Hello lovely bakers, so I thought I would talk today about one of my absolute favourite topics, creating stunning buttercream flowers.
Theres a certain joy in turning a simple cupcake into a breathtaking work of art, and with a few tips from me you’ll be on your to piping florals that look like they belong in a garden not just on a dessert table.
1. The right buttercream consistency
The key to beautiful buttercream flowers is all in the texture. You want your buttercream to be smooth yet firm enough to hold it’s shape, If you can make a peak that stands tall without collapsing you’re on the right track. The key is to make your buttercream ahead of time and let it rest in the fridge. If you use it straight away you’ll have air bubbles and it won’t be smooth. Although, freshly made buttercream is perfect for peonies, because it gives that gorgeous ruffled look that peonies are renowned for.
2. The right tools
The right tools will make all the difference it will save time and you’ll get the best results. Invest in a good stand mixer this will be your best friend. You can use a hand mixer or buttercream but over time you’ll really notice it in your muscles and sanity. Using the slightly more expensive piping bags it is no good buying cheap ones as you’ll just end up using millions because they split. Decent spatulas, I personally get mine from a supermarket the ones which have a metal bar through the silicone, when you’re working with stiff buttercream you don’t want the flimsy ones because they will just snap. A good set of mixing bowls (buy multiples) and thats pretty much you on your way.
3. Building a strong foundation
Before you start piping, make sure your cupcakes are ready for the spotlight. As well as your cupcakes looking beautiful they also need to taste delicious. Make sure you’ve taste tested and are confident that your cupcakes are just right.
4. Colour techniques
Colouring your buttercream opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Use gel colours for your vibrant and pastel shades. If this is something you struggle with I would suggest you give my new technique a chance. I colour my piping bag with gel colours then add uncoloured buttercream. The biggest sticking point for a lot of my students is the time it takes to get the colours right! Try not to overthink this too much… Simply add the gel to your piping bag make sure you rub the piping bag between your hands so that the colour covers all of the bag, then add uncoloured or very pale coloured buttercream. The results are stunning and THIS is what makes your buttercream flowers look like they were picked from a garden. Using block colours makes your floral cupcakes look like cupcakes not flowers. This simple colouring technique is a game changer. I pretty much two tone everything now as my aim as always been for my cupcakes to look like real flowers not cupcakes.
5. Daily practice, your path to success
Practice DOES NOT make perfect, I cannot stand this quote as nothing in this world is perfect. Practice makes PROGRESS in turn creating confidence.
Set aside some time each day to practice even if its ten minutes, in an hour of focused practicing you see such incredible results and progress. Before you know you’ll be piping with confidence and not even thinking about the job in hand. Its no different to driving if you look it that way. You don’t consciously think right, clutch down, put it into first, raise the clutch accelerator etc etc you just drive don’t you! Same applies to piping flowers, the more you can practice the more you’ll see your progress and your speed increase.
SO, TO CONCULDE…
There you have it! With my tips I have shared you’ll be on your way to mastering the art of buttercream flowers. Remember every buttercream flower that you learn to pipe is a step toward becoming the cake artist you’ve always wanted to be.
Jane x
