I’ve watched enough baking shows to know that cake decorating is no small feat, but when I spotted these plant cakes I was blown away. Some of them are so incredibly lifelike that I had to do a double take when I first came upon them. So, I reached out to a few genius bakers who make some epic plant cakes and got a glimpse into what inspired these creations.
This Isn’t Your Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
Joy of Cozy Oven, is based in Toronto and makes stunning cakes. Her sansevieria cake is so detailed down to the soil in the pot. Joy been making cakes since 2017 (it started as a hobby) and since then has made four plant cakes. “The first sansevieria cake I made was for my good friend’s birthday. He’s a plant enthusiast known as @PlantdadTO on Instagram and I was inspired by a beautiful whale fin in his collection which he captured beautifully. I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous pattern and colours of the leaves.” Joy is a plant lover herself and one of her favorite plants is a Calathea Makoyana. “The elaborate pattern and unique purple underside of the peacock plant are simply wonderful," she said.
Clutch Your (String of) Pearls! That’s a Cake
Jama of Short North Piece of Cake in Columbus, Ohio, is a pro at specialty cakes. She’s been making cakes for five years. “When I first started succulents were the big thing everyone wanted," she said. Check out her String of Pearls cake: “Now houseplants are beginning to take over that trend. I’ve made a handful of potted plants recently, and I’m definitely looking forward to more as I improve and perfect the different techniques involved.” Here are a couple of her monstera cakes, including one in an agate “pot.” Jama is incredibly detail oriented when it comes to her cakes. “I had a lot of fun trying to make the most realistic looking potting soil out of a combination of crushed Oreos, chocolate cake crumbs, and graham cracker crumbs.” She’s a plant lover herself and has 19 houseplants at home!
Checking the Soil on an Anthurium
Daphne from DH Cake Studio in Union City, Calif., takes the cake for quite possibly the best houseplant dessert. I first saw this creation on @abitoflovehome’s Instagram page so I reached out to find out who the baker was. Daphne, who has been making cakes for seven years told me, “the Anthurium cake I made for @abitoflovehome’s was my first plant cake, and after that I made a Hoyas cake, an animated plant cake, and another Begonia cake is on the way,” Daphne said. “To make a great cake, research is the key, and I’ve learned so much and started to grow interest in plants by doing these cakes!” She said that Monsteras are her favorite because they bring a space to life.
You’ve Got a Monstera Leaf on Your Cake
Vendela Nordberg of Sweder Than Sugar in Tampa said she’s “been making cakes for a little over two years now. It’s crazy to look back on my earliest cakes and to see the progress I’ve made over time. I love making plant cakes and always squeal a bit when I get a request for one.” We can see why. Check out this stunning Monstera leaf on this cake she made for a plant mom/good friend of hers: “I’m not sure how many plant-themed cakes I’ve actually made, but I definitely want to create more,” she said. Vendela’s favorite plants are her fiddle leaf fig and her ZZ plant, which she said are “easy enough to handle and just look so homey inside my new apartment.”
Plant-y Cupcakes Nod
And you can’t look at plant cakes without looking at some cupcakes too. Alana Jones Mann is a super talented cake baker and designer in Los Anglels. I took a deep dive on her Instagram (try not to get lost in her vibrant feed filled with the most amazing looking desserts). Her cacti cupcakes caught my attention. “I’ve been making cakes for almost a decade now. The plant cupcakes were something I [conceptualized] and created 8 years ago,” she told us. “I posted a tutorial for them on my blog in 2013 which has been viewed over one million times since. I don’t often make plant cakes anymore, as it was just a fun idea I had way back when that I wanted to share with the world.” Alana loves nature and says it’s a huge source of inspiration for her. When it comes to houseplants she loves a Philodendron and her and her boyfriend have one in their living room and admire it every single day.
