Buttercream Flowers | Valentine's Day Cupcakes | Swiss Meringue Buttercream | Russian Tips

Start by making your favorite cupcake recipe. For the frosting, I will be using Swiss meringue buttercream. I prefer it over American buttercream because it's more light and airy and less sweet. To make Swiss meringue buttercream, you will need egg whites. Make sure you don't get any yolks in your whites or your buttercream will not whip up properly. Then add your sugar and give it a quick mix. Heat up your egg whites over a double boiler. Stir constantly so your eggs don't scramble. You know it's ready when you don't feel any more sugar granules or when it reaches Then add your whites to your mixer with a whisk attachment and mix until your meringue has cooled and has become nice and stiff. Then slowly add your softened butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add your vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Switch to the paddle attachment and combine until it becomes nice and smooth. If your buttercream looks like it has separated and has the texture of cottage cheese, do not panic. This is normal. Just keep mixing and it will come together. A fun way to pipe flowers is by using these Russian tips. They all have different patterns which create beautiful flower designs. The way you add your buttercream will help you give your flowers different color effects. One example is by using one color and adding it to the sides of your piping bag and then adding another color in the center. Play around with different placements of your buttercream. Squeeze your buttercream until the colors come through. A couple of things to keep in mind when using Russian tips is that one, the flowers may not stick to the cupcakes when you pipe them. To solve this issue, just spread a thin layer of buttercream to your cupcakes. And two, your petals may look like a big blob. This happens when your buttercream is too warm. Make sure your buttercream is slightly chilled in order for the petals to keep their shape. Also, don't overfill your bag. If you have too much buttercream in your piping bag, your hands will warm up the buttercream resulting in blobby flowers. So to make hydrangeas, use a closed star tip. Squeeze just a tiny amount and then release the pressure before you pull the tip away from the cupcake. Using the same tip, you can also make a piped buttercream rosette. Start in the center and keep a consistent pressure. Make a swirl until you reach the edges. Then release the pressure as you reach the end of your rose. You can make a more complex rose by using this petal tip. This takes some practice. Make sure the narrow end is facing away from the cupcake. Start by making a bud in the center and then layer on the petals. You can also add a small strawberry in the center and use that as a base to your rose. Using the same tip, you can also create daisies. Here I am using a more slender petal tip to create this fun flower. This tip is known as a Korean flower tip. All these tips and supplies can be found on Amazon.