A Cake Full of Blooms

My favorite flower is a Hydrangea.  I love the fact that the pH of the soil affects the color (white, pink, green, blue, and purple) of the petals, leaving you with tie-dyed arrangements.  Most of all, these flowers are just gorgeous.  These beauties and roses are what inspired Mom's birthday cake a few months ago.  Well, that and the fact that I was determined to make an icing rose.  Here are great tutorials on how to make both flowers:

• Roses:  http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ss/frosting_rose.htm
• Hydrangeas:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mN9r6jS1Y

It is best for the icing to be a thick consistency and cooled before starting to make the flowers, or else you will have a melting bouquet on your cake or cupcake.  That is what started happening with my roses, but they still turned out alright for my first try!