Veena Azmanov

Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast

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Stiff Buttercream frosting for cake decorating – Buttercream Flowers

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The Best Stiff Buttercream Recipe for Piping Flowers – Crusting Buttercream Frosting

If you plan to pipe buttercream flowers the first thing you need is a stiff buttercream frosting recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This simple, easy and effortless recipe will give you a stiff buttercream frosting for cake decorating you will ever need.

If you plan to pipe the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Stiff Buttercream Recipe for Piping Flowers, Buttercream for piping flowers on cakes

Don’t those buttercream flowers look gorgeous? Firm and stiff? 

This is my Spring Buttercream Basket of Flowers that I made for mothers day. I want to show you how I made this cake but then again. I didn’t know if I should share the tutorial first or the buttercream recipe first.

So, here is my Stiff Buttercream Frosting for Piping flowers and I really mean it when I say – this is the best buttercream icing for piping.  Tomorrow I will share the video on how I made these Buttercream Flowers and of course the cake.

And yes, those of you waiting for the Pink Champagne Cupcakes where you can use my Pink Champagne Buttercream–  it’s on the blog – lots of Mother’s Day love on the blog right now.

If you plan to pipe the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe for Piping Flowers, Buttercream for piping flowers on cakes

My Velvet American Buttercream Recipe 

Those of you who have been using my Velvet American Buttercream will know that you can pipe with it. If you have learned to control the liquid then you know how to work with the consistency. So yes, that is still my go-to recipe on a regular basis and it’s what I use as a base for all my many buttercream flavors. These buttercream Tulips cupcakes made with Russian Piping Tips were made using my Velvet American Buttercream Recipe but with a stiffer consistency.

Having said that if you new to piping?  This stiff buttercream frosting for cake decorating would be perfect for such tips that need to hold their shape. It’s delicious and it has the right consistency which is stiff, firm and will hold shape when piped.

If you plan to pipe the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Stiff Buttercream Recipe for piping Flowers, Buttercream recipe for piping flowers

The dilemma of piping buttercream flowers – My tips for piping flowers (Save/Pin)

Piping buttercream flowers are not difficult if you have the right buttercream frosting for piping. One that is just the right consistency; and not over whipped. Now, I highlight these dilemmas not to discourage you but to share that these can be potential problems, which the below recipe and tips and help with.

  • An over whipped buttercream cake causes air pockets in the buttercream piping bag that will burst when piping flowers – so unlike another buttercream frosting this one is mixed just until it’s combined.
  • If the consistency is too stiff– it won’t be easy to pipe. Your wrist will start hurting after a few flowers – so if your wrist hurts when piping? that’s your clue that your frosting is too stiff.
  • The petals of the flowers will have cracked edges which on some flowers look nice but in general, the stiff frosting won’t look good for all flowers. Here’s another clue that the frosting is too stiff.
  • If the consistency is too soft, the petals will be limp and not hold their shape. The petals will look swoopy. So when you piping if you find the petal is not holding its shape. Don’t continue pipping as it will be a struggle. Sometimes a little powder sugar will do the trick. Unfortunately, sometimes you need a fresh batch of buttercream or a new cake design.
  • If the frosting is soft the flowers will be limp and slide off the cake. Another reason the flowers fall of the cake is when you piping the flowers with the right buttercream but you covered the cake with a very soft frosting which is why these flowers are sliding. Chilling the cake can often help with this problem.
  • The weather – if you live in a place with high humidity often it’s not the buttercream but whether that’s causing the butter to melt. Sometimes, using a veg shortening buttercream can help solve this problem.

This stiff buttercream frosting for cake decorating works great for cakes such as this. This helps me make my flowers without stressing too much about air pockets or whooped petals. Also, read –  Tips for coloring icing – icing color combination chart

If you plan to pipe buttercream flowers the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream frosting recipe. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Stiff Buttercream Recipe for piping Flowers, Buttercream recipe for piping sugar flowers

Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)

  • Butter– Yes, this is an all butter buttercream recipe! drum roll, please!
    Well you know I love all butter in my buttercream so this one is no different. Having said that if you live in a hot and humid climate go ahead and substitute half the butter with vegetable shortening/ white fat or ghee.
    Take note – I currently live in Israel and summer here in the middle east is hot and humid too! But this works for me. So honestly I think it works with your hot and humid climate too. But don’t take my word for it – do a test, make a small batch and pipe some cupcakes.
  • Powdered sugar – I have said this before and I will say it again. Look for powdered sugar that is made from pure cane sugar, not beet sugar. And you will never have a grainy or gritty buttercream.
  • Pudding Mix or Cornstarch / Cornflour – This is not just for taste but it helps add stability to the buttercream. What is pudding mix? it’s actually just flavored cornstarch which really adds so much more to the buttercream.
  • Clear vanilla and almond – It’s best to use clear extract so your buttercream will be neutral and the gel colors you add will be at their best shades.
If you plan to pipe the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Stiff Buttercream Recipe for Piping Flowers, Buttercream recipe for piping sugar flowers

Recipe – The Best Stiff Buttercream Frosting Recipe for Cake Decorating (Save/Pin) 

Tools & Handy Tips

  • If you bake often it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer because often we try to mix by hand and then, are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So if you making this buttercream go head and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from the back of the cabin. You don’t have to buy an expensive stand mixer a simple hand mixer works great too. 
  • For buttercream mixing always use a paddle attachment so you do not incorporate too much air into the buttercream. Some recipes, however, require such as meringue buttercreams require the use of the whisk attachments. 
  • Having said that a simple Bowl, whisk and Spatula with a little extra elbow grease will do too. 
  • Personally, I believe in weighing ingredients by weight which makes my kitchen scaleone of the most invaluable items when baking. Same goes with mymeasuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements. 
  • After the buttercream is prepared always keep it sealed well in the fridge, this will prevent any odor from the other foods from attaching itself to the buttercream. I place my buttercream in a stainless steel storage (we try to avoid using plastic in our home) and I also cover the top surface of the buttercream with cling wrap.
 

