This three-tiered, two-flavored confection was adorned with gardenias (the bride wore a fresh one in her hair), sugar pearls, and ruffles. It sat atop a pedestal and was showcased within a large wooden frame.

A German toy--a nod to the groom's heritage--topped this lemon cake filled and iced with vanilla buttercream, as did tiny pink, yellow, and gold flowers.

This buttercream-frosted, vanilla-and-sliced strawberry beauty was topped with sugar gardenias that echoed the painting above the fireplace by the groom’s grandfather.

This almond-and-buttercream cake baked by FlourGirl Patissier boasts delicate sugar flowers made by Sugar Flower Cake Shop.

Miche Barcher from Sacred Sweets created this tiered cake covered in buttercream, sugar ribbon, and sugar anemones. The interior is part almond pound cake with peach Champagne conserve and toffee buttercream, and part chocolate cake with dulce de leche and chocolate ganache.

Neatly tailored tiers draped in pale-pink fondant and trimmed with braids of royal icing serve as the backdrop for a few artfully placed gum-paste camellias. Cake maker Wendy Kromer took a cue from Coco Chanel, who chose the lush flower as her signature bloom.

This five-tier buttercream cake, made by Sylvia Weinstock of New York City, is covered with sugar hydrangeas, which we also added to French macaroons.

To mimic ribbon embroidary, Ron Ben-Israel shaped sugar-paste carnations by hand before affixing them to the sides of these three fondant-covered tiers. Tucked between the carnation-bedecked layers are two shorter tiers decorated with icing and sugar-paste flowers and stems.

This five-tier cake by cake designer Ron Ben-Israel takes Bernardaud's "Pensees" pattern to soaring new heights. It's abloom with hand-painted sugar pansies "planted" into fondant. To wow your crowd, ask your baker for extra blossoms so that one can be served with each slice.

Ron Ben-Israel re-created the elegant detail of a circa-1900 French silk fabric by pressing fondant with a rubber stamp to mimic the weave, then piping on petite mimosa blossoms and stems, and applying sugar-paste leaves. The flowers were painted with powdered yellow food coloring mixed with luster dust for a silk-like shimmer.

The floral motif on this cake was inspired by van Gogh's famous "Sunflowers" painting series. A golden color palette (both inside and out) and oven-dried piped meringue petals capture the post-impressionist works of art.

For a New Year's Eve wedding, sugar peonies and the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" decorated this carrot, lemon-blackberry, and chocolate-raspberry cake.

This cake's exterior was modeled after a wedding dress, but inside it was all about flavor: chai batter with hazelnut filling, and chocolate with Baileys liqueur. The bride wanted something different from the originally cake topper so Jeanne Kalman of The Well Dressed Cake fashioned a sugar peony that ended up matching those in her bouquet perfectly.

The molded sugar flowers -- light pink rosebuds, mini roses, and stephanotis -- that adorned this three-tier cake are covered in Grand Marnier-flavored French buttercream. Inside are three different tiers: white butter cake with Chambord mousse filling, white butter cake with apricot filling, and chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut mousse filling.

Cake maker April Reed used tightly grouped handmade sugar-paste carnations to dress up this otherwise simple cake.

At first glance, this cake appears to be monochromatic, but the edges of all of the gum-paste petals are actually brushed with powdered coloring in a mix of moss green and pale pink.

The sugar-paste roses on this cake by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes are fashioned to look like fabric flowers; they add a touch of haute couture to a cake based on finely quilted cotton matelasse. The leaves (fondant formed in a silicone mold) contrast with the textured bands (made by pressing fondant onto a grid) wrapping the tiers.

Buttercream baskets brim with crystallized flowers, including pansies, roses, lavender, cornflowers, and violets. Sugaring flowers gives them a sparkling appearance; if you want guests to be able to nibble on these lovely decorations, be sure to acquire them from a reputable supplier.

This Connecticut couple served up a large selection of floral cakes for dessert. This conefection had square layers, pale-blue icing, and sugar calla lilies.

Perfect for a picnic-inspired wedding, bright sugar poppies are planted atop this cake iced in blush-colored buttercream.

At this Utah bride's request, raspberry swirl, lemon, and coconut confection got a tier of sugar flowers to set her wedding cake apart from others.

