Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

is it necassary to steam gumpaste flowers?

Hello BBieber

It isn’t necessary if you’re not going to be storing the flowers for a very long period of time. Steaming flowers helps set the colour and prevents fading. I don’t see any one on cake decorating sites steaming flowers, however, I should imagine professionals who are showing in competitions do do it as it does keep the colours vibrant. If you choose to steam, first be careful that you don’t scald yourself, and steaming is literally showing the piece the steam, any longer and your decoration will distort and the colours will run. It is only advisable to steam flowers which are wired so that you do not come into direct contact with the steam.