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter – 456 grams  (4 sticks) room temperature
  • Powdered sugar/Confectioners sugar – 1 kg (2.2 lbs)
  • Pudding mix – 1/4 cup (see substitute above) (30 grams)
  • Whipping cream – 1/4 cup (plus extra for consistency)(30 ml/2 tbsp)
  • Clear vanilla extract – 1 tsp
  • Clear almond extract – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt – 1 tsp
 

Method

  • Have all ingredients at room temperature.
  • Place butter in a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment and mix until creamy – 30 seconds.
  • Add cream, salt, cornstarch/cornflour/pudding mix  – mix slowly to incorporate.
  • Make sure you have no lumps – if necessary add a bit of the powdered sugar to help it combine.
  • Scarp the sides and bottom of the bowl for any butter stuck.
  • Once you have a smooth creamy mix – add the powdered sugar in two batches.
  • When all the sugar is in – scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again.
  • Add vanilla and almond extract.
  • Give it one last mix for 2 minutes – check to make sure it’s not too stiff and not too gritty.
  • If necessary add 1 or 2 tbsp fresh cream or milk to adjust consistency.
  • Unlike my Velvet American Buttercream Recipe, this one gets mixed for barely 5 minutes in total.

Storage and use

  • This buttercream cream will stay at room temperature for about 3 days – having said that this is still an all-butter buttercream recipe so if the weather is hot the frosting will obviously melt.
  • When not using – store covered with cling wrap to prevent crusting.
  • Add gel food color without over mixing to avoid incorporating to much air
  • You can store this buttercream in the fridge for a month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  • It is best thawed in the fridge from frozen, then re-mixed to bring to consistency.

Have you been struggling with the popular Russian piping tips?

This recipe will work perfectly with the popular Russian piping tips. This cake, however, was done with my velvet American buttercream recipe.

If you plan to pipe buttercream flowers the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream frosting recipe. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Stiff Buttercream Frosting Recipe for Piping Flowers, how to pipe buttercream flowers

More Tips / Troubleshooting – Stiff Buttercream Frosting for cake decorating (Save/Pin)

  1. Ensure the butter is room temperature when creaming (or you will have little lumps of  butter in the buttercream)
  2. Sift the powder sugar – twice if needed when making this buttercream – Any bits of sugar left in; can clog the piping bag and become very frustrating.
  3. When adding gel do not over mix as it incorporates too much air in the buttercream causing air pockets in the piping bag.
  4. Add color to small batches and a tiny bit at a time. A little can go a long way.
  5. Use gel not water based colors – water-based colors will affect consistency if you have to use water based use less cream/milk at the beginning in the recipe.
  6. Check final consistency after adding color to the buttercream – as gel colors can alter consistency too.
  7. If buttercream is too soft to pipe add powder sugar if buttercream is too stiff add fresh cream or milk  – but do it a teaspoon at a time.

Save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my recipes and tutorials here on Pinterest  

If you plan to pipe the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The best stiff buttercream recipe for piping buttercream flowers, stiff buttercream recipe, crusting buttercream recipe, piping buttercream flowers, how to pipe frosting on cakes

If you plan to pipe the first thing you need is the best stiff buttercream recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This recipe has been my go to for all my buttercream flowers; I think you will love it too.

The Best Stiff Buttercream frosting for cake decorating Pipping Buttercream Flowers

If you plan to pipe buttercream flowers the first thing you need is a stiff buttercream frosting recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This simple, easy and effortless recipe will give you a stiff buttercream frosting for cake decorating you will ever need.
4.87 from 97 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buttercream, Buttercream for cake decorating, Buttercream for piping flowers, Crusting Buttercream, Stiff Buttercream Recipe
Adjust Servings Here: 8 cups
Calories: 186kcal
Author: Veena Azmanov
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 456 grams Unsalted butter (4 sticks) (room temperature)
  • 1 kg Powdered sugar / Confectioners sugar (2.2 lbs)
  • 30 grams Pudding mix (see substitute above)
  • 30 ml Whipping cream (plus extra for consistency)
  • 1 tsp Clear vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp Clear almond extract
  • 1 tsp Salt
Metric - US customary

Instructions

  • Have all ingredients at room temperature.
  • Place butter in a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment and mix until creamy - 30 seconds.
  • Add cream, salt, cornflour - mix slowly to incorporate.
  • Make sure you have no lumps - if necessary add a bit of the powdered sugar to help it combine.
  • Scarp the sides and bottom of the bowl for any butter stuck.
  • Once you have a smooth creamy mix - add the powdered sugar in two batches.
  • When all the sugar is in - scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again.
  • Add vanilla and almond extract.
  • Give it one last mix for 2 minutes - check to make sure it's not too stiff and not too gritty.
  • If necessary add 1 or 2 tbsp fresh cream or milk to adjust consistency.
  • Unlike my Velvet American Buttercream Recipe, this one gets mixed for barely 5 minutes in total.

Detailed Video on YouTube - Subscribe for more videos

Chef's Tips

Storage and use

  • This buttercream cream will stay at room temperature for about 3 days - having said that this is still an all-butter buttercream recipe so if the weather is hot the frosting will start to melt.
  • When not using - store covered with cling wrap to prevent crusting.
  • Add gel food color without over mixing to avoid incorporating to much air.
  • You can store this buttercream in the fridge for a month or int he freezer for up to 6 months.
  • It is best thawed in the fridge from frozen, then re-mixed to bring to consistency.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 39g (per serving) | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.5g | Protein: 0.12g | Fat: 0.12g | Saturated Fat: 5.91g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.42g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0.374g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 24.95g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Tried this recipe?Mention @veenaazmanov or tag #veenaazmanov!

  More Buttercream Recipes for you. 

  1. Velvet American Buttercream (ABC)
  2. Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC)
  3. Italian Meringue Buttercream (SMBC)
  4. Meringue Buttercream with Meringue Powder
  5. Perfect Pink Champagne Buttercream Recipe
  6. Whipped Cream Buttercream Recipe
  7. Chocolate Buttercream
  8. Mocha Buttercream
  9. Caramel Buttercream
  10. Salted Caramel Buttercream and more.

Different Buttercream Flavor Recipes by Veena Azmanov

 

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Comments

  1. Hello, I just read your blog and I’m so thankful about your blog ang generous infos regarding this buttercream hope this time i can make my russian pipe on my cupcakes without my failed epic..cant wait to try this now for my flower cupcakes…I want to subscribe here..so excited…

    Reply

  2. Hi,
    I’m new to the cake decorsting! My mum’s birthday is coming up and I’d like to make a cake with buttercream flowers and piping. Will the buttercream hold it’s shape at room temperature after piped onto cake? Or will it start to melt/lose it definition? Is it best to keep cake in fridge once decorated? (This would be problematic as I doubt if have room!)

    Reply

    • Hey Jennifer. Yes these will hold at room temperature. It has butter so hot summer outside is not a good idea. I have tired indoors in summer – no problem. You can store the cake in the fridge or leave it out as long as you have good weather. Keep away from dust and open windows as this is buttercream and things tend to stick to it.

      Reply

  4. I just tried this recipe with my Russian piping tips and it worked great. I only wanted half the recipe so, like Veena said, measuring was important. It was. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  5. Can I use the “adjust servings” button as an accurate way to change the amount of frosting? As I only need two cups, but then that changes the amount of cornstarch/pudding mix to 0.6 cups, and I don’t know what 0.6 cups is or if that will become too little and affect the overall product. Please let me know if I could change this recipe somehow to make only 2 cups, Thankyou!

    Reply

  6. I bought flavored pudding mix (coconut). Should I leave out the extracts or will the vanilla and almond taste ok with coconut pudding mix? Do you have to go somewhere special to buy clear vanilla extract?

    Reply

    • Hey Casey. You can leave the vanilla. Don’t use the almond. I usually buy clear vanilla extract online. I use it only for things like frostings, fondant. etc.
      Most often, for baking purposes, I store vanilla beans in my white sugar so when I need clear vanilla I use that batch of vanilla sugar.

      Reply

  7. Hi Veena. I’m in Hawaii and the humidity is very high even in the winter months it could get to 85° or higher all depends. My question is that I’m planning to pipe roses on the side of a cake. Would you suggest I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening instead of all butter? I would like to try not using the shortening due to the greasy feel. Would the roses fall off the sides?

    Reply

  8. hi.. i wanted to ask if the brand of butter also makes any difference. i had used ” I Cant believe its not butter” brand which has 45% vegetable oil spread portion on room temp and cornflour but it didnt come as stiff as i expected. should i use shortening or anything else to make it stiff for russian piping roses?

    Reply

    • Bhavi, I think what you used is margarine type of butter, not real butter. The water content in that is probably really high. If you don’t want to use butter you can use vegetable shortening with high saturated fat. That will work better than margarine.

      Reply

  9. Hi .. today I tried making this buttercream icing for Russian flower tips which I was very keen on trying for my daughter’s bday cake but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I cut off all ingredients in to half to give it a try. I tried to follow each and every step of yours except I used salted butter and omitted salt. At first it was not stiff enough to hold flower shape. So i thought to beat again by adding more sugar but ten it became more thin like ganache consistency. I had beaten that for just few seconds…any idea what went wrong and is there a way I can alter and reuse it ? I don’t want to waste my efforts!

    Reply

    • Hey Bhaavi, That does not seem right. If you look at the recipe the proportion of butter to sugar is really high. So, the resulting buttercream has to be stiff. Unless you divided all ingredients except the liquid ingredients. Please check again.

      Reply

      • i think the butter what i had used is not real butter, like you said may be its margarine butter. i have kept the whole batch of that buttercream in fridge. Can i alter this by adding vegetable shortening or any thing else ? if yes how much because it is almost like thick ganache consistency.

        Reply

        • Hey Bhaavi.You can add vegetable shortening or butter to it but if you planning to pipe flower or need a stiff buttercream then it may be best to make a fresh batch. You can use this one as frosting. Hope this helps

          Reply

  10. Hi there, may i know can i reduce the powdered sugar to at least 1/2 of it as based on 454g butter and putting 1kg of sugar is really like eating sugar than buttercream. Not so suitable for asian. What will happen if i reduce it to half of it and others i need to adjust?

    Reply

  11. Hello, I want to try to make flowers out of this buttercream, can I make the flowers few days in advance or same day I decorate the cake?

    Thank you

    Reply

  12. i have only instant pudding mix with sugar inside.how much powder sugar should i add so it wont be extra sweet?also can i use cocoa powder along with chocolate pudding mix or it is not necessary?

    Reply

  13. This recipe is the BEST! And YOU’RE the best for sharing it with the world. This icing totally saved my life, last minute. I thought I’d never be able to achieve “store-bought” texture at home and I can now!! And without the greasy feeling on the roof of my mouth. Lol. I can’t thank you enough. Have I mentioned that you’re the best?? 🙂

    Reply

    • Ah, thank you so much, Cherese. So happy this buttercream came to your rescue and you enjoyed it too. Yes, I’m not a big fan of shortening because of that greasy mouthfeel. Thanks for coming back to write this comment, especially ones like this make my day. Have a great day.

      Reply

  14. Thanks a lot Veena for this perfect recipe. I’ve tried this frosting for decorating my cupcakes. The texture was perfect for piping roses and the taste was delicious, but the problem was I can still feel the sugar grains under my teeth.
    Is it normal to feel like that or do you have any advice for me?? As l have used the powdered sugar.

    Reply

  15. This is the most unique recipe I have ever seen. I must try this for my granddaughters’ birthday. I make a buttercream frosting that most people tell me tastes amazing, but have never been able to succeed in piping flowers. The girls love flowers… Maybe I will finally be able to make a cake that is delicious and beautiful as well. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
    Hope

    Reply

    • Hey Emily, There is a recipe conversion that you can use to switch from metric to Us Customary.
      I think in the US most people request for cups, sticks, pounds, and ounces. so I have put the stick and ounces for the conversions.
      Anyway, one stick is half cup butter so the original recipe is for 2 cups butter. Unless you change the servings.
      I hope this helps. Feel free to ask or suggest
      Thanks

      Reply

  17. Well this did not work for me.

    Tried this recipe because I bought Russian piping tips to try out. Wanted to make cupcakes for family visiting and my regular recipe is much too creamy to hold it’s shape.

    Well I made this recipe to the letter. First thing that happened was the frosting came out in the tip like an ugly glob. I wound up throwing my bags in the fridge to try to stiffen them up. It kept being too soft so I had to alternate piping then putting t back in the fridge. Then as I tried piping I managed to get one somewhat decent one, then the bag broke, spilling frosting and then the one decent cupcake I made fell on the floor.

    So I just sat on the kitchen floor and cried for a while.

    Will not try this recipe again

    Reply

    • Hi Jennifer, Sorry, you’re having a bad frosting day and sorry this recipe did not work for you. This recipe is for a stiff frosting so does not make sense that your frosting was an ugly blob. I Some people find it too stiff so need to add liquid to loosen it. Please check to see if you have used the recipe correctly. There is only 1/4 cup cream that’s 4 tbsp liquid with 1 kg powdered sugar. It should not be a blob at all.
      Piping with Russian tips does need a little practice time. Using a plate to practice piping and getting the technique right before you attempt a cupcake might be a good way to start.
      I hope you find a frosting that works for you. Have a good day. Thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

  18. This is THE buttercream recipe for piping! I just started learning to pipe flowers and was beginning to think I just wasn’t going to be able to learn the skill. I thought I’d give it one final go today, with this frosting recipe, and I made my first perfect roses! THANK YOU VEENA! It was the frosting consistency that was keeping me from being successful. What a fun day I had, piping flowers and decorating mini layer cakes. 🙂

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Renee. So happy to hear you had success with this recipe and that you managed to make your buttercream roses. I love this buttercream too for flowers. You are very welcome and thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Have a wonderful day.

      Reply

  19. Hi Veena, I am so happy I found your blog. I am excited to try your recipe for the stiffer buttercream. I just got some Russian tips. After reading your blog questions and answers I have one question. People have commented about the frosting being crusty. What does that mean? Is it crusty to the taste or is it still smooth and creamy to the taste? Thank you so much! Linda

    Reply

    • Hey Linda, Crusty refers to the fact that after you apply it to the cake, buttercreams with less liquid will continue to dry when left out depending on the weather of course. Dry weather the buttercream will crust faster. Does not affect the taste. If you keep in the fridge it won’t crust of course. This one works great for those Russian Piping Tips

      Reply

  20. Hi! This recipe looks amazing, but I have a question. I am looking for a recipe that can be used on cupcakes for an outdoor party in high humidity and heat. Is this recipe good for cupcakes? Will it hold up to outdoor temps, or should I substitute half of the butter for shortening? Also, do you find that using pudding mix instead of cornstarch makes the frosting too sweet? Thanks in advance for your response!

    Reply

    • Hey Sara, This one does work well in my middle eastern heat and humidity but then again it’s butter so don’t expect it to not melt out in the sun. You can use half shortening and half butter if you want more stability. The pudding mix I get her is not sweet just cornstarch and flavoring !! You can use this recipe on cakes or cupcakes.

      Reply

  21. Hello there, again!!
    Also, I only have three sticks of unsalted butter, so I am going to use one salted stick in its place. How much salt should I use?

    Reply

  22. Hello!!

    In fear of overmixing the buttercream, can you recommend the best or ideal way to add the gel color including things like the type of utensil, mixing method (stir or fold), and how long is too long?