This happy rose confection may look couture, but just about anyone is capable of re-creating it. Start with a plain fondant cake from a bakery. Next, print out our template of abstract roses, place parchment paper over it, and trace with a piping bag of royal icing. Once dry, peel the paper from the piped roses, and adhere the designs to the cake using gum paste that's been mixed with hot water.

Shrinking violets? Not the riotous ones piped in luscious buttercream on this winningly old-fashioned four-tier cake by Wendy Kromer, which also features sugary pansies and sweet peas.

Using dozens of gum-paste flowers in an abundant cascade is a classic, opulent way to display them on a wedding cake. A variety of orchids with the depth and detail of the real flowers flows downward from the top tier on this cake by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes.

This cake has a breezy, chic feeling, thanks to a free-flowing ring of flowers encircling its middle tier. Two more blooms serve as a cake topper. The flowers are made of gum paste tinted sage green, chartreuse, and russet. We mixed fondant with marzipan to achieve the parchment hue of the cake layers.

Any cake frosted in buttercream can be decorated with crisp meringue flowers in shades of white. On this cake, some flowers are piped in one piece and baked in the oven, while others are piped petal by petal, baked, assembled with more meringue, and baked again; the overall effect is that of a heavily embroidered bodice. The finished flowers, which are easy to cut through, add a delicious crunch to each slice.

This cake reflects a dreamy spring moment amid the cherry trees, when a breeze scatters the dainty blossoms into the air. There are enough sugar blossoms to adorn each slice of cake when it is served. Chocolate fondant covers the layers, a striking complement to the shades of pink.

Whimsical and lighthearted, these pretty little cakes by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes are adorned with sprigs of sugar freesia in yellow, lavender, and white. The cakes are iced in the same colors, but paired with a differently hued flower.

Tendrils of romantic buttercream wisteria adorn this majestic cake; royal-icing blossoms dangle from the natural, curly willow arbor framing the bride-and-groom topper.

A garden of roses in pink, peach, and yellow encircles a full-size cake. The flowers' variegated look is achieved by placing two colors of icing side by side in the pastry bag. Rows of dots are piped in the same buttercream that covers the tiers.

Daisies made of sugar-paste drift down a fondant-covered cake, by Gail Watson of New York City. This effect is created by covering the top tier entirely with the blooms, and placing fewer and fewer on the bottom tiers. The choice of daisies, a decidedly old-fashioned flower, gives the simple, modern design a retro appeal.

A cascade of 60 piped meringue flowers tumbles down a stack of rectangular tiers for this cake; each tier is edged in a pristine border. Each rose on this cake is piped with a single, continuous squeeze onto a flower nail and baked before being affixed to the cake with royal icing.

White roses have come to symbolize purity, unity, and true love -- as opposed to red roses' association with passion -- which has earned them the status of Ultimate Wedding Flower. Here, New York City cake guru Sylvia Weinstock blanketed three tiers of cake in handmade, edible sugar petals to gently echo the shape of a French croquembouche -- and create a temple to Cupid's favorite bloom.

Swiss meringue buttercream icing, piped through a petal tip with a slight wiggle of the wrist, is the medium for the squiggles enveloping this cake. Buttercream is soft, free form, relaxed -- and very delicious. Each buoyant, cushiony tier of this peach-tinted powder puff of a cake is almost imperceptibly elevated above the preceding layer.

Hidden beneath a gentle flurry of bittersweet chocolate curls are three tiers of mocha spice cake made tender with sour cream. The cake gets a lift from coffee, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove; each layer is brushed with ginger-infused syrup before it is frosted with chocolate buttercream. The edible sugared pansies make the cake lovely for a springtime wedding, but the curls are too delicate to be placed outdoors in summertime. The spices are also right for fall and winter.

This cake by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes takes its cues from a swatch of graphic 1960s floral cotton. The leaf and bud designs were photocopied from the fabric to make patterns, then cut out from tinted sugar paste using a craft knife and transferred to the white-fondant-covered tiers. The finishing touch? A sprinkling of yellow sugar-paste roses throughout for an eye-popping embellishment.

A rose is a rose is a rose. But the bloom is charmingly unconventional when it's done as a two-dimensional motif in rolled white fondant. Wendy Kromer used custom rubber stamps (from Stampworx 2000) and a sharp blade to form the flowers, meant to recall appliques you might find on a gown.

