Buttercream Flower Cake Food

HOW TO MAKE 2 DIFFERENT BUTTERCREAM FLOWERS WITH 1 TIP

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Place the cake mix, water, oil and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, alternating between the two until no lumps remain. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated.
• Divide the frosting evenly among 3 bowls. Stir the pink food coloring to desired tint into 1 bowl. Stir the purple food coloring to desired tint in another bowl. Leave the remaining bowl white.
• Transfer half of the pink frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 2D tip. Use a small rubber spatula or small offset spatula to spread the frosting around the sides of the piping bag, leaving a hole in the center. Fill the middle with half of the white frosting with a 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop. Add the remaining pink frosting. (You may need to do this twice if all the frosting won't fit in 1 piping bag.)
• Repeat the process with the purple frosting and remaining white frosting. Twist up both piping bags and tie them each off with rubber bands.
• To make a rose, start in the center of the cupcake and make a swirl to the outer edge with the pink two-toned buttercream. Place a mint leaf on the edge of each cupcake.

PAINTED BUTTERCREAM FLOWERS

Steps:

• Combine the butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Adjust the consistency with the milk, if needed, mixing in 1 tablespoon at a time until spreadable.
• Remove 1 cup of the buttercream from the bowl and divide it among individual small bowls-1 for each color in your floral palette. (Keep the remaining buttercream in the stand mixer bowl white and set aside for frosting the cake.) Keep the buttercream in 1 small bowl white and tint each of the remaining buttercream with your desired gel food coloring. It's best to tint the buttercream in a few different shades (light, dark and darker).
• To frost the cake: Place 1 of the cakes on a cake stand and spread 1 cup of the white frosting on top. Repeat to make 3 layers, ending with the third cake. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of the white frosting (this is the "crumb coat;" it doesn't have to be perfect). Refrigerate until the crumb coat is firm, about 20 minutes. Spread the remaining white frosting on the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it out as you go. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• To paint the flowers: Start with the darkest buttercream and paint the shape of a flower petal with a small offset spatula or a palette knife. (It might look like a colored circle but it will all come together when you add the other colors).
• Next, add the white and lighter shades of buttercream on top of the petal using a swiping motion (like you are making the arches of a heart) and go around the shape of the petal. Paint larger and smaller flowers around the main flower using the white and darker shades of buttercream to create depth. Repeat these steps all around the cake and decorate, as desired.