    Thank you!!

    Reply

  23. This sounds wonderful. Will the buttercream melt in hot climates and the warmth from your hands? That is why I’m not using my usual American buttercream recipe right now. Will the cornstarch prevent this from happening? Thank you!
    Anne

    Reply

    • Hey Anne. I use this weather here in the middle east. It is stable but if out in the hot weather it may still melt. It all depends on the humidity and temperature where you are. Thanks

      Reply

  25. Hi!
    I stumbled upon your recipe thru google search. It sounds super simple to make! I was wondering if I can pipe flowers on a flower nail using this recipe and then freeze them to add to cakes/cupcakes later. Do you find that the gel colors run at all when defrosting? How long do you think I can store them in the freezer for?

    Reply

    • Hey Teresa. Yes, you can definitely pipe flowers on a flower nail and place them in the freezer. That’s what I did with this spring cake too! If you see this cake tutorial you will see I made all flowers on the nail then placed them frozen on the cake. You can store flowers in the freeze for a month really. just be careful with freezer burns. That can affect them when thawing.. too much ice crystal when thawing will cause them to melt.

      Reply

  26. I also live in Israel. Is it possible to make this frosting parve? I need a stiff frosting for piping, but schools/kindergartens require cakes be parve. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

    Reply

      • It does! But what about the whipping cream? I know you can whip coconut milk. Do you think this would work?

        Reply

          • Made this frosting last week – amazing and delicious. In order to make completely pareve and vegan, I used 2 sticks of corn oil margarine and 16 Tbl of white shortening. I also used Rich Whip – I was worried it would adversely affect the taste but it worked out perfectly. I used cornstarch, not pudding but it still tasted great. Also used regular brown vanilla but the frosting was pure white. Thanks for a great recipe that takes so well to substitutions!

          • Thank you, Susan. So happy this worked for you. I too use white shortening to make it parve. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a lovely week.

  27. Hi Veena…I just stumbled on your site a couple of days ago, and plan on trying to make my own fondant for my daughter’s second birthday cake, using your recipe. I fear marshmallow fondant will be TOO sweet. I am doing a fondant covered cake, and have always read that a crusting buttercream under fondant as a crumb coat at least, is best. I live in Canada, and her birthday is at the end of May – is this recipe okay to put between layers and crumb coat under fondant? Thanks so much for your help!

    Reply

    • Hey Emily. Welcome to my blog. Glad you found me. This recipe is great and will definitely work for crumb coat and under fondant but this recipe was specifically made for buttercream flowers for places with high humidity. I don’t think you doing any of that. So you can also use my Velvet American Buttercream under fondant. Having said that if you want something less sweet go with a meringue buttercream – try either Swiss or Italian.

      Reply

  29. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.. may i ask if its safe to eat uncooked cornstarch? Specially for kids? Thank you

    Reply

    • Yes it is safe to eat cornstarch Mary. There is cornstarch in powder sugar as well. Also when you use puddings to whip cream that pudding powder is actually flavored cornstarch. Thanks

      Reply

  31. i am about to ice and decorate my 1st dolly varden cake tomorrow for my granddughters 3rd birthday its a rainbow cake with butter cream layers. any tips – can i use your recipe to cover cake and them tip and use it for layers as well or is it too firm to do that> thank you all the help i can get is appreciated:)

    Reply

    • Yes you can definitely use this recipe to cover your cake as well as decorate with the tips. You can add a few tablespoons of cream, milk or water to make the consistency spreadable for filling and coating the cake. Keep it stiff for piping. Have fun.

      Reply

  33. Approximately how many cupcakes do you feel this recipe frosts? I am making a pull apart cupcake with only about 25 cupcakes and not sure if I need to make a whole batch.

    Reply

  35. Tried this recipe last week and it was the best buttercream flowers I ever made. The frosting was so delicious too. Never knew an all butter frosting could make flowers like this. Never using Crisco frosting ever again. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  36. Hi Veena!

    I live in a VERY hot and humid area (just above the equator!) and I have tried 3 butter cream recipes (1 of which was a swiss meringue… literally a total flop!), but am yet to find one that can actually “hold it’s own head up”! 😛

    You mentioned that shortening/white fat or ghee can be used to substitute half the quantity of butter?
    I’m just wondering, how would margarine fare instead? Would that help it keep stiffer than pure buttercream?

    There is no vegetable shortening available where I am, and my only other option is ghee; I had never considered using ghee in any dessert before, and I’m a bit nervous about that? Does ghee alter the taste radically?

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Mihiri, I too live in very hot and humid weather. I use all butter buttercream but work in a full air conditioned room. You can definitely use veg shortening to substitute half butter and that usually works better in hot weather. I have tired it and it does have a longer shelf life. I once piped cupcake swirls in hot weather and kept them at room temperature for about 4 to 5 hours and they still held well. Just use much less (or no liquid) in the buttercream to keep it stiff and less sweet. I have not tried ghee – so make a small batch and see how it fares.

      Reply

  37. Hi Veena
    I am from India. Have certain questions regarding whipping cream. As in India we get whipping cream in liquid form with sugar and suppose to whip it to make it stiff by itself without mixing anything. So this whip cream in recipe is in liquid form or whipped form. Apart from that we get regular dairy cream. Which one to use. And also mesurment in grams will def. Help us better.
    Thankyou

    Reply

    • Sonam in India you get non dairy whipping cream. That’s not the same as this. The non dairy you find is already with stabilizers so you do not need to do anything to it. The whipping cream I am using here is full fat cream from dairy. That works with the methods I have given you here.

