Let Me Tell You About This Floral Buttercream Flower Cake
You know, I never planned on becoming the kind of person who pipes flowers onto cakes… but here we are. The first time I tried making a floral buttercream flower cake was for my cousin’s birthday—she’s one of those people who actually likes her desserts to look like a garden party. So there I was, piping petals at midnight, praying nothing would slide off the cake. Spoiler: one or two flowers did face-plant, but honestly, it turned out pretty enough that nobody noticed (except my brother, who only cared about the icing-to-cake ratio, anyway). And now, piping buttercream flowers is almost meditative—except when the cat tries to sample the butter. That’s a story for another day.
Why You’ll Love This (Or At Least, Why I Make It)
I make this whenever I want to look fancier than I actually am. My family goes wild for it because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love a cake that’s basically an excuse to eat extra buttercream? Even though the first few flowers looked like, well, blobs, I stuck with it. And now—on good days—my cakes look like someone invited the whole garden inside (on bad days, we call it “abstract floral.”) Also, if something flops, you can just eat the evidence. Win-win!
Gather Up These Ingredients (Substitutions Welcome!)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (I use cake flour if I’ve got it, but regular is fine)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (some people skip it, but I think it matters)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp (Grandma swears by Kerrygold, honestly, any decent butter works)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (I’ve subbed in half brown sugar before; it’s nice but a bit different)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (I once used almond, not my best idea…stick with vanilla unless you love almond!)
- 1 cup whole milk; sometimes I use half-and-half if I’m out, but it’s richer
- For the Buttercream:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
- 6 cups powdered sugar (I measure with a pretty generous hand—it’s cake, not math)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp milk or cream
- Gel food colors (I use Wilton, but really, anything gel-based is fine—I avoid the liquid stuff, turns the icing pastel-soup)
Let’s Get Baking (Don’t Overthink It!)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans. (Or use whatever you’ve got—I once used a pyrex dish in a pinch. It’s fine, just adjust the bake time.)
- Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Give it a quick whisk—nothing too fussy.
- In a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. This is where I sometimes sneak a taste. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in between. Tip: If you drop a bit of shell in, you’re not alone—just fish it out.
- Stir in vanilla (or whatever extract you like, but see my almond regret above!).
- Add the flour mix in three parts, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix gently; we’re baking cake, not cement. The batter should look smooth, but don’t freak if it’s a bit lumpy.
- Pour into pans and bake ~30-35 minutes. Check with a toothpick around 28 min—mine always needs an extra couple minutes, but ovens have minds of their own, right?
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out. This is where I always worry it’ll break, but as long as you’re gentle, it’s fine.
- Meanwhile, make your buttercream: Beat butter until light and creamy. Add powdered sugar a little at a time (cloud of sugar dust incoming). Mix in vanilla and enough milk to get it spreadable. Divide and tint with your food colors. (Sometimes I get carried away with too many colors—don’t do that unless you want a rainbow situation!)
- Stack and fill your cakes. Slap a base layer of buttercream all over, then chill for a bit if you can—makes decorating less slippery.
- Pipe flowers using your favorite tips (I like Wilton 104 for petals—here’s a great video on piping basics if you’re new). Don’t worry if your first flower looks like a cabbage. Actually, even cabbages are kinda pretty.
Stuff I’ve Learned (Usually the Hard Way)
- If your butter is too soft, your petals will flop. Like, literally. I once tried to rescue a peony and ended up with a pink puddle.
- Don’t be afraid to scrape off a flower and start again. No one’ll know.
- Gel food colors go a long way—start with a toothpick’s worth, or you might get neon flowers (unless that’s your jam!)
Things I’ve Tried (Some Work, Some… Not So Much)
- I’ve swapped in lemon zest for a springy flavor—highly recommend.
- Once made a chocolate version. It was weird with pink flowers, but tasty anyway.
- Tried vegan buttercream once—turns out, coconut oil is too melty for flowers, at least in my kitchen.
Equipment (But Don’t Stress If You’re Missing Something)
- 2 x 8-inch cake pans (9-inch works, just a bit flatter cake)
- Stand mixer or hand mixer (or if you’re feeling strong, a wooden spoon—takes longer but it’s doable)
- Piping bags and flower tips (Wilton 104, 352, and 2D are my favorites. No tips? Snip a bag for rustic blobs. Still tasty!)
- Offset spatula (or the back of a spoon, honestly)
How to Store It (If You Have Any Leftover)
Cake keeps best in an airtight box at room temp for up to 2 days, or in the fridge 4 days (though, honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day!). Buttercream firms up in the fridge, so let it come to room temp before serving for max deliciousness.
How I Like to Serve This Cake
Honestly, I think this tastes even better the next day. We usually cut big wedges and serve with a mug of tea—British-style, pinkies out! One time, I sprinkled a bit of edible glitter on top for my niece, and now she thinks all cakes should sparkle. (I don’t disagree, but glitter does get everywhere…)
Lessons Learned—Or, “Don’t Make My Mistakes”
- I once rushed cooling the cake and my flowers wilted right off. Gotta wait or risk a flower mudslide.
- Overmixing the batter just makes a dense cake, so I try to stop as soon as it looks combined. Harder than it sounds.
- Using too much food color? Yikes, I made a cake so vibrant it stained my tongue for a whole afternoon. Start slow.
Questions I Get (and What I Really Think)
- “Can I use store-bought cake mix?” Oh, absolutely! Sometimes I do when I’m short on time. Just don’t tell the cake snobs.
- “How do you make your flowers not melt?” Keep your buttercream cool, and don’t pipe on a warm cake (I learned that the hard way, believe me).
- “Is this super sweet?” Yeah, it is. But it’s cake—if you want less sweet, just cut back a bit on the sugar in the buttercream.
- “Can I freeze the finished cake?” Technically, yes, but the flowers might get a bit weird-looking after thawing. I’d rather eat it fresh or just refrigerate it.
- “Where did you learn to pipe flowers?” Mostly YouTube and lots of trial and error. Check out Sugar Geek Show for fantastic tutorials.
- “Do I need a metal turntable?” Nope. I use a lazy Susan from IKEA. Works a treat!
Honestly, baking this cake feels a bit like wrangling a herd of kittens—messy, unpredictable, but so much fun. Don’t be afraid to make it your own. And if you end up with more buttercream in your hair than on the cake, join the club.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter (for buttercream), softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar (for buttercream)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (for buttercream)
- Food coloring gels (various colors for flowers)
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
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2In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
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3In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
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4Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely.
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5For the buttercream, beat 2 cups butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then heavy cream, and beat until smooth. Divide and tint portions with food coloring for flower designs.
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6Assemble the cake by layering and frosting with buttercream. Use piping bags and tips to create buttercream flowers and leaves on the cake surface. Chill before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter (for buttercream), softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar (for buttercream)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (for buttercream)
- Food coloring gels (assorted colors for flowers)
Instructions
-
1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
-
2In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
-
3In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
-
4Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely.
-
5For the buttercream, beat 2 cups unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy. Divide and tint portions with food coloring for flower designs.
-
6Assemble the cake by spreading a layer of buttercream between the cooled cakes. Frost the outside and pipe buttercream flowers using colored buttercream and piping tips. Decorate as desired.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please consider Pinning it!!
