Buttercream Flowers Tutorial

Learn How To Make Buttercream Flowers! Buttercream flowers are the pièce de résistance when it comes to decorating cakes and cupcakes. Once you start making flowers out of buttercream and realize how easy they are do, they may just become the newest decoration you start adding to all of your desserts! With just a little practice and patience, you will be creating these fun and edible flowers in no time.

How to Make Buttercream Flowers

Sure, making and decorating cupcakes by simply putting frosting on top is simple and easy to do, but believe me when I say that decorating them with edible flowers that you have made yourself really takes your cupcakes to a whole new level.

I really believe that once you go through this tutorial, you will be inspired to not only try to make them, but that you will also KNOW how to make them in no time.

What Tools Do I Need?

When it comes to making these flowers, there are a few key tools that you will need. You will find a complete list of all of the tools needed below in the directions of each type of flower.

What Consistency Will The Frosting Need to Be?

The second most important step, well, actually I think this is tied with the first step is the buttercream MUST be the right consistency. The buttercream will need to be stiff and denser so that there are no air bubbles. That way you will be able to create a thinner and fine petal that is firmer.

The Three “P”s To Remember

• Patience
• Practice
• Perseverance

How to Transfer A Flower

When you are making a flower, it’s important to remember to build the flowers on a square piece of parchment paper/baking paper that is on a cake flower nail. This way you can easily store them and make them in advance.

To apply the chilled buttercream flowers, I usually use a white pair of scissors to half-cut and lift the base and carefully move the flower onto the cake or cupcakes. Make sure you add a piped cream dot before the transfer process so that the flower sticks to the frosting.

Now, after you’ve made these for a while, you may decide that you are comfortable enough piping them directly into the cupcakes or cakes, however, once you do that, you won’t have any backups to use. That’s why when I make these, I always use a cake nail and the parchment squares so I always have extras.

How to Store

All the buttercream flowers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5-6 days, but make sure they are in air-tight containers.

If you feel the flowers are a bit wet, then you can place them back to the freezer for a quick set, then they will be easy to peel off.

Expert Tips, Ingredient List and Suggestions for Recipe Success

You will find a complete list of all of the ingredients in the printable recipe

1. When making buttercream flowers, make sure that you sift the sugar thoroughly as any lumps will clog your piping bag and will ruin the shape of your flowers.

2. You can store the buttercream flowers you made to a sealable container and keep it in the refrigerator or pop your flowers in the freezer for a quick set while you still wait for your cupcakes to be done.  

3. When it comes to coloring your buttercream, less is more. Pastel colors are the trending shades, but if you want a more dramatic look, you can always go for richer colors. As a rule of thumb, always start with a toothpick dip in the color of your choice and mix it to the buttercream.     

4. If you don’t have any parchment paper, foil will work just as well.

How to Tutorial

Now that you have a smooth and stiff buttercream let’s get the ball rolling and start piping beautiful buttercream flowers. These flowers are perfect when you want to frost a cupcake a little more detailed than just frosting. In this post, you will learn the exact steps to make 5 different buttercream flowers with step by step photos to guide you. And I will also show you how to transfer the buttercream flowers to cupcakes beautifully.

Buttercream Marguerite Daisies

Marguerite Daisies are garden classics. It blooms all year round, especially in a warmer climate. This is an easy flower to pipe for beginners.

Equipment Needed

• ATECO 101 tip
• Wilton 101 tip
• Red or orange coloring for petals
• Lemon Yellow Wilton for stamen

How to Pipe

Step 1: Attach a square parchment paper on flower nail with a bit of buttercream underneath.

Step 2: You hold the petal tip with the wide tip against the middle of the nail while the narrow end slightly 30-degree angle then squeeze and move a little bit upwards then move down the bag at the same time, then stop squeezing to finish petal.

Step 3: Continue to finish 10 overlapping petals.

Step 4: Finally, pipe the stamens into the center point using either a round plain tip or a piping bag with the head point snipped off.

Buttercream Hydrangea

If you like an intricate buttercream flower design for your cupcakes yet easy to make, the hydrangea is the choice to be. Hydrangea is a garden classic.

It blooms in Summer until Fall with beautiful colors of purple, pink and blue, and some selections of green, white or red. The process of piping hydrangea is quite similar to the process of the previous flower. Still, the outcome is different and much more sophisticated, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make.