Simple designs, like the luscious buttercream blooms atop these tiny cakes, can make a big impression. Just three inches high, these beauties could be the highlight of a dessert buffet or be served at each place.

Smooth poppies and white-on-white patterns cover a square cake with cropped corners; gossamer ribbon brings out a hint of green in the fondant blanketing its tiers. The flowers were made using floodwork: A border was outlined and then filled in with royal icing, which has a fluid consistency. The blooms were transferred to fondant panels, which were then applied to the sides of the cake.

The spirit of a century-old French silk ribbon can be felt in every bite of this darling cake. On top rests a dramatic bow of molded gum paste (so realistic, you'll be tempted to untie it). An edible luster dust was mixed with lemon extract and then painted onto the fondant in a rose pattern that evokes the blurry quality of an ikat weave.

A two-dimensional calico print comes to life on a cake with diminutive hand-sculpted flowers, leaves, and fruits; the soft colors are reminiscent of the faded look of a vintage apron. Real rickrack trim, bordering clusters of fruit on the middle tier, imparts a cheery, homespun feel. Set against ivory fondant, strawberries and cherries grow from stems of piped royal icing, tinted brown. The fruits are shaped from sugar paste painted in delicate shadings and hues. Rickrack trim is secured with royal icing.

Techniques used by dressmakers to turn fabric into flowers inspired this sophisticated cake. A combination of fondant and white chocolate both envelops the cake and decorates it. Prim buttercream dots frame the designs.

The subtle aesthetic of ironstone pottery made it popular in nineteenth-century England. This confection takes on the quietly raised pattern and charm of the original.

Whimsical and sweet, like strawberries themselves, this cake -- with its gum-paste fruits and flowers atop whitewashed fondant -- is a not-too-classic Bavarian style. A basket filled with tiny strawberries tops off the countryside-chic creation.

Pink gerbera daisies are the inspiration for this lively cake. The flowers are piped in royal icing; a single plump icing daisy serves as the topper.

This cake is in full bloom with spring's first flowers: hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and muscari. The tiny blue muscari blossoms are piped in royal icing; all the other flowers and leaves are rendered in gum paste. We had a board custom-cut to the same scalloped oval shape as the cake; you could use an oval or rectangular board as well.

A petite wedding cake decorated with floral trim looks as sweet as it tastes.

A cake by Selena Wong is topped with a midsummer's-eve mix of flowers, dragonflies, and frogs, all made of sugar.

This charming cake is reminiscent of the flowered hats of the early 1900s. Sweet daisy clusters are tucked into grosgrain ribbon bands. The leaves are fashioned from gum paste in three shades of green and coated in sugar, giving them the look of mottled velvet. The fondant for the tiers was rolled out on straw matting to create the texture of a summer hat.

Dotted with meringue blossoms, this quirky cake has a 1960s feeling. Although flowers are traditional decorations for wedding cakes, these are a bit less formal than the usual piped or gum-paste posies. The cake is made with seven tiers coated with Swiss meringue buttercream and decorated with about four dozen meringue daisies.

Gum-paste sweet peas appear in edible form on this fondant-covered cake. Fondant is also wrapped around the base of each layer; the green ridges are our interpretation of the orchids' verdant striations. A small nosegay of sweet peas and orchids serves as the cake topper.

This white chocolate foliage, molded from fresh mint, looks delicate and tastes delicious. For the cake inside, rich chocolate layered with mint buttercream would be complementary yet unexpected. Serve with vanilla ice cream -- because everything is better a la mode.

This patterned lemon cake features piped flowers where every band meets. The floral topper is an added bonus -- but you can sub in a traditional topper, too.

This fashion-inspired cake by Ron Ben-Israel features chic simplicity, in the form of minimalist dots, ribbons, and oversized flowers inspired by the elegant lines of classic Chanel. Plus, it's easier to achieve than you think.

In Bermuda, couples top their wedding cakes with tiny saplings, which they plant to grow as their marriages do. Here, a milk-chocolate figurine, stands on a faux top tier of Styrofoam coated to match the cake. The flowering quince branches were painted with chocolate (choose pesticide-free foliage). Chocolate modeling dough makes a balustrade and miniature roses. The rolled fondant is tinted pink to pick up the hue of the quince.

The cake features sugar succulents on a snowy fondant canvas.