      Reply

  42. Thank you for sharing this! I’ve been working with Russian Piping tips for just a little over a year now and finding a buttercream recipe that is not too stiff or too loose has been a large problem. I can’t wait to try this on the two cakes I have to make for upcoming family birthdays! So love this blog!

    Reply

    • Thank you Diana. I know what you mean I’ve been down that struggle which is why I have this long post with so much information. Hoping that more people will read and have more success quickly. Have fun with your cakes. Feel free to ask any questions.

      Reply

  43. Hi! I’m making rosettes on a cake, and usually they fell of the cake..why is that and what type of frosting should I use?

    Reply

    • Are you trying to put the roses on the side of the cake? If the frosting on the cake is soft the flowers will slide. You have to find a way to anchor the flowers. Also take into account the weather temperature. If the weather is warm then the buttercream will get soft and of course the flowers will slide. You can keep every thing really cold and only take the cake out for display.

      Reply

  44. Hello, I am so happy I found your site. I have recently bought some Russian piping tips. Two kinds, the ones that make flowers and ones that say they are for cupcakes and make large swirls on top of the cupcake. I am new to this but it looks so fun:) I am making cupcakes for my grandaughters birthday. Which of your buttercream recipes should I use for the Russian Cupcake Swirl type piping tip? Thanks so much for sharing your expertise:)

    Reply

  46. Thank you so much for these recipes. I really love making them. I use them with you buttercream recipe which is our favorite. Thank you for sharing these recipes.

    Reply

  47. Hi, does the whip cream need to be at room temperature too?
    Do you have any experience of piping roses with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream? Would love to hear . Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hey Sana, Yes the whipped cream at room temperature will work better than cold but I’ve used cold as well and it’s not been a big issue either ways.
      The butter at room temperature is really important. I have piped flowers with Swiss meringue buttercream and they do turn out nice. Not tired chocolate Swiss Meringue flowers but don’t see why it should not work. Depending on how well your Swiss Meringue is whipped will affect the resulting flowers.

      Reply

  48. I never thought of adding cornstarch to all buttercream frosting is such a good idea I have a question regarding this buttercream versus The Velvet buttercream used for also decorating cakes. I I am going to be making a cake using a Wilton mold and I will be decorating the cake using mainly start tips and the weave tip for hair. I to live in a humid environment and I was wondering if this would be a more stable buttercream to use for decorating the cake or would you think the other buttercream recipe would just hold up as much is there a huge difference in taste between the two buttercream recipes I really appreciate your help thank you sincerely flora

    Reply

    • If you live in a hot and humid climate you probably want to use this buttercream for piping. I love my Velvet American Buttercream and it can be piped really well with a piping bag too. If you live in a humid place reduce the liquid in the buttercream to make it more stiff.

      Reply

  49. Hello, thank you for this excellent recipe. I will be trying it soon. One question. The pudding mix. Is it the kins you cook or the instant pudding mix. Also is it vanilla. Pudding.
    Thank you Denise McDougal

    Reply

    • Hi Denise. you can use any flavor of pudding as long as the flavor works with your cake. I use the instant pudding mix. I mostly use vanilla but again if you like add a flavored one too! Feel free to ask any more questions if you have. Thanks

      Reply

  51. Is this a Crusting Buttercream? Can I decrease the amount as half as 250g butter and 500g icing sugar.? And what do you prefer for making buttercream, whisk or paddle?

    Reply

  52. Hi.

    This looks amazing! I have a question though.

    I have always bought our icing sugar. Not icing mixture (as icing mixture contained cornstarch)

    I read somewhere that you don’t want the one with cornstarch as it can make the buttercream grainy and not as smooth as it does not “dissolve” into the butter like the sugar does.

    I’m just wondering how you found the texture of this buttercream? I love the smooth soft creamy buttercream I usually make and everyone raves about, but I recently bought some Russian piping tips and it is MUCH too soft to get definition in the flowers.

    Reply

    • I always use powder sugar/ icing sugar that comes with cornstarch. I don’t think it’s the cornstarch that makes it grainy but the quality of sugar used in the icing sugar. You want to make sure it’s cane sugar not beet sugar. This buttercream if mixed correction is no grainy. This will work with Russian Piping tips for sure

      Reply

  53. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Can I use this buttercream to decorate a cake which is frosted by whipped cream? And can I use milk instead of whipping cream in this recipe. Because I am having whipped cream powder only.

    Reply

    • Not sure I understand your question Rabeena – Why do you want to frost a cake with buttercream after it has been frosted with whipped cream? If your can is frosted with whipped cream you can make flowers using this buttercream and place them on the cake. The buttercream is a bit heavier than whipped cream so you will have to place them very carefully.
      Yes, you can use milk instead of cream

      Reply

  54. Hi Veena – I’m SO excited to try your recipe for my daughter’s birthday cupcakes this Sunday. I plan to ice about 3-4 dozen cupcakes and a small cake for the birthday girl with Russian piping tips and add edible butterflies. I usually ice cupcakes the morning of the party but I was wondering if I could do them the night before and either leave them out or refrigerate? Or even just do the small cake that way? I know refrigeration might dry out the cake but I don’t care with her small cake. She’s only going to be 1! Would they get totally ruined/melt? I want them to look amazing and taste good but I also don’t want to be stressed out the morning before the 11am the party trying to pipe the cupcakes. I have a lot of people and three little kids…I appreciate your advice and what you would do in my situation re preparing the icing/piping/storing etc, thanks! And I can’t wait to play around when I have more time!

