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Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting and Hydrangea Petal Cupcakes

Decorate cupcakes that look like hydrangeas, piped with a Vanilla American-style buttercream. Easy to create with a closed star piping tip and tinted to the shade of your favorite colored hydrangeas.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 2 D piping tip, American-style buttercream, edible wafter paper butterflies, hydrangea petal cupcakes, vanilla buttercream
Servings: 2 1/3 cups frosting

Equipment

  • 2 D piping tip (large closed star tip)
  • piping bag
  • plastic wrap
  • food coloring of choice

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1-pound box
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
  • Food Coloring of Choice

Instructions

To make buttercream:

  • Combine the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated.
  • Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk as desired.
  • Divide frosting in half into two bowls, adding food coloring of choice and mixing to desired shades to mimic hydrangeas; pink and blue, light pink and darker pink, blue and purple, etc.
  • When colors are mixed, add both colors side by side to piping bag fitted with a 2D (closed star) tip. Use plastic wrap for a tidy way to add frosting to your piping bag.

To use plastic wrap in piping bag:

  • Place two colors of frosting side by side on a long piece of plastic wrap. Roll up long tube of plastic wrap, twisting the ends to seal it. Snip off one end of twisted plastic wrap, placing that end into piping bag fitted with a 2D tip (large closed star tip).

To pipe hydrangea flowers:

  • Pipe large star shapes around the edge of the cupcake using a 2D tip. Repeat star shapes, filling in the center of cupcakes until top is covered.
  • If the frosting starts getting too soft and no longer holds flower shape when piped, put the bag of frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to let the frosting to firm up a bit.

To attach paper wafer butterflies:

  • Bend butterfly gently to give them some dimension then place lightly on frosting while frosting is fresh before it ‘crusts’ over.
  • If the buttercream has crusted over and is no longer sticky, use some fresh buttercream to attach the toppers to the cupcakes or roughen the buttercream that's crusted a little bit to reveal the softer buttercream underneath.

Notes

  • Use the buttercream on cupcakes, cookies or a 9 x 13 cake. You will need more buttercream frosting for a layered cake so adjust recipe accordingly.
  • You can store any extra frosting in the fridge for up to one week or freeze it for up to one month. If freezing, be sure it's placed inside a freezer-safe bag with as much of the air removed as possible. This will help prevent freezer burn and keep the frosting fresh. Thaw in the fridge and use as normal.
  • Alternatively, you can doctor a can of store-bought can of frosting by adding 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar, so it will hold the flower shape when piped.
  • Find an recipe for Easy 2-Ingredient Cupcakes, HERE.