I started making these sunflower cupcakes when I decided I wanted to improve my frosting decoration skills. Piping intricate designs has never been my forte, but I vowed to improve my abilities. I had been extremely intimidated by cake and cupcake decorating but once I began, I was pleasantly surprised with how EASY it was/is to create beautifully decorated confections. And you will be too! It all started with the courage to TRY. Trust me, if I can pipe two-toned frosting roses and more buttercream flowers, so can you.
Tell Me About These Sunflower Cupcakes
Flavor: The pictured cupcakes are vanilla cupcakes and we recommend the vanilla buttercream detailed below. It’s creamy, but sturdy enough to hold the detailed sunflower shape. If you’re looking for other cupcake flavor options, try pumpkin cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, or apple cupcakes. Ease: I promise buttercream sunflowers are nothing fancy or complicated. Just make sure you have the right tools (listed below) and that the butter is brought to room temperature before you begin making the frosting. Room temperature butter is imperative for the consistency and success of the buttercream. Time: After you have baked and cooled your cupcakes, set aside a little over 30 minutes to make and pipe the frosting.
Tools You Need
Gel Food Coloring: To replicate the same colors pictured, use the following as your guideline. For the golden yellow, 3 drops of the “lemon yellow” color and 1 drop of the “orange” color. For the green, 1-2 drops of “leaf green.” Piping bag: You can use a disposable or reusable piping bag. 12, 14, or 16 inch size works, but I prefer the 16 inch because it gives you a little more room. 352 Leaf Piping Tip: You only need 1 piping tip. The same tip produces the sunflower petals AND the cute green leaves! Chocolate Sprinkles or Brown Gel Food Coloring for the center.
Overview: How to Make Buttercream Sunflowers
Success Tips for Buttercream Sunflowers
More Fun with Piping Tips
How to Pipe A Two-Toned Frosting Rose How to Use Piping Tips Cupcake Bouquet 6-inch Cake with Easy Buttercream Flowers
See Your Sunflower Cupcakes!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂 SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave
