How to Build a Cupcake Bouquet

Who wants roses that die within a week for Valentine’s Day when you could have roses that you could EAT instead?! I’m talking about the magnificent, beautiful work of edible art that is the Cupcake Bouquet.

Cupcake bouquets basically combine all the skills and experience that I have garnered so far in my life:

• From learning how to bake at a young age with my mom
• To learning how to build beautiful fruit bouquets from working at Edible Arrangements
• Finally to learning how to decorate cupcakes from working in the bakery at Whole Foods

I can’t think of any other project that combines my skills more than this one. I’ve been making these cupcake bouquets for years for friends, family and clients. I’ve even taught workshops on how to make them at the local community centre and on my Instagram account @mimijuskitchen on IG Live. Now, I’m finally ready to share all my secrets for building this magical bouquet with the internet.

Here are the equipment and supplies that you will need to make and decorate a cupcake bouquet:

• Cupcakes – I have several recipes on my blog like my pink velvet cupcakes, london fog cupcakes, or red velvet cupcakes.
• Buttercream – I prefer ermine frosting but you can use any type of buttercream you prefer.
• Food colouring – Choose colours that you would like to create for your flowers. I usually have the primary colours on hand so that I can mix up any colour I like. I recommend gel colours to reduce the risk of thinning out your frosting.
• Piping bags – Use these to pipe the buttercream flowers. You could use a freezer bag in a pinch.
• Piping tips – The ones you want are the 1M and/or 2D piping tips to create beautiful flowers. Many other options are available too, but these are the ones I use most often.
• Rubber Spatula – This will come in handy for transferring and mixing the buttercream.
• Vessel – You can use any type of vase, flower pot or even a box here. Ideally you want something that has a flat and heavy base to hold up your cupcakes.
• Styrofoam Ball/Floral Foam – This is what you will build your bouquet on. Make sure you get one that fits snugly into your vessel. You can usually find these at the dollar store or your local craft supplies store.
• Toothpicks – You will be using toothpicks to secure the cupcakes to your bouquet. Have lots on hand so that you don’t run out.
• Tissue paper – Use this to wrap your styrofoam ball/foam to keep it clean and to give it a pop of colour underneath. I prefer green, but you could use any colour here!
• Basket Wrap – You can usually find basket wrap or even plastic goodie bags for smaller bouquets at the dollar store. You can leave this out if you don’t need to transport your bouquet.
• Ribbon – The finishing touch for your beautiful bouquet. Also can be left out if transport is not needed.

How to Build a Cupcake Bouquet

Recipe by Mimi Ju

4.8 from 9 votes

Difficulty: Medium

Learn how to build a beautiful cupcake bouquet from scratch. These make a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Supplies

• 12 cupcakes, cooled

• 1 batch buttercream

• food colouring

• 1 vessel (pot, vase, box)

• styrofoam

• tissue paper

• toothpicks

• Optional

• basket wrap

• ribbon

Directions

• Decorating the cupcakes
• Colour frosting with desired colours using either gel or liquid food colouring.
• Place piping tips in piping bag.
  To create roses: Use a 1M piping tip.
  To create lilacs: Use a 2D piping tip.
• Fill piping bags with coloured buttercream.
• Do AFTER placing the cupcakes onto the bouquet:
  Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes to create flowers.
  To create roses: Pipe continuously in a circular motion, starting from the centre and moving outwards.
  To create lilacs: Pipe a single rosette all over the surface of the cupcake. Then start piping more rosettes over top to create a rounded half dome.
• Preparing the bouquet
• Cut foam to desired shape for the final bouquet (if necessary).
• Wrap foam in tissue paper.
• Place foam in the vessel of choice, ensuring it fits snugly.
• Cut squares of green tissue paper for filling gaps in the bouquet later.
• Optional: Tie a bowtie ribbon onto the vessel if desired.
• Assembling the Bouquet
• Stick 3 toothpicks close together in a triangular form into the foam.
• Place the cupcake onto the toothpicks to secure.
• Repeat until all cupcakes are evenly distributed onto the bouquet.
• Roughly wrap a square of tissue paper around a toothpick. Stick it into the gaps in the bouquet. Repeat until no more gaps visible.
• Pipe buttercream flowers onto cupcakes (see above).
• Voila! You have just made yourself a beautiful cupcake bouquet!

Recipe Video

Notes

• See Part 1: Cupcakes and Part 2: Frosting videos here.

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