How to Make Flower Cupcakes – Easy Step by Step Directions
Flower cupcakes in the form of carnations, camellias and hydrangeas really set the mood for spring. Lovely for bridal showers or many other occasions!
Originally published March 21, 2013.
Happy spring to everyone, although, I am aware that Mother Nature didn’t get the memo in some parts of the country (or should I say, world).
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Here in Los Angeles, the weather is definitely one of our best features (that just sounds so L.A., doesn’t it?) This marvelous weather brings year round flowers of one kind or another. By mid March, it’s already the end of camellia season; daffodils have drooped and dried, but fragrant freesia and violets are in full bloom, and roses are working on getting their first buds to unfurl.
Here’s another cupcake idea for spring: butterfly cupcakes recipe.
If the cold weather and snow has got you down, making some flower cupcakes will at least help you get started in “thinking” spring!
Are Flower Cupcakes Difficult to Make?
Flower cupcakes are easy to make if your buttercream is the right consistency and you have good instructions. I’ve added my usual step-by-step photos so you can see that they’re not very difficult to make, at all. Have fun, and before you know it, Mother Nature will finally get that memo!
How to Decorate Flower Cupcakes
24 cupcakes, your choice (here are two of my favorites: buttermilk chocolate and pumpkin carrot)
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Buttercream Icing (Frosting)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (1.3 oz) butter, room temperature
- 1 lb confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- food coloring (omit for cream colored icing)
Special Equipment:
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Divide into 2 or 3 bowls (as many colors as you want) and tint with food coloring to the desired shades.
Cover the bowls to keep the frosting from hardening when not in use. Place the frosting in a piping bag and follow the directions below.
How to decorate hydrangea flower cupcakes
With one color, usually, pink, purple, blue or white, (or you can blend two, such as blue and purple) and using a 2D tip, start piping flowers onto the cupcake, until it’s covered.
Here is a professional on the job, you can check out Glory’s creations at Glorious Treats!
How to decorate carnation cupcakes
Using a 104 tip, make a circular start in the center of the cupcake. Then, holding the tip so that it pipes vertically, pipe long straight “petals” around, and around…
until the cupcake is covered.
How to decorate camellia flower cupcakes
Also using a 104 tip, make a central piping in the center.
This time, hold the tip at a 45º angle, and form petals from the center, starting each new one under the last one, and continuing until the cupcake is covered. This just takes a little practice.
Show them off on a plate together when you’re finished.
Aren’t they lovely?
More springtime cupcakes? Cynthia from What a Girl Eats has these coconut cupcakes, and Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen gives us a chocolate cupcake recipe for Easter!
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Flower Cupcakes: Decorate to Celebrate!
Buttercream in order to decorate spring cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (1.3 oz) butter, room temperature
- 1 lb confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- food coloring (omit for cream colored icing)
Instructions
Special Equipment:
piping bag and tips
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Divide into 2 or 3 bowls (as many colors as you want) and tint with food coloring to the desired shades.
- Cover the bowls to keep the frosting from hardening when not in use. Place the frosting in a piping bag and follow the directions below.
How to decorate hydrangea cupcakes
- With one color, usually, pink, purple, blue or white, (or you can blend two, such as blue and purple) and using a 2D tip, start piping flowers onto the cupcake, until it's covered.
How to decorate carnation cupcakes
- Using a 104 tip, make a circular start in the center of the cupcake. Then, holding the tip so that it pipes vertically, pipe long straight "petals" around, and around until the cupcake is covered.
How to decorate camellia cupcakes
- Also using a 104 tip, make a central piping in the center. This time, hold the tip at a 45º angle, and form petals from the center, starting each new one under the last one, and continuing until the cupcake is covered. This just takes a little practice.
Notes
Change the colors to suit your party them or flower choices.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cupcake frostingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 22mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 0g
Here’s a recipe you can use to make these gorgeous flower cupcakes.
