Baby Bloom Cupcakes Buttercream (Printable Copy)

Vanilla cupcakes with creamy buttercream flowers, ideal for festive occasions and springtime treats.

# What You Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ For the Buttercream Flowers

09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk or cream
12 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - Food coloring in pink, yellow, green, and purple

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add milk, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing until smooth.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
08 - Beat butter on medium speed until creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well.
09 - Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk; beat until smooth and fluffy. Add additional milk as needed to achieve proper piping consistency.
10 - Divide buttercream into bowls and tint with food coloring as desired.
11 - Fit piping bags with flower and leaf piping tips. Fill each bag with colored buttercream.
12 - Pipe various flowers and leaves on cooled cupcakes, using different colors and piping techniques to create a blooming effect.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The vanilla base is simple enough to master quickly, but the piped flowers make you look like a pastry artist without requiring years of training.
  • These cupcakes stay perfectly moist for days and actually taste better on the second day, which is a lifesaver for any celebration planning.
  • You can tint the buttercream any colors you want, making them feel custom-designed for whoever you're celebrating.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are absolutely crucial—cold eggs, cold milk, or cold butter create problems that show up as texture issues and uneven mixing that no amount of beating will fix.
  • Practicing your piping technique on parchment before touching the cupcakes transforms the experience from stressful to fun, because you're not worried about ruining your final product while you learn the feel of the bag.
  • Sifted powdered sugar makes the difference between buttercream that pipes beautifully and buttercream that clogs your tips with tiny lumps that ruin your flowers.
03 -
  • Keep your piping bags steady by wrapping the filled bag with a damp paper towel around the seam where frosting might escape—it keeps your hands clean and gives you better control.
  • If your buttercream is slightly too soft to pipe, pop the filled piping bag in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it up without having to start over.
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