How to Make Rose Petals Out of Icing

Many cakes have roses for decoration on all areas of the cake. The most popular flowers on cakes tend to be roses, as most other flowers are too complex to create from icing. This article tells you how to create rose petals from icing by using an easy method that requires you to be ambidextrous, or able to use both hands simultaneously. These instructions can be used to make any type of rose in any color.

Things You'll Need

• Buttercream icing
• Round tip #12
• Decorating bag
• Wax paper cut into 1 1/2-inch squares
• Flower nail
• Large petal tip

Instructions

1. Screw the #12 tip onto the end of the decorating bag. Add a dab of icing onto the tip of the flower nail, and place a wax-paper square on top of it. Press down firmly to hold the wax paper in place. Squeeze a large round dot of icing in the center of the nail, and turn the nail while lessening the pressure on the bag to create the base of the rose. Lift the bag straight up, without additional squeezing, once you have met the beginning point again to make a small center.

2. Replace the round tip on the decorating bag with the petal tip. Position the largest part of the tip halfway up the base of the rose on the flower nail. Squeeze the bag, and turn the nail very slowly, always moving in the same direction. Move the bag up and down to form the center of the rose.

3. Place the tip in the same position as before, and squeeze the bag while moving the tip down swiftly to make the first petal. Repeat this process twice more across from the first petal. Place the tip directly above the first petal, and create another petal in the same fashion. Do this about four more times, always filling in areas that are bare with petals.

4. Create the outer and larger petals by repeating the last step. Position the bag directly atop the smaller petals, and squeeze it. Instead of quickly moving the tip, slow your movements to make a larger petal. Repeat this process around the entire nail to complete the rose.

5. Slide the paper off the nail, and let the rose sit for about an hour before removing it from the paper and placing it on the cake.