Red, Red Rose
Anyone in the baking field will acknowledge that the two most difficult colors to achieve perfectly are black and deep red. The base for most frostings, icings, and other baking related components is usually white or off-white, and this does not lend to a deep dark burgundy red or a true black color.
Of course, anyone who works with flowers, especially for weddings, will acknowledge that the most popular colors for roses in weddings are white and deep red. White symbolizes purity and "happy love" while deep red symbolizes passion and love.
Where does this leave me, the sugar florist who specializes in roses and other flowers for cakes, usually wedding cakes? It leaves me making a dozen batches of gum-paste to try to get the right shade of red for a single rose. It leaves me trying all the different tricks that I can to deepen the color of the gum-paste without affecting the consistency so much that I am unable to work with it. It leaves me praying that I can get it right and please my customer.
And when I finally nail it and make the most perfect deep red rose, it leaves me breathless.
I do not share pictures of my work before the orders are complete and delivered. It may seem silly but I am rather superstitious about that. I prefer that my customers get the first view of the work that I have done for them, before I post photos online. So I will not share the breathtaking beauty of the rose that I have finally finished, until it is in the hands of the baker. My hope is that she (and others who use my flowers in their designs) will send me a picture of the final cake so that I can also share that with everyone.
I will not share the final rose, but I am willing to share photos of the ones that were not quite perfect enough. Some are just buds because I realized right away that the color was not right. Others are full flowers but were too small or not full enough for this project or were damaged because the gum-paste was not the right consistency. A couple were even rejected because of a tiny speck of something on their petals.
I had a very specific rose as my guideline and I do believe I nailed it. I just hope that the customer agrees. Stay tuned to hear how it goes.
