If you’ve been following our tweets recently you’ll know we’re currently running our very own One Fab Day Office Bake Off at the moment, this week it was my turn to rustle up some cakey goodness (check out our instagram for some pics). The competition has been fierce and no surprise that the styling has been as important as how good the cake tastes. This got us thinking about wedding cake decorating shortcuts – creating beautiful looks for simply iced cakes so I did some research into how to decorate wedding cakes with berries, flowers and greenery and here are the fruits (badum-tish!) of my labours – 3 simple ways to add some colour to a plain wedding cake…

Fabulous Florals

Such a simple wedding cake decorating idea to turn a simple cake into something a little more 'wow' is by adding some beautiful blooms. Blousey peonies and romantic roses in a range of gorgeous colours can be just what a plain cake needs to bring it to life. Even more simple florals such as daisies or chamomile can look really pretty atop a cake and won't break the budget either.

Tips and Hints:

• Make sure to select durable flowers to decorate your cake. Some flowers, though pretty, may not be good choices simply because they are not strong enough to survive out of water.
• Consider whether you want to use edible flowers or flowers simply for decoration. Some pretty edible flowers include pansies, lilac, lavender, jasmine, dandelions, primrose, gardenia, marigold and violet.
• Wash the flowers gently with cold water and make sure to remove the pollen from each flower
• If using flowers that are inedible you must use acetate to ensure the flowers don't touch the icing
• Keep your flowers fresh by using a water filled stem holder. You can buy these in baking supply stores or to make your own , cut a drinking straw 2 to 3 inches long. Bend the end of the straw upward and tape it against itself. Gently add water to the tube, filling it about 3/4 of the way. Pop the flower stem into the tube, and insert the tube into the cake where you want the flower to be.

Single Tier Cake with Pastel Florals by Lani Elias Fine Art Photography via Best Friends for Frosting | Three Tier Cake with Pink Florals by  Nancy Ray Photography via Style Me Pretty | Wedding Cake with Fresh Daisies by I Love Wednesdays via Ruffled | Three Tier Cake with Peonies by Sean Walker Photography via Wedding Chicks | Cream Cake with Florals by Nathan Russell via Ruffled | Floral Cake on Blue Cake Stand - Kt Crabb Photography via Wedding Chicks

Beautiful Berries

Berries are a perfect wedding cake decorating idea for the late Summer and Autumn/Winter season. Just be mindful of which berries are in season at the time of your wedding.

Tips and Hints:

• Just like the floral advice above made sure the berries you choose are edible. You don't want a whole group of guests with sore tummies!
• Towards the more winter months consider using berries such as blueberries, blackberries and cranberries as other fruits such as strawberries and raspberries are in their prime during the summer months

Ruffled White Cake with Berries by Katie Stoops Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs | Single tier cake with raspberries and pistachio captured by Meredith Lord Photography via Magnolia Rouge | Single tier cake with berries by Kate Osborne via Ruffled | Four tier cake with berries by Sweet Tea Photography via Southern Weddings | Single tier cake with blackberries Rebekka Seale | Single tier cake with cranberries by Ryan Ray from Style Me Pretty

Gorgeous Greenery

Like berries, greenery is a perfect choice for wedding cake decorating ideas in the Winter months when a lot of flowers are out of season. Leaves, ferns, rosemary and olive branches are all great choices and pretty easy to get a hold of, perfect for rustic wedding fans!

Tips and Hints

• Use small sprigs in order to not create a small forest on top of your cake!
• Use leaves with bendable branches so you can shape it around the cake
• Like the florals make sure to use some form of acetate underneath the leaves to protect the cake
• Remove the greenery before serving

Three tier cake with greens by Yan Photo via Elizabeth Anne Designs | Two tier cake with sprigs by Erich McVey Photography via Wed Society | Simple cake with mini leaves by KT Merry Photography via Wed Society | Wedding Cake with Ferns by Marion Heurteboust via Ruffled | Four tier cake with mini leaf sprigs  Brandon Chesbro via 100 Layer Cake| Three tier cake with olive leaves by Jose Villa via Martha Stewart Weddings

If you don't fancy rustling up your own cake or if you want more advice on what florals to use make sure to check out our One Fab Day supplier directory to find Ireland's finest bakers and florists.