Equipment Needed

• ATECO 101 tip
• Wilton 101 tip
• Violet and sky-blue for petals
• Lemon Yellow Wilton for stamen

How to Pipe

Step 1: Attach a square of parchment paper on flower nail with a little bit of buttercream underneath.

Step 2: Place the large tip size against the middle of the nail while leaving the other side a bit 30-degree angle, then squeeze and move a little bit upwards, then move down the bag while turning the nail quarterly at the same time.

Step 3: Keep going till you finish 4 petals. Finally, use a plain nozzle to pipe a little dot in the middle for the stamen.

Step 4: After transferring onto the cupcake, I then pipe some green leaves on for decoration.

Rose Flowers Made out of Buttercream

Roses are popular favorite flowers of many, and it is also a simple design for cake or cupcakes. The key to achieving a perfectly piped rose takes some time and patience. Still, once you familiarize yourself with the technique, it’ll come like second nature to you. You can choose the colors that will suit your designs for the cupcakes, but for me, I like to go for the classic red roses.

Equipment Needed

• ATECO 104 tip
• Wilton 103 tip
• Christmas Red for petals
• Lemon Yellow Wilton for stamen

How to Pipe

Step 1: After placing a square parchment paper underneath the flower nail, start by squeezing piping a red dollop in the center to create a rosebud, around 1 cm high.

Step 2: The first inner circle must have 3-4 petals. The technique is like creating an arch from left to right overlapping the first arch. Make sure that the thin tip part is in an upward position. Likewise, the next circle needs to have 5 petals.

Step 3: Pipe small petals firstly, then once you reach the very end, the petal size increases.

English Rose Flowers

English rose are flowers that liken to an English girl that is simple yet elegant. Making it as a design for your cupcakes involves some curves, volumes, and rose petal techniques.

What’s Needed

• ATECO 104 tip
• Wilton 104 tip
• Orange for petals

How to Easily Pipe

Step 1: Attach a parchment paper on flower nail with a bit of icing underneath, then pipe a little high rectangle cream in the middle, around 1.5cm high, then squeeze another 4 smaller rectangles around the big one.

Step 2: In the first and second round: make sure the large tip part face down to the center. It is the point of making the flower pattern.

Step 3: Apply and hold pressure to release the buttercream while the flower nail is spinning. In this case, you will need to drag and continuously move up and downwards.

Pansy Flowers Out of Buttercream

Pansy flowers are a type of hybrid, large-flowered plant that is cultivated as a garden flower. I really love this kind of flower as it combines two of my favorite colors, which are blue and purple. Making this buttercream pansy flower can be time-consuming, but with practice, the result is remarkable.

What’s Needed

• ATECO 104 tip
• Wilton 103 tip
• Pink rose color for petals
• Lemon Yellow Wilton for stamen

How to Easily Pipe

Step 1: Attach a square parchment paper on top of flower nail as usual with a bit of icing underneath.

Step 2: Place the large size of the tip in the middle of the paper, then leave the other side a bit angle, then pipe and spin the flower nail at the same time.

Step 3: Finish up 2 dark color petals overlapping as see in the picture. Then do the opposite 2 petals using the same technique as the first but with a lighter color.

Step 4: Then pipe the last light color petal on top of the first layer. Finally, finish the buttercream pansy flower with yellow core and long purple stamen.

Step by Step Instructions For Making Italian Buttercream

Step 1: Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed for approximately one minute until the mixture gets bubbles.

Step 2: Next, add half of the sugar then keep mixing on high speed for another minute.

Step 3: Then add the remaining sugar and keep beating on high speed until the egg whites get sharp and peaked. This will be for about 5 minutes. Slowly turn the machine speed down and then turn it off.

Step 4: Change to a paddle attachment and add in the butter on slow speed.

Step 5: Add in the butter on slow speed and continue whipping the buttercream for 8 to 10 minutes until it’s very shiny, white, and light.

Step 6: Next add the paddle attachment and let the mixture mix for approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete remove all of the air bubbles.

Step 7: Divide the buttercream into different bowls and add the color of your choice with a toothpick. Stir and thoroughly mix together.

Step 8: Add into piping bags and pipe.

This post was originally on The Sweet House of Misato. After we purchased the site, we moved the post over to Fun Country Life.

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