How to Make a Cupcake Bouquet
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Edited 9/1/2012: I just made a video tutorial on how to frost a rose cake. It shows you how to clearly frost a rose, so I’ll add it to the beginning of this tutorial. Hope it helps you!
Oh, how I love Pinterest. It’s such a fun source for inspiration and new ideas. Someone pinned a cupcake bouquet and I knew right away that I had to create one myself. I couldn’t find any good guides on making them, so I put together a step by step photo tutorial for you so you can make one too. It’s really not that hard – pipe roses onto cupcakes (there’s an animated gif below to show you how), put them on some toothpicks into a styrofoam ball. Done!
I think a cupcake bouquet would be a lovely gift for Mother’s Day, which is coming up in two weeks. It would work for so many other occasions too – bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, as a get well gift, or just as a pick-me-up for a friend who needs a smile (and tasty treat). This is the first one I’ve made and I love how it turned out, except I want to experiment with the fake leaves – I used tissue paper but I’m wondering if I can use real leaves somehow. I will try that out next!
For the cupcakes, I used Cupcake Project’s ultimate vanilla cupcake and vanilla bean buttercream (I substituted vanilla extract for bean in the frosting so it wouldn’t have flecks in it), which were met with rave reviews:
“As a chocolate person, I think of vanilla as a nothing flavor but this…this has a distinct flavor!”
“I hate frosting but this is great.” ”The frosting isn’t too sweet.” “The frosting does taste like melted vanilla ice cream!”
Seriously, I can’t recommend these recipes enough: the cake is fluffy with a nice vanilla flavor and the buttercream frosting pipes perfectly and tastes like melted vanilla ice cream.
Who would you give a cupcake bouquet to?
How to make cupcake bouquets:
You’ll need: cupcakes, frosting, a disposable piping bag or a reusable piping bag
Bake cupcakes and make buttercream frosting. To pipe a cupcake rose, fit a piping bag with a 1M tip and fill with room temperature frosting. To pipe a rose, hold the piping bag perpendicular to the surface and start in the center of the cupcake. Gently squeeze the bag and pipe frosting around in a spiral until you reach the outer edge, then let go.
If you need more guidance, check out the video I made below. It will show you how to frost a rose cake, but the same principle applies to frosting roses on cupcakes:
Place cupcakes in fridge while you prepare the styrofoam so the frosting becomes firm.
Place styrofoam ball into flower pot. Place two toothpicks in each area where you want a cupcake. Note: around the sides, insert toothpicks at 45° angle, otherwise cupcakes will fall off after a while.
Slide a cupcake onto each pair of toothpicks, adjusting toothpicks as needed to place cupcakes close together. Cover as much of the styrofoam as you can. (My styrofoam ball had a 5″ diameter and fit 10 cupcakes.)
Cut green tissue paper into small strips.
Fold strips into accordions
Pinch the bottom of the accordion fold
Place a piece of clear tape at the pinched part of the tissue paper and stick it to the exposed styrofoam in between the cupcakes. Make more tissue paper “leaves” until you cover all the uncovered areas.
And you’re done! Bring your cupcake bouquet to your next birthday party, baby shower, Mother’s Day, bridal shower…the possibilities are endless!
No. 1 — April 30th, 2012 at 11:11 am
This is beautiful and such detailed instructions. Thx
CJ at Food Stories recently posted Food Story Photos
No. 2 — April 30th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
@CJ – thank you! It was fun to make. I’m glad you enjoyed the post
No. 3 — May 7th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
So gorgeous! Gonna have to be a reader now.
Stopping by from Spring Fling.
kalynbrooke recently posted Let the Boring Books Die. Please.
No. 4 — May 8th, 2012 at 4:03 am
[...] up is an adorable cupcake bouquet. There are so many great elaborate ones online (seriously you should search it in Pinterest, [...]
No. 5 — May 8th, 2012 at 5:43 am
Ever since you told me about this I’ve been dreaming of it!! Pinning now!!
the wicked noodle recently posted strawberry & apple whole wheat cookies
No. 6 — May 8th, 2012 at 11:04 am
[...] 52 Kitchen Adventures shares a step-by-step tutorial for transforming these “ingredients”, into . . . Here’s what you’ll need to make a Cupcake Bouquet. [...]
No. 7 — May 8th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
wow! that’s seriously adorbs!
fork recently posted Sticker Heaven + A Giveaway!
No. 8 — May 9th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
@kalynbrooke – thanks! I’m so glad you found me via Spring Fling.
No. 9 — May 9th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@the wicked noodle – thanks for stopping by, Kristy!
