gaps, filling 124–5 Garden Rose 102–7 glazing 16 greenery 24–5 see also leaves gumpaste 10–11 attaching wire to 15 coloring 11 recipe 11 Hydrangea 18–25 arrangements with 124, 128, 132, 134, 144–5, 148–9, 151, 154–5 leaves 22, 132, 144–5, 148–9, 151 Lavender 64–7 leaves Apple 24–5 Camellia 24–5 Cherry 24–5, 136 Dahlia 24–5 Filler Flower 28 Hydrangea 22, 132, 144–5, 148–9, 151 Lilac 24–5, 128–9 Magnolia 24–5 Peony 24–5, 128–9 Ranunculus 24–5 Rose 24–5, 154–5 Sweet Pea 24–5, 134–5, 140 wiring 15 Lilac 24–5, 68–71 Closed Peony and Lilacs Arrangement 126–9 Magnolia 24–5, 72–5 Orchid, Phalaenopsis 86–91 Peony 24–5, 76–85 Closed Peony and Lilacs Arrangement 126–9 Three Tiers with Charm Peonies 146–9 Domed Topper 151 petals Anemone 34–5 Blossom 42–3 Climbing Rose 110–13 Cosmos 48–9 Dahlia 54–5 English Rose 98–100 Garden Rose 103–7 Lavender 65–7 Magnolia 74–5 Peony 78–85 Phalaenopsis Orchid 88–9 Ranunculus 93–5 ruffled 78–9 Sweet Pea 116–18 wiring 15 'Petalsweet Formula' 12–13 Phalaenopsis Orchid 86–91 pollen 16, 47, 69 Ranunculus 24–5, 92–5, 124, 151 Narrow Ledge Arrangement with 142–5 ribbon 156–7 Rose buds 109–10, 112–13, 154–5 Climbing Rose 108–13, 152–5 English Rose 96–101 Floral Separator with Climbing Roses 152–5 Garden Rose 102–7 leaves 24–5, 154–5 sepals 88–91 Separator with Climbing Roses 152–5 stamens 33, 77–8 starting out 14–17 steaming 16 stems Freesia 62–3 Lavender 65, 66–7 straws 123 supplies 123 Sweet Pea 114–19, 148–9 leaves 24–5, 134–5, 140 tool kit 6–9, 123 Topper 150–1 tylose gumpaste 11 wires attaching paste to 15 hooking 15