Easy Buttercream Flowers
Delicious, rich and easy buttercream frosting recipe that anyone can make. This is not a crusting buttercream. It has a slight shine and chills nicely in the fridge. Takes 10 minutes to make and is fool-proof! Light, fluffy and not too sweet. Perfect for piping buttercream flowers
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 849kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 cups Easy Buttercream My easy buttercream recipe halved
- ¼ teaspoon Food Coloring any color
- 30 3 inch Parchment Squares
- 4 small Piping Bags one for each color
- 1 medium Flower Nail
- 1 #104 Piping Tip
- 1 #3 Piping Tip optional for piping dots
- 1 large Cookie Sheet
- 4 small Couplers optional
Instructions
- Cut 20 to 30 parchment paper squares, each about 3 inches by 3 inches.
- Tint the buttercream in your chosen colors using gel food coloring.
- Fit a piping bag with the 104 petal tip (use a coupler if you want to swap tips later). Fill the bag about halfway with buttercream and squeeze out any air pockets.
- Place a small dot of buttercream on the center of the flower nail. Press a parchment square onto the buttercream to secure it.
- Hold the 104 tip at a slight angle with the wide end toward the center of the nail and the narrow end facing out. The tip should just barely touch the parchment.
- Pipe the first petal in a small "U" shape, starting and ending at the center. The petal should be about the size of an almond.
- Rotate the flower nail a fifth of a turn and pipe the second petal the same way.
- Continue rotating and piping until you have 5 petals, each slightly overlapping the previous one at the center.
- Optional: switch to the #3 round tip and pipe a small dot in the center of the flower. Or you can do this when the flowers are on the cake.
- Carefully lift the parchment square off the nail and place it on a cookie sheet.
- Repeat until you have all the flowers you need, plus a few extras.
- Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until the flowers are fully solid.
- To use, peel the parchment off each frozen flower and press gently onto your frosted cake. Let the cake rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the flowers soften.
Video
Notes
Buttercream choice
- Easy Buttercream gives the smoothest petal edges. Replace half the butter with vegetable shortening for hot climates.
- American Buttercream is stiffer and more heat-stable but petal edges will be slightly jagged.
- Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream both pipe beautifully.
- For dairy-free, use vegan butter or Crisco in place of regular butter.
- Frozen flowers keep for at least 1 month in an airtight container in the freezer.
- Place flowers on the cake the same day you plan to serve it for best results.
- Let the decorated cake come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the flowers soften to match the cake.
- Flowers breaking when lifting: make sure the parchment square is fully underneath the flower before lifting. Let the flower warm for 10 seconds if it's stuck.
- Jagged petal edges: your buttercream is too cold or too firm. Let it come to room temperature or add a splash of cream and re-whip.
- Slumping petals: your buttercream is too warm. Chill it for 10 minutes and try again.
- Holes or gaps in petals: air bubbles in the buttercream. Run it through an immersion blender or paddle-mix on low for 10 to 15 minutes before piping.
- Do not use liquid food coloring. It thins the buttercream and can cause it to break.
- Do not try to place soft flowers on a cake. Always freeze until solid first.
- Do not skip practice flowers. Your first 5 to 10 will look rough and that's normal.
- Do not overfill your piping bag. It becomes hard to control.
Nutrition
Serving: 2g | Calories: 849kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 18mg | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 2055IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.4mg