No. 10 — May 9th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@fork – thanks!
No. 11 — May 11th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
This is so beautiful! Perfect for mothers day!
Tiffany recently posted Green Chile Barley Soup
No. 12 — May 11th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
I love your bouquet! Thanks for sharing
And yes, I love Pinterest too…
Eileen recently posted Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies and Breaking the Rules
No. 13 — May 21st, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Mint leaves would be great for this….luckily for me I have a ton!
No. 14 — May 22nd, 2012 at 11:13 am
me encantooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
No. 15 — May 22nd, 2012 at 8:56 pm
@Anna – mint leaves are a great idea! I’ll have to try those too. Thanks
No. 16 — May 23rd, 2012 at 11:02 am
Stephanie, I think you would change your mind on the vanilla thing if you had the RIGHT vanilla! Mexican vanilla has a TOTALLY different flavor than most, and is BY FAR the most awesome. White Mexican Vanilla, preferably ROOSTER brand, can be bought online, or I have friends bring it from AZ or NM or get it on a cruise. This is the ONLY kind I use, and believe me, its the best. GIve it a try.
No. 17 — May 23rd, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Very cute cupcake display. I can’t wait to make one!
No. 18 — May 24th, 2012 at 12:27 am
[...] browsing through Pinterest, I found a great tutorial from 52 Kitchen Adventures of how to make a Cupcake Bouquet. What a wonderful idea! While this would’ve been perfect for Mother’s Day, it still [...]
No. 19 — May 24th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Love this idea! Was wondering if the frosting slipped off the angled cupcakes once it was at room temp?
No. 20 — May 24th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
[...] speaking of cupcakes, how impressive is this cupcake bouquet? Listen up, boys – this beats flowers any [...]
No. 21 — May 25th, 2012 at 4:23 am
This is gorgeous! Where did you get the lovely plant pot from?? I’m looking for one in just this colour..
No. 22 — May 25th, 2012 at 10:07 am
Hey there! Just wanted to let you know we featured you in our Favorite Find Fridays post over at Whimsically Homemade. We used one of your pictures. If that’s a problem let us know and we’ll remove it immediately. Thanks for your great inspiration!
No. 23 — May 25th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
@Jen – I got the flower pot at Michael’s.
No. 24 — May 27th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
THIS IS AMAZING! You make it look SO easy. I would never have thought of this. Can’t wait to try it! Again, AMAZING!
No. 25 — May 29th, 2012 at 3:32 am
This is so great! What a lovely idea for wedding decorations, or gifts. Thank you for your easy step-by-step instructions too, you make it so clear and simple.
No. 26 — May 31st, 2012 at 12:38 am
[...] up that requires my attention! Sorry!). For now, here’s another DIY tutorial, courtesy of 52 Kitchen Adventures that I think will be great as a table decor. The cupcake bouquet will save you having to come up [...]
No. 27 — June 2nd, 2012 at 12:37 am
How do I transport these??? As soon as they aren’t in the fridge the frosting starts to droop. I am doing 6 for a wedding and I am doubtful they will make it to the event
No. 28 — June 2nd, 2012 at 7:09 am
@Cassandra – what kind of frosting are you using? I used a buttercream (link to the recipe is in the post) and had no problem at all with drooping frosting, even after it had been at room temperature for a while.
No. 29 — June 15th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
This is absolutely brilliant, so creative I love it!
No. 30 — June 16th, 2012 at 9:16 am
I recently made a cupcake bouquet and it looked great but after an hour or two the frosting on the bottom layer started to slide off. Any suggestions? I made the regular buttercream frosting.
No. 31 — June 16th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
@Aneta – did you angle the cupcakes so they face kind of upward, not perpendicular to the ground? That should help. Keep it in the fridge until right before serving too.
No. 32 — June 18th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
[...] boy/girl has a super sweet tooth like me, a cupcake bouquet like this one by Stephanie from 52 Kitchen Adventures will be great. She put it all together with a flower pot, a styrofoam ball, toothpicks, some tissue [...]
No. 33 — June 19th, 2012 at 7:13 am
[...] Kevin bought me flowers on Mother’s Day, so I wanted to give him some fancy cupcakes for his day. A few months ago I had seen this on Pinterest (via 52 Kitchen Adventures)… [...]
No. 34 — June 22nd, 2012 at 4:05 pm
[...] Board:How cute would a bouquet of cupcakes be on a table at a party? LOVE it! Source: 52kitchenadventures.com via Mandy on [...]
No. 35 — June 27th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
What a great page!! It’s nice to meet you through your site. I discovered it while searchiing for a place to send my readers. You are definitely a Yowling Creator!! My friend was inspired to embrace her culinary yowling and create a masterpiece that was more beautiful than my bridal bouquet. Check it out: A Yowling Creator’s Cupcake Bouquet” http://yowlingcreator.com/a-yowling-creators-cupcake-bouquet/
Lisa Marie Sandoval recently posted A Yowling Creator’s Cupcake Bouquet
No. 36 — June 30th, 2012 at 6:49 am
[...] técnica, que é bem simples.Tutorial de como fazer um cupcake ITutorial de como fazer um cupcake IITutorial de como fazer um cupcake IIIFotos de buquês de cupcakesPara ver a galeria de buquês, clique na primeira imagem abaixo e depois [...]
No. 37 — July 1st, 2012 at 8:06 am
I made a cupcake bouquet for my friend Lynn’s birthday this past week. It was a big hit. The only problem was the bouquet was so pretty no one wanted to take the cupcakes off and eat them . I posted pictures on my pintrest board. I wish you could see it but I don’t know how to get the photo to you other than you going to look for it on my pintrest account. Thank you for the inspiration.
No. 38 — July 1st, 2012 at 11:01 am
@Linda – I’d love to see photos! Can you post them to my Facebook page?
No. 39 — July 5th, 2012 at 6:31 am
Hi Steph this is a great tutorial
We made around 16 for a bridal shower a few
Years ago, and you may need to weight the bottom as the can be top heavy
We used old Christmas mugs with the handle broken off
No. 40 — July 14th, 2012 at 1:36 am
[...] just how much you care for someone and they appreciate it. (giveaway information below). Thanks to Kitchen Adventures for the inspiration behind this [...]
No. 41 — July 17th, 2012 at 9:42 am
OMG! Seriously! How gorgeous and genius is this! Included in my Tuesday Links and Things post.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted CCC Monday: Waffle Chocolate Chunk Cookies
No. 42 — July 17th, 2012 at 9:45 am
[...] 3. Always wondered how to make a cupcake bouquet? 52 Kitchen Adventures got you covered! A gorgeous and easy to follow photo tutorial. [...]
No. 43 — July 19th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
[...] say I’ll still leave the outer tissue paper off, and use a taller container (like they use at 52 Kitchen Adventures). So you can use whatever frosting you [...]
No. 44 — July 25th, 2012 at 8:07 am
neat!! we’re always looking for fun new cake ideas for my daughter’s birthday. You could do cake pops in between the cupcake roses for additional interest in the bouquet too!
No. 45 — July 27th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Love love love this!!!!!! Thanks for a great tutorial. Just what I need to cheer myself up with!!!
No. 46 — August 4th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I love this! Especially the cupcake roses! Also the instructioms are great!
Thx.
No. 47 — August 4th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
I love these! Especially the cupcake roses. I found a pot almost identical to yours at Michaels. Thx!
statelysweets recently posted Fruit Smoothies
No. 48 — August 13th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
LOVE THIS! Will this last in a 2 hour car ride in LA heat??? How long do they actual stay up for?
No. 49 — August 13th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
@Natalie – honestly, I’m not sure how it will last in a hot car for 2 hours. Frosting doesn’t hold up that well in heat so I’m afraid they might slide off. Maybe it would work if you freeze it briefly before you leave.
No. 50 — August 14th, 2012 at 10:51 am
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing it!!
No. 51 — August 14th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
@Lucia – thanks!
No. 52 — August 17th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
This is a fantastic idea! Definitely going to try this!
No. 53 — August 22nd, 2012 at 9:45 am
[...] a cake, color fading from dark to light is so pretty. Combine that with the rose frosting technique and you get a truly breathtaking cake. This one is a show stopper, and it isn’t that hard to [...]
No. 54 — September 3rd, 2012 at 8:07 am
[...] I love fresh cut flowers, but if I keep them in the house I have to eat a handful of Benadryl in order to cope. But you know what I'm not allergic to? Cupcakes! Stephanie from 52 Kitchen Adventures arranged an assortment of them into this fun bouquet that would look phenomenal on any buffet table or dessert spread. By using different colored flower pots, frosting, and even cupcake liners, you can customize this project to work for anything from a baby shower to the office Christmas party. [how to make a cupcake bouquet] [...]
No. 55 — September 4th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
i want to do this for a sick coworker but i need everything to be edible…suggestion
kareemtiheed@gmail.com
thank you
kareem recently posted this wife bakes: Oh so nice I had to post it TWICE: Red Velvet Cake…
No. 56 — September 6th, 2012 at 11:33 am
@kareem – even the pot? I guess you could make a cake and carve it into that shape, then maybe cover it in fondant (or just frost it). Now you’ve got me thinking…I want to try that!
No. 57 — September 14th, 2012 at 11:33 am
I use popsicle sticks cut down, holds the weight of the cupcakes much better.
No. 58 — September 14th, 2012 at 11:34 am
@Chris – thanks for the great tip! I’ll try that next time.
No. 59 — September 20th, 2012 at 4:43 am
[...] read this post about making a cupcake bouquet: http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2012/04/29/how-to-make-a-cupcake-bouquet/. It teaches you how to make a vase full of cupcakes. When I first saw a picture of the cupcake [...]
No. 60 — October 2nd, 2012 at 12:53 am
Thanks for the great idea! And your tutorial was so clear!
M. Alexandria Yoong recently posted Grow-it-Yourself French Tarragon
No. 61 — October 21st, 2012 at 3:53 am
Those cupcakes are just breathtaking! Thanks for the comprehensive tutorial
No. 62 — October 29th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Do you know how big the pot was that you used?
No. 63 — October 29th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Lauren, it was fairly small – probably around 6 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter.
No. 64 — November 1st, 2012 at 11:39 am
What a great idea! As I read thru all the tips and comments that followed, I thought back to the leaves…For them I would make cookies in leaf shape to add that extra touch (and treat)
No. 65 — November 4th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
[...] cupcake bouquet? Well 52 Kitchen Adventures has shared step-by-step instructions on how to make a cupcake bouquet. There’s even a video tutorial on how to make the beautiful cupcake rose from frosting. These [...]
No. 66 — November 4th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Thank you so much for this tutorial. Just practiced a bouquet for a baby shower I am catering with cupcakes next week (you can see it on Facebook if you go to our page–WorldCup(cakes) ). Used a pot and a 6in diameter ball which held 12 cakes. Any thoughts on how to transport these beauties?
No. 67 — November 5th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Barbara, I’d probably put it in a slightly larger box or baking pan and pad it a bunch. Or get someone to hold it for you if that’s an option!
No. 68 — November 8th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
Hi, I found this on Pinterest, what a good idea
. I’ll have a look at the rest of your blog now
Ciao
Alessandra
Alessandra recently posted Stuffed mushrooms (pity they shrink so much!), Taste magazine, and a story about quail eggs and great service
No. 69 — November 22nd, 2012 at 12:04 pm
[...] Una volta pronti ho cominciato a fissarli al polistirolo usando 3 stecchini per ogni cupcake partendo dal basso, alla fine ce ne sono stati sette in un vaso di diametro 12 cm, io ho infilzato prima gli stecchini nel polistirolo e poi ho premuto sopra il cupcake. Io non ho fatto foto della preparazione, perchè come al solito mi agito (in genovese direi mi invexendo) e fare le foto mi passa di mente, ma trovate un buon esempio qui [...]
No. 70 — November 25th, 2012 at 4:40 am
This is such a neat idea. I am making a cupcake tower for a surprise 60th birthday party. Normally on the top of the cupcake tower, I would have an 8″ layer cake, but the customer wanted a larger cake at table level….so I was looking for something to do for the top of the tower. This will be great!
No. 71 — November 28th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
I would maybe use baby’s breath or tulle squares to fill in the gaps!
No. 72 — November 29th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
I did a practice round and the icing was way to creamy, lumpy and not stiff enough to make a design. I let my kitchen aid mixer beat it a while. Suggestions?
No. 73 — January 2nd, 2013 at 5:47 pm
[...] http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2012/04/29/how-to-make-a-cupcake-bouquet/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
No. 74 — January 5th, 2013 at 11:01 pm
[...] #2 most popular post ever is How to Make a Cupcake Bouquet. This is one my personal favorites as well, along with my pink ombre rose cake. Rose frosting just [...]
No. 75 — January 10th, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Thank You – such a cute idea and great instructions
No. 76 — January 24th, 2013 at 8:26 am
[...] just looking at the Rose on each cupcake it seems complicated to make, but here you can see another tutorial on how to pipe a rose cupcake (it seems very easy to [...]
No. 77 — February 4th, 2013 at 2:30 am
the instuctions were really clear
No. 78 — February 4th, 2013 at 7:07 am
[...] decorating and some of the most adorable dessert treats you have ever seen! I love her post on making a cupcake bouquet or how to make your own cupcake [...]
No. 79 — February 6th, 2013 at 6:31 am
Love the idea … I tried but failed … Help … Bought mini cupcakes from my favorite bakery … Couldn’t Get the toothpicks thru the cupcake paper … So tried punching a hole in paper … Still problems, the cupcakes were getting smashed … What is the secret?
No. 80 — February 6th, 2013 at 11:11 am
Thank you for posting such great instructions! Apparently I promised my dentist a batch of my daughters cupcakes while I was “under”. She is a wonderful baker and is looking forward to following through on my so deserved debt.
No. 81 — February 7th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
I tried this and it ended up in a total disaster two years ago on Mother’s Day. The cupcake liners could not be pierced by the toothpick. I ended up “smooshing” some of the cupcakes. I finally got a safety pin and pre-poked the holes in the liners where the toothpicks would go. It’s a nice and cute idea, but I will never attempt this again.
No. 82 — February 7th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Louise, I use plain, thin paper cupcake liners and haven’t had any trouble piercing them with a toothpick. I’ve also heard of other people using popsicle sticks instead of toothpicks.
No. 83 — February 7th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
RachelH, I’m sorry to hear the toothpicks didn’t work for you. Some people have used popsicle sticks instead. I’ve never had an issue piercing my liners with toothpicks. For the bouquets, I always use thin paper liners (the pastel colored ones they have at the grocery store).
No. 84 — February 8th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
la mejor explicacion del todas, buenisima pagina
No. 85 — February 11th, 2013 at 2:26 am
Just wondering if you couoldnt get a hold of a styrofoam ball, can you suggest anything else to use please?
No. 86 — February 13th, 2013 at 2:12 am
Great how-to!! Shared it on my blog!!
No. 87 — March 23rd, 2013 at 8:03 am
This is absolutely stunning! Thank you! You are amazing ! I am totally making this for a birthday gift
No. 88 — March 25th, 2013 at 10:50 am
I love this idea and I’m planning on doing them for my niece’s wedding. As I have to transport them do you think it would be OK to mount them and then decorate in situ? Also instead of toothpicks, what about using double-sided sticky tabs? Thanks.
No. 89 — March 29th, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Stephanie, you truly have a gift. Thanks, they were delicious!
No. 90 — March 31st, 2013 at 8:39 pm
I run a website on Secret Pal ideas (like Secret Santa). I’d like to redirect my readers to this website for instructions to make this for Administrative Assistant day (April 24). Would you mind if I use your image of the final product to let them know how fantastic this product can look? As I said, I’ll be redirecting traffic to this site, for instructions on how to make it.
I’d like to post on April 4th so people have plenty of time to plan and make the project.
Chelly Wood recently posted Easter Gift-Giving Ideas for Your Secret Pal Teacher Friend
No. 91 — April 1st, 2013 at 11:40 am
I’ll send you an email, Chelly.
No. 92 — April 27th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
These are adoreable! Did you use the mini cupcakes or regular sized?
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No. 93 — April 29th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
Thanks Julie! I used regular sized cupcakes.
No. 94 — April 29th, 2013 at 7:16 pm
This was great! Very helpful and the videos were even more helpful!
I used a sharpie and personalized my flower pot and baked it in the oven. I also put yellow food coloring in my icing so I had soft yellow roses! They turned out beautiful! I wanted to upload photos, but i dont think we can by commenting…
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No. 95 — May 8th, 2013 at 1:03 am
hey I can’t get my cupcakes along the bottom row to stay firmly on there… do they just balance or are yours really secure?? also a question about buttercream. if your butter is a bit to cold can it curdle when mixed with icing sugar??? ive made it a million times but just recently it keeps curdling and I just don’t no what’s going wrong
help !
No. 96 — May 11th, 2013 at 5:57 am
This a an adorable idea. Can’t wait to try with next batch of cupcakes. Great tutorial. Thank you. Stopping by from Deliciously Inspired.
No. 97 — May 14th, 2013 at 5:25 am
Thank you Stephanie for the lovely tutorial. This was my inspiration for this Mothers Day
I love your blog .. thank you for sharing…
No. 98 — May 19th, 2013 at 3:02 pm
Loved your post here… Great ideas & pictures… Am so excited about making mine… in progress now… Have started my bouquet… using styrophom ball in a beautiful 8″ blue ceramic pot… put the 5″ plastic cups on with a large head screw to hold them secure… adding silver tissue paper between and will have the cupcakes be white… Matching my Granddaughter’s school colors for her celebration party next Saturday… Also adding a large wreath ring covered in blue crape paper with more cups attached on an angle for the pot to sit in the center… hoping it turns out the way I see it in my mind… Thanks for the wonderful Ideas you share… Enjoy!!!