Sunflower Cake

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A TUTORIAL

I love chocolate flowers (newsflash) and I love sunflowers. However, I’ve never really loved making chocolate sunflowers or using them to decorate cakes. The flat flower shape always felt limiting. My options were either stick the flower directly onto the side of the cake or perch it flat on top looking like some sort of futuristic chocolate weapon. Neither all that cute IMHO.

With fall cakes right around the corner, I knew it was time to tackle this dilemma head on. It definitely should have occurred to me long, long ago to assemble the flower with one flat side that acts as a base, to make it easier to place on the cake. I’m kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner! This assembly technique not only works for sunflowers, but literally any chocolate flower you want to sit upright. Game Changer!

CHOCOLATE SUNFLOWER CAKE
a tutorial by Erin Gardner

Supplies:

1 cup yellow coating chocolate (or tinted chocolate that’s been tempered)
6 disks of orange coating chocolate
1/2 cup each dark green, lime green, and black coating chocolate
Pairing knife
Parchment paper
Heavy duty aluminum foil
Scissors
Small paint brush
Small piece of cardboard
Small bowl
1/4 cup of Black jimmies sprinkles
6-inch round cake finished with plain buttercream
Approximately 1/2 cup each of green and blue buttercream
Turntable
Icing smoother or large straight icing spatula

Test	Test	Test
Test	Test	Test
Test	Test	Test

Make the Petals
Melt the yellow and orange coating chocolate in the same heatproof bowl. Stir the colors to combine.

Dip an inch or so of a flat side of the pairing knife into the melted chocolate. Lay the coated portion of the knife against the edge of a sheet of parchment paper. Smear the chocolate on the paper, pulling the knife down and away.