    Reply

    • Courtney you can definitely do them the night before and leave them out unless it’s really hot and melting temperature. This buttercream will stay well and the cupcakes will be soft and fresh even in summer. It’s always best to do as much as you can ahead of time. So do as much you can ahead of time.

      Reply

  55. Hi! I’m new to piping flowers so I will admit to not knowing much about different kind of frosting or what consitancy is best for piping. Tomorrow is my mother/sisters birthday and I am making cupcakes for them. The cupcakes I plan to try my hand on piping roses on each of the cupcakes. Is this a good recipe for simple rose piping on a cupcake? The cupcakes will also be eaten maybe 6/8 hours after piping them. I plan to have them sit out for show for a bit. Do I need to worry about the frosting doing anything weird with being left out for show?

    Reply

  56. Hi

    The buttercream was perfect for piping. i have been air drying at room temperature for a day but bottoms are not solid. Is this ok? I need the flowers in two weeks. How should I store them? I hear freezing is good, but I am concerned about condensation. Thanks for the great recipe and advice!

    Reply

    • Avita.. Are you planning to keep them out for two weeks? I highly recommed you freeze them on a tray. When frozen you can place them in a box. They will stay better and fresh. There will be condensation but keep the cake in the fridge at first. Once it comes to fridge temperature bring them out. That will be ok.

      Reply

  57. Hi Veena, my name is Mitu and I live in UK. Today is my daughter’s 6th birthday and see requested me to bake flowers and butterflies cake.
    Keeping in mind I’m not a great baker, I came across your stiff buttercream recipe for Russian flowers. In practice I tried quite a few recipe however today your recipe was a life saver.
    I want to thank you so much for sharing your recipe online.

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Mitu. So happy to hear your positive feedback. I’m always happy to hear from people who use my recipes especially motivates me to know it was successful. Thanks so much for commenting. Happy Birthday to you daughter.

      Reply

  60. I looked at two of of your butter cream recipes; both of them look great. Since I do not have any experience with decoration I would like to know which one would work better with Russian piping (this recipe or the Velvet Butter Cream). I also would like to make a cake for my granddaughter and use butter cream under a covering of marzipan (I do not like fondant). Is it possible? If yes, do you have any suggestions. Thank you very much.

    Reply

  61. First of all thank you so much for this awesome buttercream recipe! I made it last week and it turned out perfect but I had a small issue, the salt didn’t get mixed no matter how much I mixed it. I used vegetable shortening instead of butter because when I use butter the buttercream gets runny since it is really warm in my country. It would be very helpful if you could advice me on this. This was the only recipe which helped me get the stiff texture in buttercream. I wondee why the salt didn’t get mixed ?

    Reply

    • You can use it on cookies if you want to make buttercream cookies but buttercream won’t go hard as Royal Icing or stiff as fondant so you can’t stack them because it will always stay soft. XX

      Reply

  64. Hi, I have teo questions hopefully you may answer.

    1. Can I sub this with shortening to cover a dummy cake?
    2. How much of the recipe should I make to cover a 10″ x 4″ dummy cake?

    I never made American Buttercream or its variations, I’ve always used swiss buttercream so I’m unsure how to go about with the sizing up or down. Thank you!

    Reply

    • You can use shortening – you may need more powder sugar to get to the consistency. How much buttercream you need will depend on the amount of sugar flowers you plan to make. I used this batch to cover this cake which is an 9 inc oval. Hope that helps

      Reply

  65. I live in the tropics where it’s very hot and humid, so I have to use a half and half butter and shortening mix. The only problem that I have with this is that the shortening never mixes in properly with the rest of the ingredients. I’ve started melting my shortening and then adding it. That’s helped a lot, but I still can not pipe with a fine tip as the shortening “lumps” clog the tips. I would appreciate any advice on this please!

    Reply

    • Sarah if you melt the shortening it become liquid so which means your resulting buttercream is very soft and thin consistency. I would highly recommend not melting it so the buttercream will be stiffer and more suitable for piping. I live in Israel and here it’s hot and humid too! but with the air conditioning on I can use this recipe.

      Reply

    • Yes Deepz – You can actually eat corn raw so the flour is an extension of it… Pudding is just cornstarch powder with flavoring. And it’s found in many many ingredients – for example in powder sugar? We dust powder sugar over desserts all the time – right? It has either corn flour or potato starch which are both raw.

      Reply

  67. Hey veena
    This buttercream sounds delicious! I was Just wondering if I can pipe these flowers in advance? Could I pipe and store in the feeezer until I decorate the cake??
    Thanksheaps!

    Reply

    • Yes Bec you can pipe them on a small square of parchment paper – save them in the fridge for a day or more.. or freeze them for longer. Then add them to the cake when ever ready <3

      Reply

  68. Thank you for sharing.
    If I can’t find unsalted butter will salted one be good, and take off the extra teaspoon salt?
    And is this sweet?

    Reply

  69. Hello, love your flowers! The list of ingredients does not have “cornflower” in it, but in the directions “cornflour” is listed. Since it has heavy cream in it will it sour if left out on counter?