Butterfly Cupcakes (Traditional British Butterfly Cakes)
Pretty little cupcakes filled with jam and cream and a butterfly on top. Traditional British treat at children's parties.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks (300g) good quality butter, unsalted and at room temperature (if you only have salted butter, omit the salt)
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) superfine or Baker’s sugar (caster sugar in the UK)
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups (300g) self-rising flour (or all purpose flour with 2 tsp baking powder), SIFTED
- a good pinch of salt
To Decorate
- 1 jar raspberry jam, good quality; I like Mackays or Bonne Maman (you won't use the entire jar)
- 1 cup (8 oz) heavy whipping cream, whipped
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Prepare cupcake tins with paper liners.
Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C)
- In a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. It will begin to pale in color, too.
- Add about one third of the beaten eggs, and mix well at medium speed.
- Then add about a third of the sifted flour. Repeat this step. Add the rest of the eggs and mix well, then turn the mixer to low and add the final flour. Just mix until well combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners half full with the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when placed in the center of a cupcake.
- Remove cupcakes from the tin, place on cooling rack and allow to cool completely. When ready to decorate, cut out the center of each cupcake, angling the knife at a 45º angle.
- Then cut the loose piece in half to resemble butterfly wings. Place a small amount of jam in the center. Follow with a dollop of cream (or buttercream, if desired). You can also pipe the cream like I did. Next, place the "wings" on top.
- Repeat with all of the cupcakes, then dust each one generously with powdered sugar. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
TIP: If you need to have the butterfly cupcakes out for more than half an hour (for example a bake sale), then I'd advise using buttercream so that the cream won't spoil This also works, and still tastes very good, but the authentic way (and my favorite way) is to use cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 62Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 16mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is only an estimate.
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Wonderful tutorial and I can’t wait to try the frosting! My favorites are the carnation pink ones! Perfect!
Thanks, David!
These are true works of art, Christina! Almost too pretty to eat, only buttercream is my favorite frosting so I doubt they’d last very long around me. ;-)
Aww, that’s so sweet of you, Frank! Thank you! :)
Hi, I found your tutorial online and would like to pick your brain. I am a caterer and one of my brides wants flower cupcakes for her dessert table. I am concerned that the frosting may melt and droop during a hot July day. Does your buttercream hold up to heat? My baker is experimenting with French buttercream, but I don’t like the texture. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated. Susan
Hi Susan, to be safe, I think Royal Icing is the way to go. Depending on HOW hot the day is, I would guess that the buttercream may not hold up. However, doing the entire cupcake as a flower with Royal Icing may be a bit too much sugar. Good luck, I hope you can figure out a resolution.
Hi Christina, Happy Easter to you and your family! These cupcakes are awesome! I love the way you used the frosting to create these lovely flowers. I am amazed at how simply gorgeous they are.The color combination of the flower frosting is perfect for Easter and spring. Love the rose and the Hydrandeas. I wish I could make these lovely flowers, your step by step is flawless. My right hand shakes a lot from my illnesses so I don’t think I could do the rose one, but I am going to try. I have already decided to make your Butterfly Cupcakes for Mother’s Day. I think they are so pretty! Thank you for sharing…You are just so amazing…Blessings to your family this Holy Week….Dottie :)
Your comments are like a tonic, Dottie! Thank you so much for your enthusiastic accolades! I truly appreciate it! I hope you are able to make the flower cupcakes as it is very rewarding to see them when they are finished. The Butterfly cakes are super easy, so I’m sure you won’t have any trouble with those. Happy Easter to you and your family, too, Dottie!! Buona Pasqua!
These are the prettiest cupcakes I have ever seen! Thanks for including the details on what tips you used – I can’t wait to try these myself!
Thank you, Teresa! Let me know how yours turn out; they really are fun to decorate! CC
I would definitely have to come for lessons! These cupcakes look so bright and fun!
C’mon over! ;)
Christina, these are some of the prettiest cupcakes I’ve seen! Thanks so much for the piping tutorial – I really want to learn how to do this. These would just be lovely on an Easter table!
Thank you, Susan! There are so many more you can make; sunflowers, chrysanthemums, roses…I could spend all day decorating them! :)