A simple way to create a clean, well balanced three tier design is by using a smaller arrangement on or near the top of the cake, and a larger arrangement between the lower two tiers, as shown on both cakes here. You can easily apply the same concept to a cake design with more tiers, creating larger arrangements as you work from the top down to the base. To broaden the design elements, browse the techniques from the single tier and multi tier cake projects to find the arrangement styles you love, and put them together to create your own work of art.
1. Prepare the cake tiers and add the ribbon (see Finishing Touches). Position and secure the large and small charm peonies offset on the lower tier ledge, and then position the medium charm peony offset in the opposite direction on the top tier.
2. Position and secure the secondary flowers, including adding a cosmos and a peony bud to the top arrangement. Position and secure the second cosmos on the lower ledge next to the large peony, and the peony bud between and just below the two peony flowers.
3. Position and secure the freesia flowers, placing a group of five flowers between the two peonies on the lower tier, and a group of three flowers between the peony and cosmos on the top tier. After securing the flowers, add a freesia bud stem just underneath both groupings of freesia.
4. Gently press small balls of fondant around the base and in between the peony flowers, cosmos and freesia to insert the wires for the fillers. Start by inserting a few of the hydrangea leaves in place under and out to the sides of the peonies. Fill the spaces between the flowers with the hydrangea, hydrangea buds and all-purpose buds. Fill any remaining small holes with the filler flowers, layering them on top of each other to add texture and depth.
5. Finish by inserting any remaining leaves at the base and outer edges of the arrangements. Insert the filler flower bud stem and sweet pea stem in the top of the arrangement to add visual interest.
Positioning the lower flowers first will make it a bit easier to find the best placement for the top tier flower. If you are not sure about placement of the peonies, hold a lightly crumpled ball of clean paper above and around the tiers, moving it around until you find good spots for the flowers. Mark the fondant lightly with a toothpick or modeling tool and secure the flowers in place. If you drop the paper ball, there is no damage to the cake, and no risk of broken flowers!
Use the filler flowers in small groups of five to seven, taped together to fill gaps between the larger flowers more quickly, or use them as single blossoms to fill tiny openings between the hydrangea petals.