The Contemporary Buttercream Bible (19 page)

C

4 Repeat the same process to create several layers

of petals until you fill the middle of the flower and create a domed shape (D).

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D

Tip

A carnation uses a lot of buttercream and is

quite heavy, therefore it is not advisable to

pipe one on the side of a cake where there is

no support. It is best to pipe it on a corner,

bottom or on a flat surface.

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Sweet Pea

1 Using a small petal nozzle (Wilton 104), position it at a 20 to 30 degree angle with the wide end of the

nozzle touching the surface of the cake or cupcake

and narrow end pointing out. Keep the nozzle

steady and moderately squeeze the piping bag until

it creates a fan shape petal (A).

A

2 Repeat the same process to pipe another petal

next to the first, but make sure you allow sufficient 214

space so that when you pipe the second petal it does

not overlap the first (B).

B

3 Pipe two smaller petals starting at the base of the bigger petals (C).

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C

4 Pipe the stem and calyx with green tinted

buttercream using a writing nozzle 1 or 2, or a

piping bag with the tip snipped off (D).

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D

Tip

If you do not have a writing nozzle, you can

just snip the very top off the piping bag with a

pair of scissors to leave a very small hole.

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To create this cake…

• 15 × 10cm (6 × 4in) round cake (bottom tier), 10

× 7.5cm (4 × 3in) round cake (top tier), or a dozen

cupcakes

• 1.1–1.7kg (2lb 71⁄2oz–3lb 12oz) buttercream

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• Paste colours: dark pink (Sugarflair Claret), pale

green (Sugarflair Gooseberry) and dark green

(Sugarflair Spruce Green)

• Piping bags

• Cake stand or covered cake board

• Small petal nozzle (Wilton 104)

• Small leaf nozzle (Wilton 352)

• Writing nozzle, I or 2

• Scissors

Crumb coat, dowel and stack the cakes (see

Buttercream Basics) and place on a stand or

covered board. Cover the top tier with 200–300g

(7–101⁄2oz) of plain buttercream and the bottom tier

with 300–400g (101⁄ –141

2

⁄2oz) of pale green

buttercream, and give them a smooth finish (see

Covering Cakes in Buttercream Basics). Pipe

vertical lines of dots in pale green on the bottom

tier (see Dots in Piping Textures and Patterns).

Colour 100–200g (31⁄2–7oz) of buttercream dark

pink and 200–300g (7–101⁄2oz) dark green. Pipe

sweet peas round the top tier following the tutorial.

Next colour 100–200g (31⁄2–7oz) of buttercream

dark pink and fill a piping bag with this and

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200–300g (7–101⁄2oz) of uncoloured buttercream to

create a two-tone effect. Pipe a large carnation on

the top of the cake following the tutorial. Use the

remaining dark green buttercream to add the leaves

(see Sunflower and Leaves) around the carnation.

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Lilac and Daisy

Lilacs are popular flowers that make an excellent

choice for borders, with the added advantage that

they do a great job of hiding cake imperfections.

Daisies define simplicity at its best. We think that it is the easiest flower to pipe and is an excellent

alternative to massive swirls and peaks.

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Sweetly pretty, lilac and daisies make a lovely

combination resulting in a vintage mini bouquet.

For variety, decorate some cupcakes with just a

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single daisy and others with both flowers. By

keeping it simple with these two blooms you can

pipe lots of cupcakes, perhaps together with a main

cake to complement them, in a relatively short time

– ideal if you are preparing for a celebration party

with a big guest list. Why not dress the party table

with fresh flowers, including lilac and daisies to

match your cakes? The effect would be stunning!

Lilac

1 Using a small petal nozzle (Wilton 104), position

the nozzle at a 20 to 30 degree angle with the wide

end of the nozzle pointing downwards (A). Squeeze

the piping bag with even pressure and follow a tight

U-shape, without the space in the middle, until you

create a small petal (B).

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A

B

2 Repeat the same process and pipe three more

petals making sure that they all start at one

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