Stop Using Plastic Toppers! Dolly Parton Just Proved Flowers are the Ultimate Cake Decor

Dolly Parton turned 80 on January 19 and, in true Dolly fashion, celebrated the day with an enormous birthday cake. She shared photos on Instagram of the butterfly-shaped confection, and it was completely covered in flowers.

If you want this kind of energy at your next celebration, you don’t need a professional cake decorator to pull this off; you just need the right edible flowers and a willingness to go for a maximalist approach.

Here's how to create your own butterfly (or round, or any shape) floral cake that would make Dolly proud.

Choose Your Flowers Carefully

Choosing your flowers is highly critical, as not all flowers are safe for contact with food, and you need to know the difference. You have three options for your cake:

Option 1: Edible Flowers These can touch your frosting directly and are completely safe to eat. Look for organic edible flowers like:

• Pansies
• Violets
• Roses (make sure they're pesticide-free)
• Nasturtiums
• Calendula
• Lavender (use these sparingly as the flavor can be quite strong)

You can buy edible flowers from specialty groceries, farmers' markets, or online suppliers. Just make sure they are labeled specifically as edible and organic.

Freshly Preserved sells a variety of edible flowers on Amazon, including pansies, marigolds, orchids, and carnations.

Option 2: Non-Edible Fresh Flowers with Barriers If you use regular fresh flowers (which will certainly give you more options when it comes to color and variety), you MUST create a barrier between the stems and the cake. You can try:

• Floral water tubes
• Straws cut to size as protective sleeves for the stems
• Parchment paper circles under each bloom

It’s very important that you don’t let non-edible flower stems touch the frosting directly. This isn’t a suggestion, but a food safety issue.

Option 3: Sugar Flowers Edible flowers made from gum paste or fondant are stunning, safe, and obviously last longer than fresh flowers. However, keep in mind if you’re on a budget that they’re more expensive, and you’ll need to plan in advance if you’re going to order them from a bakery.

If you're late planning or looking for a more budget-friendly option, Target sells these O' Creme Pink Hibiscus Gumpaste flowers.

Arrange Your Flowers Step by Step

1. Prep Your Flowers – Trim all the stems to about 2-3 inches max (shorter if you’re going for edible flowers that will sit directly on the frosting). Of course, remove any thorns or leaves. If you’re using non-edible flowers, insert the stems into the water tubes or protective sleeves.
2. Start with Your Focal Blooms – Start with your largest flowers first and work around them. For a shaped cake, like the butterfly that Dolly had, these would be in the center of each wing. For a round cake, you could cluster them in the center.
3. Fill with Medium Flowers – Add your secondary flowers around the focal point, creating a bit of variety with the angles and heights. You want to create some dimension to give it a 3D look rather than flat.
4. Add Filler Flowers – Filler flowers like baby’s breath, wax flower, or small spray roses, and greenery fill in whatever gaps are left over. Tuck them into any areas where frosting is still visible.
5. Refine and Adjust – Make sure you step back and take a look at the cake from all angles. Does anywhere feel sparse or empty? Add more flowers. If it feels too crowded, remove a couple. Trust your eye here; if something looks off, it probably is.

Balance Your Table Decor

A floral cake is bound to draw some eyes, and it will become the centerpiece of your table. This means that whatever is around it should be supportive, and not compete.

On the table:

• A linen or velvet runner in a color that picks up some of the tones in your flowers
• Simple white or clear plates (anything patterned will fight with the cake)
• Solid-colored napkins
• Small bud vases with a few stems that echo your cake flowers

If you choose spring flowers on your cake, Amazon sells this lovely spring flower table runner for a super budget-friendly price.

The whole table should have a unified feel, as if the cake belongs there naturally rather than being plunked down as an afterthought.

The Dolly Spirit

Dolly Parton has never been one for playing it safe, and her butterfly cake reflects that completely. When you’re decorating your floral cake, channel that same energy. Don’t hold back. Add the extra flower. Use bright colors. Make it bigger and bolder than what feels completely comfortable.

What’s the worst that can happen? That you’ll have a memorable cake that people will talk about for years to come? If Dolly Parton has taught us anything over her 80 years, it’s that being memorable beats subtle every single time.