How to Make Rosebuds Out of Marzipan

Roses are representative of love, making them an appropriate addition to wedding cakes.

Marzipan is a moldable paste that is made mainly of sugar and ground almonds. Pastry chefs use marzipan to cover or fill cakes and to create decorative elements such as figurines or flowers. Marzipan can be tinted using food coloring and offers endless ideas for cake decorating. Marzipan roses are a popular decorating choice for specialty cakes since the rose is a universal symbol of love. To create a one-of-a-kind cake design using marzipan roses, opt for unexpected colors and designs.

Things You'll Need

• Marzipan
• Paste food coloring

Instructions

1. Add paste food coloring to marzipan and knead until the color is uniform throughout the dough. You will need to complete this step for each color of rose you intend to make.

2. Roll a piece of marzipan into a 1-inch diameter ball. Squeeze the top of the ball to make a small point, approximately 1 3/4 inches high. The shaped marzipan will resemble a chocolate kiss.

3. Make four petals by rolling pieces of marzipan into 1/2-inch diameter balls. Use your fingers to flatten the balls into circles approximately 1 inch in diameter with one end being just over 1/4 inch thick and the other end being very thin.

4. Wrap one of the petals below the pointed portion of the marzipan shape you made in Step 1. Use your fingers to smooth the seams and gently curl out the edges of the petals. Repeat this step with the remaining three marzipan petals.

5. Make five larger petals by rolling pieces of marzipan into 3/4-inch diameter balls. Again, use your fingers to flatten the balls into circles approximately 1 1/4 inch in diameter with one end being just over 1/4-inch thick and the other end being very thin. This is now the bud of your rose.

6. Line the thick end of the petal up with the bottom of the initial piece of marzipan and wrap remaining petals around the bud. Curl petals out as you go. Repeat until all five petals have been placed and the rose looks the way you envisioned.

Tips & Warnings

• Making marzipan roses will most likely require several attempts until you get a feel for the process.

References

• Pastry Wiz: Marzipan recipe
• Sugar Craft: Fondant Rose
• Odense 1907: How to Color Marzipan

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish