Cherry blossoms also known as 'Sakura' are the prettiest trees in the springtime. Recently, I made a cherry blossom cake for a very special girl who loves Japanese anime and her favorite character is Nezuko from Demon Slayer. Beautiful pink and white cherry blossom trees are seen throughout the animation background.
I used the pink and white cherry blossom buttercream flowers to decorate a vanilla cake with mango buttercream filling. Below is a short tutorial on how to pipe these flowers with an easy recipe for vanilla buttercream!
How to prepare the two colors of buttercream:
Step 1: Lay the two colors of buttercream side by side on top of cellophane.
Step 2: Wrap and roll together and twist both ends
Step 3: Cut off one end and place the twisted log inside a 12 inch piping bag, with the cut side down facing towards the piping tip
Step 4: Using Wilton Tip #104 (the petal tip) keeping the wide part down, narrow part on top!
How to pipe the Cherry Blossom flowers:
Step 1: Using a flower nail with a 2 x 2 inch piece of parchment paper stuck on with a dot of buttercream, pipe the petal in a half-circle motion using Wilton Tip #104 keeping the wide part down and the narrow part on top.
Step 2: Pipe 5 narrow curved petals for a complete flower.
Step 3: Using Wilton Tip #2, pipe three small dots on the cherry blossom.
Step 4: Let dry and store in an airtight container until decorating the cake.
Below is the complete step by step video:
Store the completed flowers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks:
When ready to decorate, carefully peel the flower from the parchment paper and stick onto cake with a dot of buttercream to hold the flower in place.
Piping Tools
Stand Mixer - Used to mix the buttercream quick.
Spatula - Used to easily transfer the buttercream from the stand mixer to the piping bag
Piping bag - A 12 inch piping bag works for this recipe.
Petal piping tip - Wilton tip #104
Round piping tip - Wilton tip #2
Basic Vanilla Buttercream
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Servings: 3 cups
Ingredients
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups (420g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp whole milk or heavy whipping cream or water, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light, almost white in color. About 6-7 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
Recipe Notes Make Ahead Tips: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring the buttercream back to smooth buttercream consistency. For Extra White Buttercream: After all the ingredients have been incorporated, add 1-2 tsp of Americolor Bright White.
Tips for the best buttercream consistency!
There are three different types of consistency for buttercream that you need to know for cake decorating and piping. The medium consistency is the most versatile and can also be used as a filling for macarons.
Medium Consistency
I usually make this medium consistency buttercream the most. It works perfectly as a filling between cake layers, crumb coating a cake, frosting a cake for a smooth buttercream finish, and even decorating cupcakes with simple piping. It’s super easy to spread smoothly onto cakes and can also be used as a filling for macarons. To test and make sure you have a medium consistency, dip your rubber spatula into the buttercream and it should come out with soft peaks and spread easily.
Thin Consistency
Thin consistency is perfect for writing a message on your cake or painting with a spatula. To achieve thin consistency, just add 1-2 additional teaspoons of room temperature milk or water to thin out the buttercream.
Stiff Consistency
For piping buttercream flowers, especially flowers with petals that need to stand upright, you’ll need a stiff consistency. Add an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar per batch of the above recipe to achieve this. When you dip your rubber spatula into the frosting, it should come out with stiff peaks, but when you pipe with it, make sure it’s not too thick that you have to put a ton of extra pressure on the bag or clog the piping tip. If you do run into these problems, don't worry! You can tone it down by adding room temperature whole milk or water, 1 additional teaspoon at a time, until it’s just the right stiff consistency to hold the buttercream flower.
Thanks so much for reading my blog! Leave a comment below or tag @toocutedesserts and/or hashtag #toocutedesserts on Instagram if you make this recipe! Have fun baking and enjoy!
XOXO,
Corinne of TooCuteDesserts