    Reply

    • Roberta. The list of ingredients does have cornflower/cornstarch or pudding mix – you can use anyone. All whipped cream cakes are to be kept in the fridge – not out on the counter.

      Reply

  70. This is the best piping recipe ever! I first tried some of Wilton’s recipes, but the consistency was not that great and it was overly stiff. This recipe creates the smoothest flowers and is so easy to pipe without straining your hand. Definitely will be my go-to recipe from now on – thanks so much for sharing it!

    Reply

    • Aww thank you Laurel. You just made my day. I love getting feedback and when it’s a lovely feedback like this .. awesome. So happy to hear you had a great time working with it. Finding the right icing and consistency can make such a huge difference.

      Reply

  71. I am new to making buttercream and was wondering if I can use this recipe for a 2 layer 9″ cake as filling, crumb coat, and piping? I attempted a birthday cake last year for my daughter and the buttercream I made was not stiff enough and this sounds perfect.

    Reply

  73. Hi,
    Love your recipe! Can you reduce the sugar or use regular sugar instead? I love the consistency but not the amount of sugar. Also, (you can tell I’m very new to baking) how can you portion and mix colors into the icing? I tried it once and I think I made my icing melt. 🙁

    Reply

    • Vicky. You can add less sugar but the icing consistency will be really soft and you won’t be able to pipe firm sugar flowers. For coloring the icing just portion them and use gel food colors not water based colors.

      Reply

  75. Hello. I have realized that I have no heavy whipping cream and my butter is already room temperature. Is there a substitute for the heavy whipping cream?

    Reply

  76. Hi Veena! I am a NEWBIE to Butter Cream and Decorating cakes! This looks like the recipe I have been looking for to use with my Russian piping tips! I want to make sure my flowers don’t droop! Your Pink Champagne Butter cream sounds and looks AMAZING! I think I better stick with the regular butter cream till I make sure I can get it right!
    Is there a way to make this sugar free with like Splenda?
    Thanks
    Marie in Georgia USA!

    Reply

  77. Hello Veena! I am a NEWBIE to Butter Cream and Decorating cakes. I actually just purchased some Russian Piping tips! This looks like the Butter Cream frosting I have been searching for to make sure flowers and such are not droopy! Is there a way to make this sugar free? Such as Splenda instead of powdered sugar? Looking forward to more of your recipes! The Pink Champagne Butter Cream Looks amazing but think I better make sure my Butter Cream works out!

    Reply

  78. I tried this recipe as soon as my Russian piping tips came in. IT IS WONDERFULLY PERFECT! I got so many compliments on the taste as well (my coworkers were my visual and taste testers). 🙂

    Do you think if I used chocolate pudding mix it would give it a dark enough color and flavor as a chocolate frosting would? And I guess color wouldn’t matter too much as I can always mix some brown gel in it.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

    • Thank you Diana..! SO happy to hear that it was well received. Yes you can use chocolate pudding as well as use some melted chocolate to get a nice chocolate buttercream. It would taste wonderful.

      Reply

  80. This is an awesome recipe, I was wondering what effect does the pudding have on the icing? If I want to use this just to crumb coat and ice my cake, how do I get it not as stiff? Thanks!

    Reply

    • You can use any flavor you want Karen. As long as you like the flavor it adds. For example if you use lemon pudding..it will give you lemon flavored buttercream…. your choice.

      Reply

  82. Hi I love your pipping, it’s beautiful. I would like to know when you use pudding in this recipe is it instant pudding?? Thank you

    Reply

  83. Does it matter if the vanilla used is regular (not clear) vanilla? I know it may affect color but I’m using food coloring anyway. Does the amount need to be changed?

    Reply

  85. This recipe looks awesome! Quick question: I’m planning on making 16 dozen (!) cupcakes for my graduation party and decorating them with Russian piping tips. Would this buttercream or your Velvet American buttercream be better? And about how many batches of buttercream do you think I would need to make? Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  86. Hi dear..
    In recipe you use whipping cream. Which one did you use powder, liquid or cream?
    Thanks for the recipe..

    Reply

  88. Question — For the Russian tips, which icing do you recommend?? Both times you referred to using the tips you had used your velvet frosting. I have had success with my tips only once, so I am really looking for something that will work. No more thrown away icing.
    Also, for roses/flowers in general I’ll try your suggested stuff bc recipe. I’ve also searched in vain for a good rose recipe as well.
    Thanks,
    Rachael

    Reply

    • If you are use to piping then you will have no issues using the Velvet American Buttercream for Russian Piping tips. I have an emotional attachment with my VABC because it gets rave reviews from my customers plus I have it all the time in the fridge so I use it because it’s convenient. |
      But if I had to make a a buttercream just for flowers – then this is it. Makes my life so much easier. Hope that answers your question.

      Reply

  89. I made this frosting today to use with my flower tips Thank you so much for sharing the recipe it was wonderful

    Reply

  90. Hi, I have got a problem…done everything as receipe says…but the sugar powder is not melting and the butter cream is grainy…have idea what to do….

    Reply

    • Powder sugar will melt with liquid Daiva.. May be it’s way too stiff. You need a few tbsp of milk, cream or water and mix some more.. Is the brand of powder sugar you using very thick? Check the quality of powder sugar.. but for now – add a little bit of liquid.

      Reply

  94. Wow this is absolutely gorgeous! I am always amazed when people have the skills to make these types of edible flowers! I feel like my hands are way too shaky and overall I do not have the attention to detail nor patience to make something that looks like perfect!

    Reply

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