So said Marie Antoinette at Versailles, when the hungry mob was descending on the palace… well, not ‘flowers’ but ‘cake’. Even the phrase I borrowed isn’t quite correct, since the words attributed to her are ‘Qu’ils mangent de la brioche’. This is more like a sweetened bread and certainly not cake. But even worse for poor Marie Antoinette, the phrase first appears in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Confessions published in 1782, so maybe doesn’t belong to her after all.
What got me into edible flowers?
What set me on this edible flower quest was a recent family wedding where the wedding cake was a gorgeous spectacle of sponge with rhubarb and cream, lavishly decorated with flowers. Guests commented on a recent surge in the popularity of edible flowers as a new thing, but I was keen to delve back into food history and check on the origins of their use.
History of edible flowers in a nutshell
Edible flowers have been used since ancient times to enhance the flavour and taste of food and drink. Especially common were lavender, roses and saffron which were also used for medicinal purposes. Lady Elinor Fettiplace was making use of violets in the Elizabethan period for syrups and sweets. In Georgian times, recipes ranging from artichoke pies to seed cake and stewed damsons all contained rose water. Victorian cooks, inspired by Mrs Beeton, made candied flowers to decorate cakes and sweets.
Elderflowers make a simple sparkling wine
Elderflowers (rather than elderberries) were popular in the early 20th century to create a light sparkling wine which could be used as a flavouring essence for cakes or junkets, or a cool summer drink. Grandma Abson’s collection of recipes included this unpretentious elderflower sparkling wine . She wrote:
Elderflower sparkling wine
2 pints of heads of elderflower in full bloom
1 gallon (8 pints) cold water
1 lemon
1 ½ lbs sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Squeeze the juice out of the lemon. Cut the lemon rind into 4 pieces and put with the elderflowers, sugar and vinegar in a large jug. Pour on cold water and steep for 24 hours. Strain and bottle. Keep for 2 weeks before corking.
Edible flowers for a modern cake
Putting my research into practice was important so, inspired by the spectacular wedding cake, I baked a simple Victoria Sandwich – and decorated it with edible violas and marigolds to make a stunning cake for a charity fundraising event. How could anyone resist Marie Antoinette’s suggestion to ‘Let them eat cake!,’ even if she didn’t say it!
Please check carefully which flowers are suitable to use in baking and food preparation as some can be dangerous to consume.
You can read more about Grandma Abson’s life, her passion for baking and recipes, and also head over to Instagram @grandmaabson to see Meryl baking with the help of her grandchildren.
