Pretty Flower Cupcakes
Cute Cupcake Decorating Ideas

You can create flower cupcakes using gumpaste cutters, gumpaste molds, fresh flowers and silk flowers as well as piping.

On this page you will find information on some of the different types of ways that you can use to create flowers on cupcakes.

We will take about using gumpaste and how different tools can be used to create beautiful flowers.

You can also use fresh and silk flowers and with practice you can pipe buttercream icing directly onto the top of the cupcakes.

 

 

Gum Paste Flowers

Gumpaste is very similar to play dough only it is made from sugar and is edible. Gumpaste is very versatile and can be used to make many different cupcake decorations including flowers.

Gum paste can be purchased readymade or you can make your own. If you would like to make your own we have a recipe on our rolled fondant icing page for you.

When using gumpaste it is important to work quickly as it does tend to dry quite fast. You should only cut off as much as you need and keep any unused portions covered in plastic or under a glass to keep it fresh.

When you first go to use the gum paste it will be quite firm and hard, you will have to knead the gumpaste in your hands this will cause the gum paste to warm up and soften and become pliable and ready to work with.

If you find that it is too dry and crumbly add a very small amount of egg white and white fat (Crisco, Copha, Trex or Holsum) to it and work in well. Be very careful about not adding too much egg white and fat as it will end up being too soft to work with.

 

Gumpaste Cutters

Using gumpaste cutters to make flower cupcakes can give you some easy and stunning results. Gumpaste cutters are available in metal and plastic shapes.

Plastic cutters are available in many different shapes and sizes. They are great because they do not loose their shape like metal cutter can.

You will have to store your plastic cutter with some care as the cutting edges can become damaged when in contact with your other tools.

Like the plastic cutters the metal cutters come in many different shapes and sizes.

These are usually a better quality than the plastic because they have a shaper cutting edge. The quality can vary on the metal cutters so try and purchase the best that you can afford.

Try to get stainless steel cutters when you can as these will not rust. You will find that the metal cutters come in different thickness; the thinner ones will have a better cutting edge but tend to distort easily if not stored correctly.

 

Gum Paste Molds

Using molds is an easy way to create flowers you can use chocolate molds, silicon molds and you can experiment with molds used in clay making and other crafts.

Using a mold is very simple but there are a few things that you should keep in mind when filling the molds for perfect results.

1. Always knead the gumpaste until it is smooth and pliable.

2. If you are using molds that have many different creases such as a rose mold you should fill it by placing small pieces of gumpaste into the mold at a time. These pieces should be pressed firmly into the mold to avoid and air spaces.

3. Once filled remove any excess gumpaste from the top and smooth the surface.

4. Next I like to place my mold in the freezer for about 15 - 20 minutes (no longer than this as you will find the molded flower will crack because it has firmed up too much).

To remove if you are using a silicone mold gently bend back edges of the mold and your shape should come out easy enough - if not place it back in the freezer for a few more minutes.

If you are using a non flexible mold press the tip of a knife between the gumpaste and the mold to create an air pocket. Prise out the shape and allow it to come to room temperature. You can then smooth out any knife marks made.

 

Gum Paste Flowers

Depending on your skill level you can just about make any type of flower from gum paste. These can all be created by hand shaping, using cutters and molds.

Here is a list of some of the many different flowers that can be made using gumpaste:

• Roses
• Orchids
• Calla Lilies
• Bluebells
• Cornflowers
• Carnations
• Hydrangeas
• Begonia
• Stephanotis
• Poppy
• Gardenia
• Cosmos
• Zinnia
• Anemone
• Gerbera Daisy
• Daisies
• Agapanthus

 

Edible Fresh Flower Cupcakes

Using real flowers for your flower cupcakes can add an elegant touch to your cupcake display. You will need to be very careful when selecting fresh flowers for your cupcakes.

Make sure that the flowers you select are edible if in doubt be safe and don't use it. You should also consider the sap that comes from the stem of cut flowers as some of this can be poisonous and may cause severe allergic reactions if digested.

You can safely use flower such as daisies, lavender, roses, violets orchids, pansies and blossoms from fruit trees such as apple, peach and orange.

If you do choose to use real flowers for your cupcakes it is also a good idea to remove the pistils and stamens which will remove the pollen - as the color from the pollen can destroy the look of your finished cupcake if it happens to fall on the frosting or icing and also some people are allergic to pollen.

You should also make sure that you use flowers which are bug free and insecticide free.

 

Silk Flower Cupcakes

Silk flowers are a great and safe alternative to fresh flowers and if you are afraid of making your own gum paste flowers.

They are available in a wide range of colors and varieties. They will always look good because they will not wilt.

 

Buttercream Flowers

Using buttercream and decorative piping nozzles you can create many different flowers directly on to the top of your cupcakes.

Flowers such as roses can also be piped onto a flower nail then removed and chilled to firm up which then can be placed decoratively on to your cupcakes.

 

Flower Cupcakes - Cupcake Decorating Ideas

You will find some pictures of flower cupcakes below showing you some of the examples mentioned above.

Several flowers have been piped directly onto the cupcake	Frosting has been piped to create beautiful rose flower cupcakes
Pansy flower cupcakes	Orchid flower cupcakes
Gumpaste cutter flowers	Gumpaste cutter flowers
Hand shaped gumpaste roses	Cutter flowers