Hi everyone! Today, we are going to show you how to pipe frosting flowers that are large, whimsical, & fun!
We’ve had many requests for these types of flowers & after experimenting with several different piping tips & frosting recipes, we’ve found our favorite methods & are excited to share.
We are going to make a few different types of flowers in the tutorial, but I hope that in addition, you all will be inspired to experiment & develop even more flowers.
We’ve only scratched the surface with this tutorial ;0) — The piping tips that we use in the video have been around for some time now, and so there are lots of examples out there of large frosting flowers, but some of my favorites are by the White Flower Cake Shoppe! LOVE their great variety of flowers & designs!
Time to get started! Let us know if you have any questions, and don’t forget to find our Materials (and frosting recipe) beneath the video!
Materials:
The cake featured in our tutorial is 8″ and 6″ tiers, frosted with our “fluffy vanilla buttercream” and topped off with big frosting flowers of “Whipped Meringue Frosting”. (see recipe at the bottom of the page).
Piping Tips: Ateco 403, 402, & 401,(which we pried open a bit) & Wilton 233 grass tip. 403 is the tip I used most often & is my favorite for these large flowers!
Notes:
As we explain in the video, we felt that our flowers were much easier to pipe after slightly prying open the “mouth” of the piping tips. This allows for more icing flow from the tip, and therefore our petals had a more substantial base & could be piped taller without falling.
Although you can get a similar look with an American Buttercream recipe (like our “Classic” or “Fluffy” recipes), we had more trouble with irregular edges when piping our petals with these frostings. Plus, we liked the idea of such large flowers being a lighter whipped texture. If you experiment and have success with other recipes, we would love to hear! If you do not like to use shortening, a swiss meringue frosting would be another good option.
*Our kitchen was very hot as we filmed this tutorial, and we found that the frosting consistency did change a bit after several hours of sitting in the piping bag & bowl. If you notice a similar change, just give it a good stir…and if your frosting becomes overly soft, you can chill it for a few minutes in the refrigerator.
*Special thanks to Teri (MsGF) for recommending a whipped meringue recipe found on Cake Central. We adapted our recipe from this one, increasing the amount of sugar, flavorings, and mixing time…but she put us on the right track for finding a light recipe that we liked for these flowers! xo
Here are a few links to the piping tips that I used in the tutorial!
Tip 401
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VLE3Q/ref=pe_385040_127745480_pd_te_o_s_ti/183-7270713-7612614
Tip 402
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00085F88G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Tip 403
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GUYI72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
WHIPPED MERINGUE FROSTING RECIPE
This is the recipe that we prefer for the large fluffy frosting flowers that we feature in our “How to Pipe Large Frosting Flowers” video tutorial. This non-dairy (shortening based) frosting has a fluffy, whipped-cream like texture, yet is shelf stable & even develops a slight crust. This recipe is stable for up to 3 months at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup (146g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
2 Tablespoons ( 18g) meringue powder
½ cup BOILING WATER, ( minus 2 Tablespoons of the water if you are using Crisco )
2 and ½ cups (430g) Hi Ratio Shortening or Crisco
5 cups (570g) confectioners’ sugar – measure then sift
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
flavor to taste
THIS FROSTING IS MADE IN TWO PARTS AND SHOULD NOT BE COMBINED UNTIL EACH PART IS COMPLETED.
Use the whisk attachment for this part, to the mixing bowl add the granulated sugar, salt, meringue powder and ½ cup BOILING WATER. The water must be boiling to melt the granulated sugar. Mix on high speed and beat until stiff peaks form, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meringue to another bowl and set aside for later.
Change to the paddle attachment and to the mixing bowl add the shortening. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat mixture until it is very creamy, approximately 5 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
Now you are ready to add the bowl of meringue to the mixing bowl, along with the flavorings. Beat another 8 minutes. The frosting will become very light and fluffy. Keep in a covered container. Do not refrigerate. It can be kept at room temperature in airtight container for 3 months, just stir with a spoon when you are ready to use.
This is a lightly crusting frosting.
Yield: 7 cups
Just wanted to say “THANK YOU, THANK YOU” for doing this video. LOVE IT!!!
The flowers look great! I knew that icing was the trick to success. I’ll have to try it when I can find a day to myself.
Thank you Melissa!!! I am also a BIG FAN of their cakes so this is a great video. You and your mom do an AWESOME job keeping things fresh and current. So glad I’m a member here!!
I bought those tips a while back and tried the flowers once and then never tried again. I’m glad to see your video because now I’ll pull them out and try again. Question for you about the icing. I see you used fluffy vanilla buttercream to ice the cake and then Whipped Meringue Frosting for the flowers. Is there a reason you didn’t use the whipped meringue to ice the cake? Thanks again. I love these flowers. They remind me of the peonies my Mom used to have.
I have been DYING to learn how to do these flowers! Thank you so much for doing this tutorial.
What I like best is that I don’t have to use Swiss Meringue frosting.
I’ve never tried this frosting, but I know it already looks easier than making the Swiss Meringue AND I love the shelf life of this frosting.
Cant wait to try making these beautiful flowers.
Ansa
You did it!!! Thank you for learning and then teaching us! I’m baking a cake just for this!!!!
Lisa
THANK YOU, thank you, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for doing these flowers!!!!
Thank you all so much for your comments! So glad that you are happy with these, they are a lot of fun to make! I hope you’ll let us know when you try them! xoxo
Hi Joan, we used the Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream for the cake because we were worried that we possibly had not made enough of the Whipped Meringue Buttercream. Yes, the whipped meringue could have been used the frost the cake. It has a very soft crust, and you can use the Viva towel method on it if needed.
Stunning!! Yet another idea on my “to do” list :) Thank you!
Can you tell me where I might buy these large Ateco tips? I am having trouble finding them.
Hi Dene, we ordered the Ateco Ruffle tip 403 from Amazon. Here is a link, http://www.amazon.com/Decopac-Ateco-Ruffle-Tip-403/dp/B008GUYI72/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404268054&sr=8-1&keywords=Ateco+ruffle+tip+403 This seller probably has the other size tips also. If not, other sellers on Amazon will have them.
Melissa, I so enjoy watching and learning new techniques from you.
When my subscription expires in 39 days I will for sure renew my membership.
Thank you for the great tutorials.
Kindest regards, Renate
I have SO been wanting to know how to do this! This tutorial alone is worth my yearly subscription. Can’t wait to try out the icing recipe and this tutorial!
Dene Swearingen, I just ordered mine from Shop Bakers Nook.
Hi Melissa,
first let me tell you how much I looove your work, thanks for sharing all with us. I was wondering, if I would like to make a lot of those flowers in advance and have them on hand when I have a cake to decorate, could I use royal icing to pipe the flowers since they last for like ever!!!!
Thanks and keep up the good work!
I was so excited to see this on a video tutorial! I had seen these kind of flowers online on cakes from a Bakery up in Ohio. I tried doing similar ones with the smaller tips since I didn’t see any large tips like this locally and I had no idea what numbers to get. Thank you so much for sharing this, you have no idea how happy this makes me!
Awesome! I am so in love with this!!
Thank you so much for this video. I was seriously considering driving to a class in Ohio to learn to make these flowers. All of your work is beautiful. Thank you for all you share.
Thank you all so very much for your comments! I’m so glad that you like the video.
@Brigitte~ I haven’t tried making the flowers from royal and drying, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let us know how it goes! ;0)
I am another member who has wanted to know how to do these flowers…a huge thank you to you, Melissa and Bebe, for bringing us this info.
I am having a problem with the petal end breaking off forming sort of a U shape rather than a nice rounded petal shape. I opened the tip quite a bit already. Does anyone have any suggestions? This is a Wilton 403 – I have some Ateco 403s and 401s ordered if that should make a difference.
Hi Melissa: This video was wonderful – and so worth the price of your membership. I’m looking forward to viewing all your other videos and new ones you’ll be posting. Thank you for sharing your recipe for the flower icing too. Great job!
@Helen– Thanks, I’m so happy that you liked it!
@SweetS- (I saw your question beneath the frosting recipe & so I’m copying my answer here also!)
I’m sorry that you are having trouble with your edges. Some of the petals on my flowers are a little ragged…but for the most part, this frosting gave me a nice look. (When we tried these flowers with our usual American Buttercreams like the “Classic” and “Fluffy” recipes, we had very ragged edges.)
However, one thing that I did notice was that if my piping bag had been sitting out for a while (maybe an hour or so), the texture changed a bit and the edges were more likely to be imperfect. I found that I needed to stir my frosting and start fresh with a new bag when this happened.
Also, re: the petal shape, some of my petals do have a “u” shape. If you look at the petals on my large pink flower in the video, the petals in the center are piped almost vertically and do have more of a “u” shape. Some of the other petals are piped with more of a curve at the end (slight twist of the wrist) as I pull away.
I piped lots of flowers before getting the hang of it and so don’t give up! Let us know if you have any more questions!
**Let us know if you find that the Ateco tips work better for you- I think they may. I had read that Wilton no longer made the equivalent to the Ateco 403…and so I’ve never worked with that style.
Thanks again for your response, Melissa!
Hey Melissa,
You always make cake decorating look so easy and fun to do. Thanks to you and Bebe for the new flower technique…..it is lovely.
Hi Melissa: I love the icing for these flowers, in fact, I can’t keep my fingers out of it as it’s so delicious. I used HEB’s shortening (a local grocery store here in Texas) instead of the hi-ratio and noticed that it was slightly grainy and did use boiling water as you suggested. Do you think the shortening could possibly make a difference in the grainy consistency at all?
Also, did you ice the sides of the cake with this icing or with fondant? Mine is not too smooth. Thanks for your reply and I can hardly wait for your next tutorial. You and your Mom are doing a great job!!!
Hi Helen, I don’t think the shortening would have been the problem. If all of the granulated sugar did melt in the boiling water, that would not have been the issue. The other possibility is the type of confectioners sugar used. If the bag or box of confectioners sugar does not say PURE CANE SUGAR, then it is made from beets and confectioners sugar made from beets can give buttercream a slightly grainy feel. If the box of confectioners sugar does not say what it was made from, it will definitely be beet sugar.
The sides of the cake were frosted with our usual Fluffy buttercream recipe because we had not made enough of the Whipped Meringue Buttercream to complete the cake and the flowers.
Quick question. Do I put the cake in the fridge if its due the next day or leave it out overnight? Thx!
Hi DeAndrea, if the cake does not have a perishable filling it will be fine to leave out overnight. You could put it in a cakebox for the next day delivery.
Great! Thx!!!
Thank you for making this video!! Just wish I would have discovered it before I drove to Ohio (6 hours) to take a class at the White Flower Cake Shoppe. I really wanted to learn how to make their signature flowers. They are amazing cake artists!! However, due to time limitations, I really didn’t get to practice the flower. They make their own SMBC (which they also sell) to make their beautiful flowers. They gave us two recipes (close to theirs) but neither one of them were stiff enough to pipe the petals. I’m not a novice to making this type of buttercream. Determined to figure out how to get the perfect frosting, I found through Cake Central your website. I was thrilled when I saw the flowers on the cake and knew I was finally going to be able to master these fun and whimsical flowers. You did an excellent job!!!
These are fantastic! can’t wait to try them out :)
Hi… I just want to ask… if those flowers can be frozen and later put in the cake?… I love your tutorial for other class when you did it…
Awesome! I love the large flowers! Where did you order the large tips? Thanks
Hi Abby, in response #12 I give a link to ordering the tips from Amazon
Thanks, sorry about that, I must have overlooked it!
I found the 401 and the 403 at Shop Bakers Nook also.
Thanks for letting us know they can be found at Shop Bakers Nook.
I LOVE this cake and these Flowers. I look forward to trying this out.
How long would this keep in the fridge and can it be frozen? Thanks Deb K.
Hi Deb, This frosting can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container
for 3 months. We have not refrigerated or frozen it so I can say for sure but I think it would be fine and keep for a very long time. Whenever you make it, try refrigerating a small amount to see the result. I would love to know if you give it a try.
Hi Melissa & Mom: just a quick note to let you know I made the Fluffy Meringue Icing using Penguin Brand (Hi Ratio) shortening and I was absolutely amazed how beautiful and perfect the flowers. These have got to be my all time favorite quick flowers for a cake and cupcakes too. Thank you so much for your tutorial!
Hi Helen, I am happy you gave this a try, we love these flowers too! Thank you so much for posting your thoughts on this video. We really appreciate hearing from cake school members.
Wow …. I’ll tell you what …… I am shocked at how DELICIOUS this frosting is. Can you frost the entire cake in this Melissa? I just made it, so I don’t know if it will get too dry for an “all over” cake frosting. If I may, I would like to mention that if using pure vanilla extract, it WILL change the color quite a bit so next time I may use emulsion or (I can’t believe I’m saying this) imitation vanilla. I also decided to quickly whisk the meringue, sugar and salt into the boiling water before starting the mixer…..simply to ensure desolving the sugar and meringue entirely. It truly did eliminate any chance to have a grainy end result.
Francine, thank you so much for your feedback! That is a good point about the vanilla extract, thanks for mentioning. This could be used to frost the entire cake also, I’m so glad that you are happy with it!
Did you cover the cake with this s frosting or butter cream?
Hi BrooksieBee- We used our fluffy vanilla buttercream from our Recipes section to frost the cake, only because we wanted to make sure that we had plenty of the Whipped Meringue frosting for practicing and demonstrating in the video. Normally, the whipped meringue would be fine to frost cakes with! ;0)
You make it look so easy!! I hope I can accomplish even one of these flowers!
Hi Melissa, You will be able to do this, it is surprisingly easy.
Hi Melissa,
I love these flowers and want to put them on a First Communion cake. Just as Claudia asked, this is the same question. Can you make the flowers ahead of time, maybe even using the Styrofoam bowls as you used for a base, put them in the fridge until ready to put them on the cake. I am a bit nervous about just doing them directly onto the cake. I will be putting them on Italian Meringue Buttercream and will have the cake in the fridge.
Thank you-
Hi Leslie! I’m so glad that you like them. (Sorry Claudia that I missed your question before!) –
Unfortunately, I have not tried to freeze these. Normally, with most buttercream frostings, I wouldn’t hesitate to pop in the freezer (although heavily tinted frostings would be more likely to bleed due to condensation as they approach room temp.) – However, the recipe that inspired our recipe said not to refrigerate. Because of this, I would mix up your frosting and test one or two flowers in the freezer before doing them all this way. If it doesn’t go well, you’ll want to just pipe directly onto the cake (you will be fine!) ;0) – OR, I suppose you could try piping the flowers onto dried fondant discs and then slide a knife beneath the fondant disc and place on the cake when it’s time? You could pipe the outer petals to hide any bit of fondant that shows. Just a thought–hope this helps!!
Piping tips are ordered and I can’t wait to give these flowers a try! Thank you for another great tutorial!
This was a lovely tutorial, very clever and the flowers were beautiful. Thank you!
Im going to make your frosting recipe and see if I have better luck making these flowers.I havent with American buttercream.I will want to use this also to frost the cake so will it crust that I can use the viva paper towel method on it to smooth if needed?
Hi Cakerjoy, I hope that you like this recipe! I think that the consistency is better for these types of flowers. The frosting is a much lighter texture and while it does have a very slight crust, it isn’t ideal for the Viva method. At least, I think that you may have some difficulty. You may rather use your standby crusting recipe to frost the cake if you prefer the Viva method..and then use this recipe for your flowers.
my this is another beautiful cake something you don’t
find anywhere else, love it.. would you tell me what you do with all the small amounts of frosting that is left over or do you just get rid of them? Thanks as always pat
Hi Pat, If it is less than a cup, I do not keep it. This recipe is good for 3 months at room temp so a date should be put on the container you are keeping it in. Sometimes I have so many small amounts that are unused I just have to clear it all out……the clutter just starts to bother me.
Hi – Thank you very much for this tutorial. My practice flowers came out perfectly. I also frosted a mini cake with it. The frosting is delicious!
Hi Valarie, Thank you so much for your nice comments on this tutorial.
Petals keep falling over☹, tried refrigerate and remixing still hapenning. The icing seems to heavy, any suggestions?
Thank you
Hi Erin, I’m sorry that you are having trouble with these– is it possible that the piping tip hasn’t been opened enough? This will give your petals a nice sturdy foundation.
HOW TO PIPE LARGE FROSTING FLOWERS!~VIDEO TUTORIAL
Would you pls can help me to see this video?.
Thanks
Hi Angela- I’ve updated our video to a format that should work for you. (We’re putting all of our videos into this updated format.) However, generally viewing issues are often a signal that your device or browser that you are using needs the most recent update. Please let us know at info@mycakeschool.com if you continue to have trouble!
Thanks a lot for this video!!! I am so happy to participate in your School ?
You are welcome, I’m glad that you liked it!
hi melissa………cant wait to try this……can i try this with whipped cream…….i dnt have meringue powder with me…….can i use egg whites instead
Hi Manita, I’m sorry but whipped cream would not be firm enough to hold the shape of the flower petals. I don’t think it would be safe to use egg whites. The frosting is not cooked and the half cup of boiling water would not be hot enough to make the egg whites safe in the buttercream.
Hi Melissa, I am unable to find tip 402 , do you know where I might purchase bone ?
Hi Melissa – great tutorial! Do you think this type of frosting would also work for other types of flowers – i.e., roses, mums, etc.?
Hi :). I made this whipped frosting for the 2nd time. The first time it worked great with no issues. This weekend I made it again and it stayed wet and never crusted. I don’t know what the difference was. Any idea why this may have happened? Not enough powdered sugar maybe? The consistency was nice and fluffy like before. Thanks!
Hi Kelly- Hmmm….I’m not sure why it was different for you this time around. Was the weather more humid by chance? Humid/rainy weather can effect crusting. I’ve even experienced this when frosting a cake near a dishwasher that was running. Also, if the cake itself was very cold at the time of frosting, it can greatly increase the time it takes to crust due to condensation… this applies more to frosting a cake with crusting buttercream rather than piping flowers though. I hope that this helps!
**We do have another frosting that we like for these large frosting flowers. We featured this one in our hummingbird themed cake video, you may like to try it next time: https://www.mycakeschool.com/video-tutorials/hummingbird-frosting-flowers/
Hi Melissa, I can’t find the tip ateco 402 to make the flower. Do you know where I can get one? Thank you
Hi Mitzygirl, When we bought ours we found them on Amazon. Now when I do a search I can only find the Ateco 401 and 403 tips. There is a Wilton 402 and it look like it should work (will you need to widen the opening) here is a link, https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-402-402-Ruffle-Decorating-Tip/dp/B00DR0EU4C/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480954526&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=ateco+402+cake+d. Hope all goes well.
I have the wilton one and it doesn’t work at all. I tried a russian tip that is similar but again, it isn’t giving the lift and peak in the pedal. I guess it is a flower I won’t be able to achieve. Thank you for your reply.
Thank for letting me know the Wilton 402 does not work, I won’t recommend that to anyone. If I find another source, I will make a post here. I’m sorry I could not help you today.
Can I use 100% Just Whites instead of the merengue powder?
Hi Ruth, I think you may need to use the meringue powder in this recipe. I have not tried using egg whites so I am not sure about adjusting the amount of boiling water in the recipe. With my meringue powder 2 teaspoon meringue powder plus 2 Tablespoon water = 1 egg white.
Hi BeBe.
I am actually using the powder egg whites which is the same mixing ratio at the meringue powder. Thought it would work since I use it for royal icing in place of meringue powder. I am making it now and will let you know how it turns out.
Ruthie
Hey Girls
Just wanted to let you know that the 100% Egg White Powder worked wonderful. I used 2 Tbsp as the recipe called for meringue powder. I did use Crisco and lessened the water by 2 Tbsp, however, I think it could be a little stiffer and will take out 1/2 Tbsp more water next time.
Is there any way to make it a little more stiff at this point?
Thanks
Hi Ruth, I made a wrong assumption thinking you were using liquid Just Whites. Thanks so much for letting us know that the egg white powder works just as well. If it is a little softer than you would like, you could refrigerate for a short while before you begin piping your flowers.
Love this!! I’m wondering if it’s possible to make this buttercream chocolate, and what/how much you would add to do so? I’m making a chocolate cake for father’s day and would love to do chocolate flowers on top.
Hi Melissa, I did a practice batch if this for my icing on the strawberry cake for the county fair. In our taste test, he by said it was good.
I thought it was too sweet. The original icing for this fresh strawberry cake was a cooked icing, and I could taste the strawberry flavor. I need to make this maybe 4-5 days before the fair so I can also make my breads fresh.
If I cut some of the powdered sugar, will I taste the strawberry flavor of the cake more? Or will that make the mouthfeel of shortening stronger?
If I cut the powdered sugar, how much should I cut it?
I want to make the cake and icing this week so they are done. The cake can be frozen.
Here’s a picture of half a layer that I rotted and iced last night with this icing for the taste test.
PS–a friend of mine just tried it. She said “the icing reminds me of cotton candy!” Perfect for the county fair!
THANK YOU, Melissa!!!!! You really helped me!!!
Here’s a picture of the cake, before putting the strawberries on. Looking at your cake picture, I see that this isn’t an icing I can make perfectly smooth.
Six layers. This is the first time I used milkshake straws!
I hope I can cut it in half and cut a slice ok. The second layer fell apart and I had to piece it back together Have to cut these for tasting and display. I will keep the cake as cool as possible for the hour drive to fairgrounds, and cut it there.
My fresh strawberry cake, with your whipped meringue frosting, won FIRST PLACE at the Ventura County Fair!!! Thank you ever so much for your wonderful recipe and support!
Congratulations Judy! I’m so happy to hear it! xoxo
Thanks for the tip on prying the tip opening up a bit…that made a huge difference for me! I was curious about this icing recipe… How does it tase in comparison with American Buttercream? Thanks so much…really enjoying my membership!
Hi DeAnna, Thank you for the nice compliment on the site. I think the recipe is good and you can adjust the flavoring to suit your taste. It has a fluffier texture than American buttercream. We have not made it in a couple of years so I am having trouble giving you a more descriptive taste comparison of the two recipes.
I made it last night… love the fluffiness of it! I think I will replace the almond with vanilla next time I try it… pipes very nicely though! I love that it is shelf stable for so long…gives me a chance to really play with the icing over the course of a week or so to know if I want to use it on future cakes!
Hermosas Flores algo así andaba buscando para un cake de merengue, Gracias por compartir sus experiencias, Maravilloso!!
Hi can the frosting used for the flowers be used to cover a cake?
Does it taste like marshmallow or what’s the flavor like?
Hi Kay, yes you can frost your cake with this frosting. We used our Fluffy Vanilla buttercream to frost the cake in this tutorial and just used the Whipped Meringue frosting for the flowers (If I remember correctly we were running low after so many practice flowers and we had the other buttercream on hand.)
This is a very airy frosting- it is sweet but not overly sweet. It is more heat sensitive than usual buttercream. So, if the consistency changes before you finish your flowers, you can give it a good stir or you can chill if it becomes too soft.
You an also easily just make up a batch or two of this frosting and keep it on standby for adding flowers to your cakes as it is non-dairy and shelf stable (for 3 months).
Another frosting that we discovered later also works well for these flowers is the recipe from this tutorial:
https://www.mycakeschool.com/video-tutorials/hummingbird-frosting-flowers/
This is a sweeter frosting than the whipped meringue, but is nice and fluffy and easy to make.
Thank you for your quick informative response!