Piped Buttercream Flowers

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Vanilla: Extract Medium

Blossoms piped from stiff buttercream with petal tips, either on a cake or onto a flower nail and set aside. Makes 24 flowers in about 1 hr 14 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 4 min

Cooling 30 min

Total 1 hr 14 min

Yield 24 flowers

Diet Gluten free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

flowers

1 cup (225 g)unsalted butter, softened
3 ¾ cups (450 g)powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp (45 ml)heavy cream
2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract
1 pinchfine salt
1 pinchgel food coloring, as wanted

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Instructions

Beat the butter 3 minutes until pale and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time on low, then the cream, vanilla and salt, and beat on medium 4 minutes until thick, fluffy and stiff enough to hold a peak.
Divide and tint with a tiny amount of gel coloring.
Fit piping bags with a petal tip (rose) and a round tip for centers.
Pipe each flower onto a 2-inch (5 cm) square of parchment on a flower nail, turning the nail as you pipe overlapping petals in a rose.
Slide the paper and flower onto a tray and chill 30 minutes until firm.
Lift the chilled flowers onto the cake or cupcakes and add green leaves with a leaf tip.

Tips

Keep the buttercream stiff; add more sugar rather than cream if it softens.
Chill piped flowers before moving them.
Stop and chill the bag if the butter gets warm.
Buttercream with cream should not sit at room temperature over 2 hours.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make piped buttercream flowers?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 4 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 24 flowers.

How should I store piped buttercream flowers?

Keep decorated cakes refrigerated up to 3 days; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Flowers freeze up to 1 month.

Can I make piped buttercream flowers ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with vanilla cake.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.

148 Calories / serving

8.3g Fat

18.9g Carbs

0.1g Protein

18.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (24 servings): ~3552 cal · 199g fat · 454g carbs · 2g protein · 444g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.