Making Buttercream Flowers

This tutorial will show you how to make small flowers, often called “wild roses,” out of frosting (final result pictured above). You can use any buttercream recipe to make these flowers, or a medium-consistency royal icing recipe will also work. Buttercream recipes will harden in the refrigerator or freezer but become soft again at room temperature, while royal icing recipes will harden completely and can be stored at room temperature indefinitely. To make royal icing, view my tutorial on making royal icing.

To make frosting roses you will need:

• 1 batch of frosting
• a pastry bag fitted with a coupler
• a large rose tip
• a rose tip (large or small)
• a small circular tip (size 3 or 4)
• small squares of wax paper

Note that this tutorial uses a small rose tip to create the flowers, but you can easily use a larger tip and produce larger flowers.

Decorating with Fondant

If you loved playing with clay as a kid, you'll love decorating with fondant now! You can roll it out and cut it, imprint designs, create dazzling color effects and form it into just about any shape. Rolled fondant is the flexible, easy-to-shape icing that lets you do it all: create easy heart or flower cut-outs and simple hand-shaped ball or ruffle borders. Impress your guests with fun figures like clowns and dolls or spectacular floral bouquets and embossed accents. The easiest way to try fondant decorating? Start with Wilton Ready-To-Use Rolled Fondant. Or prepare one of our easy-to-make recipes here, including a great-tasting chocolate fondant recipe. You'll also find easy poured fondant recipes that cover cakes with a smooth, shiny finish.

Decorating Tips

Wilton cake decorating tips are numbered according to their size, shape, and function. Like paintbrushes, different tips produce different effects. You can even produce unique results from the same tip just by changing the position of your hands. The possibilities are endless!

currently there are approximately 150 Wilton tips to choose from. Do you need all of them? Probably not. Many people prefer to purchase a set which includes the most commonly used cake decorating tips.

Most tips can be used with standard bags and couplers while others require a large coupler. Wilton tips are constructed of nickel-plated brass. Some tips, like the Giant Rose #127D and the Cake Icer #789 do not work with a coupler due to their enormous size. These tips should only be used with parchment paper or uncut bags. In addition, the Cake Icer Tip should only be used with bags 14 inches or larger.

Wilton cake decorating tips can be divided into eleven different categories:
Round Tips
#1-12, 1A, 2A, 55, 57, 301
These tips are most commonly used for outlines, lettering, dots, balls, beads, stems, stringwork, lattice, and lacework. Tips #1A and 2A require a large coupler and tip #230 which is most commonly used for filling eclairs and bismarcks does not work with a coupler.
Petal Tips
#59, 59s, 60-62, 64, 97, 101, 101s, 102-104, 116, 121-127, 127D, 150
These tips can be used to produce realistic flower petals, ruffles, drapes, swags, and bows. Tip #116 is often used to create large Wilton roses. Tips #116, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, and 127 require a large coupler and #127D (the Giant Rose) does not work with a coupler.
Drop Flower Tips
#106-109, 129, 131, 140, 190-191, 193-195, 224-225, 1B-1C, 1E-1G, 2C-2F
These tips are divided into three categories: small (106-225), medium (131-194) and large (195, 2C-1G). These drop flower tips often contain a thin round piece attached to the center inside of the tip to product a flower effect. The larger tips are also great to use with cookie dough. Tips #1B, 1C, 1E, 1F, 1G, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F require a large coupler. Tips #108, 109, 190, 194, and 195 do not work with a coupler.
Basketweave Tips
#44-48, 1D, 2B, 789
Basketweave tips typically have one smooth side and one serrated side to produce ribbed stripes. The Cake Icer #789 can be used to produce either a smooth or striped effect depending on which way you hold it. Tip #2B requires a large coupler and tips #1D and 789 do not work with a coupler. In addition, tip #789 should only be used with bags 14 inches in size or larger.
Multi-Opening Tips
#42, 89, 134, 233-235, Triple Star
These tips are used to create rows and clusters of strings, beads, hair and stars. Tip #233 is commonly used to create grass. The Triple Star tip is used to fill in large areas more quickly. Tip #134 does not work with a coupler and tips #234, 235, as well as the Triple Star tip require a large coupler.
Open Star Tips
#13-22, 32, 172, 199, 362-364, 1M, 4B, 6B, 8B
These tips can be used to create star techniques and drop flowers. In addition, you can create decorations with many ridges using the finely cut teeth of tips #199-364. Tip #1M requires a large coupler while tips #172, 4B, 6B, and 8B do not work with a coupler.
Specialty Tips
#77-81, 83, 95-96, 98, 105, 136, 250, 252, 347
These tips can be used to create shells, ropes, hearts, Christmas trees, and whatever else your imagination comes up with. Tips #250 and 252 require a large coupler.
Closed Star Tips
#24, 26-31, 33, 35, 54, 133
These tips create deep groves which can be used to produce shells, stars and fleurs-de-lis (a stylized version of the iris flower which makes a dramatic repeated design). All closed star tips can be used with standard bags and couplers.
Leaf Tips
#65, 65s, 66-70, 73-75, 112-113, 115, 326, 349, 352, 352s, 366
As their name implies, these tips are used to create realistic looking leaves. However, they can also be used to create shell-motion borders. Tip #366 can be used to make leaves for large flowers. Tips #112, 113, 115, and 366 require a large coupler.
Ruffle Tips
#86-88, 100, 340, 353, 401-403, 406
Use these tips to create simple, fluted, shell-borders, and special effects. Tips #402 and 406 require a large coupler and tip #403 does not work with a coupler.
Left-Handed Tip Sets
Wilton created two tip sets to make life easier for left-handed cake decorators. These include the Drop Flower Set which includes tips #106L and #107L as well as the Petal Set which includes tips #59sL, 97L, and 116L.

What you'll get out of this APP

Think great cake decorating is only for the really talented? Well I disagree! You, (with a little know how and practice) can decorate beautiful cakes that will impress your family and friends. Even experts and professionals should revisit the basics from time to time. We’ll cover the tools, supplies and design ideas you need to get started.