How to Make Frosting Flowers

In the past few years there has been a growing demand at local bakeries for elaborately decorated cakes and cupcakes. The more frosting flowers and decorations, the better. Unfortunately, along with the intricate designs came a hefty price tag. So why not save yourself the time and expense by making your own cake decorations? With the addition of frosting flowers you can easily turn a simple boxed cake mix into an elegant work of art. Many novice bakers tend to shy away from making frosting flowers for fear of making a mistake and possibly ruining an otherwise perfect cake. The truth is that making frosting flowers is a task that can be easily mastered with a little practice.

Things You'll Need

• ½ cup solid vegetable shortening
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric mixer
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• Gel food coloring
• 2 tbsp. cream
• Disposable pastry bag
• Scissors
• Decorating tips
• Frosted cake

Instructions

1. Combine the solid vegetable shortening, unsalted butter and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer until creamy. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar and continue beating until the mixture comes together to form a smooth, creamy consistency.

2. Continue to beat the mixture until the frosting is fluffy. Use the gel food coloring to dye the frosting the color you want the frosting flowers to be.

3. Prepare the disposable pastry bag by laying the bag on a hard surface. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the tip off the bag.

4. Select the cake decorating tip of your choice and insert it inside of the pastry bag, pressing the tip through the hole in the bag. Fill the pastry bag with the butter cream frosting.

5. Position the pastry bag so that the tip is barely touching the frosted cake. Create frosting roses by gently applying pressure to the pastry bag while moving the bag in a slow circular motion.

6. Create frosting flowers with petals by applying gentle pressure to the pastry bag, while slowly pulling the bag away from the cake. At the end of the petal release the pressure on the pastry bag and pull away from the cake.

7. Continue making the frosting flowers until the cake is completely decorated.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your frosting flowers ahead of time and store them in an airtight container until you are ready to decorate your cake.

• Use gel food coloring to achieve a more vibrant array of colors for your frosting flowers.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish