My friend's dh asked me to make her a cake for her 40th. The description was 'something sophisticated, beautiful, with lots of flowers but not wedding-like.'

I don't know where to start. Has anyone made a cake that fits this description?

I don't know if anything here will help, but these are some of my more "flowery" cakes that I did for various female birthdays. The butterfly one was for a younger girl, but you could do a different graphic (maybe a flower) and change up the color scheme (that goes for any of them).

Anyway, maybe they'll help you spark and idea. If you have any specific questions, I'm always willing to help.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1761481

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1692756

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1346149

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1346149

Thanks so much!! Your bow cakes are stunning! I have never made a bow, but you have inspired me to try!

I had a similar request not too long ago, and here's what I did:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1808592.html
maybe that will help....

Those bows really aren't too bad at all. Wilton has instructions that are pretty easy to follow (that's what I used to learn my first bow).

And of course, ask if you have questions, feel free to ask. Always willing to help out!

Bskinne - your cake was gorgeous!

I was just thinking - A cake that I haven't seen done would be a sophisticated vase of flowers. You would need some skills in flower arranging, or get some help. However, you could stack cakes in a simple hourglass shape or tall cylinder and frost simply - like traditional vases. Then, you could get a great collection of gumpaste flowers, wire and tape them, and arrange them as if it was a fresh arrangement.

It would be surprisingly simple to do.

You've got me thinking, Matthewkyrankelly!

On CC, type in the main search box:
elegant AND flowers
or
mother's day
and you'll get a lot of photos that are NOT wedding.

Here's a couple of links in my favorites pile (I'm going to have to live to be 115 to get all the cakes done that I want to do)
http://www.oksugar.com/view_image.asp?image_id=380&bk=category%5Fid%3D5%26pr%3D5&cn=Special+Occasion+Cakes
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1626649

I had a request for a birthday cake for a lady that was turning 90 and her only request was for "colorful flowers" on it. So I just made a mix of different gumpaste flowers and she loved it!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1788331

I have a few other cakes with flowers in my photos if they can be of any inspiration to you.

Good Luck and please post a pic when it's done!

What about one of these kind of cakes with more sophistocated colors/flowers? I've seen a lot of them on CC.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1735619

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1607557

Not sure you're looking for a sheet cake....but here's a beauty! I have it in my favorites....I may get brave enough and try to make one similar to it one of these days...I love the flowers on this one!!

Forgot to post the link...sorry!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1780248

i just did this cake yesterday and it may just fit your description! of course, you could use any color (it's gorgeous in pink, brown and white) combination. and the customer gave me free reign on design and colors so i chose these colors b/c i already had them from the other cake i was making the same day

the flowers are super easy...just the set of purple ones that they sell at michaels. silver dragees were added for pop and voila!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1830709
good luck!

Just got my set of Elegant Flower Cutters from the Jennifer Dontz website. They are a modern elegant style. Maybe you would like them.

Here's one of my favorites, and totally different than any other suggestions. Not really sure if it fits in with what you are looking for, but I think it is is gorgeous, and not wedding like. I did a single tier cake inspired by this one, which I believe was inspired originally by the Cake Girls.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1648413[url]

Omg - now my head is swimming with ideas!!!! I'm a lousy sketcher, otherwise I would post a sketch of what I'm thinking!

Thanks for all the suggestions - those are some gorgeous cakes!!! Please keep ideas coming if anyone feels like sharing more ideas!!

Btw - that hand-painted cake was stunning but beyond me at this point! I think I'd be too intimidated to put a paintbrush to white fondant!

I recently did this for someone's 85th BDay. Flowery, sophisticated and not at all wedding like.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1756829

OOOOHHHHH...I love your cake artscallion...I popped that into my favourites while I was looking! Great job!!

Here's one I made a couple of years ago. You could 'class it up' by making all the flowers the same color scheme.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1831192

Here's a cake I did last year for almost the exact same situation. Wanted an elegant, but not wedding-like cake. There are lots of wonderful cakes in this thread that were added to my favorites!


http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1534198