How to Make a Flower Cake
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Learn how to make a flower cake with this easy tutorial. I’m sharing how to pipe buttercream flowers on top of a simple sheet cake for a beautiful spring cake for any occasion!
If you’re looking for more cake tutorials, check out some of my others like How to Make a Naked Cake, How to Crumb Coat a Cake, or How to Spiral a Buttercream Cake.
Table of Contents
Learn how to make a Flower Cake with this easy tutorial! I’m sharing how to pipe buttercream flowers on top of a sheet cake in this baking tutorial with a full recipe too!
This sheet cake is a light lemon cake with organic buttercream frosting. I color the organic buttercream naturally with plant based dyes, so this Flower Cake is free of artificial colors too! Yet, it's still a vibrant and beautiful Flower Cake!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Beautiful Cake: This Flower Cake is stunning! While it looks so pretty, it’s quite simple to make with just a few simple decorating tips!
No Artificial Colors: I use organic fruit powders to color the organic buttercream so there are no artificial colors! And, these buttercream flowers are still bright and vibrant!
Tutorial: I’m teaching you how to pipe buttercream flowers, which are very simple as the decorating tip does most of the work! Once you see how to make a Flower Cake, you’ll be surprised how simple it is! You can also apply this technique to any other cakes that you like.
Ingredients
- Cake Flour: I use organic cake flour for a tender, delicate crumb. You can make my homemade organic cake flour, or use store bought.
- Cane Sugar: Organic cane sugar is less processed than granulated white sugar.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not soda as this is a slow rise bake. For more info on leavening agents, check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt.
- Canola Oil: I use organic canola oil in this Flower Cake as it’s the most neutral oil. If you’re avoiding seed oils, you can also use olive oil or avocado oil too!
- Eggs: Use large eggs, these will ensure your cake rises well.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor.
- Lemon: I use a fresh lemon, using the zest inside the cake for a mildly lemon flavor. And I use the juice in the organic buttercream. If you don’t have a lemon, you can also use 1 teaspoon of lemon extract in the cake and/or frosting.
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite. Ensure that the butter is soft before making the organic buttercream, this will ensure you get a light and fluffy frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Make sure to sift powdered sugar so you have a smooth frosting with no clumps.
- Vanilla Extract: Use a high quality vanilla extract, not imitation.
- Food Dyes: I use organic strawberry powder for the pink, India Tree Nature’s Colors Orange, organic wild blueberry powder, organic raspberry powder, organic blue spirulina powder, and organic matcha for green.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but if you prefer to use a hand mixer you can do that as long a you have a large mixing bowl!
- Baking Pan: You’ll need a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper to ensure the cake comes out easily.
- Spatula: You'll need a spatula for the cake batter and frosting.
- Piping Bags: You’ll need 6 piping bags to pipe the buttercream flowers.
- Decorating Tips: You'll need decorating tips to make buttercream flowers. I use Ateco tips #846, #864, and #32, #104, #18, and #68 all come in a set.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cane sugar and mix together for a few rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
Add the zest of 1 lemon, canola oil, eggs, and milk. Mix on low until combined into a smooth cake batter.
Step 3
Transfer to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
Step 4
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, add the milk in as needed until you have a smooth buttercream.
Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of frosting into a small bowl. Then divide the remaining frosting into 5 bowls.
Step 5
Add a 1 to 2 teaspoons of strawberry powder into one of the bowls. Add a little water to help mix in the powder and stir to combine until you get the desired pink color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #846.
Add a few drops of the orange dye into another bowl and stir to combine. Add food coloring until you get desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #864.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of wild blueberry powder to another bowl with a little water and stir to combine until you get the desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #32.
Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of blue spirulina to another bowl with a few drops of water and stir to combine until you have desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #104.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of raspberry powder to another bowl with a few drops of water and stir to combine until you have the desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #18.
Add a little bit of matcha powder and a few drops of water into the last small bowl with the least amount of frosting and mix together. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #68.
Step 6
Remove the cake from the baking pan and place on a serving platter.
Step 7
Begin by piping the light pink frosting with Ateco tip #846 first as these are the largest roses. Start anywhere on the cake you like. Hold the piping bag straight up and apply good pressure, pipe a spiral, starting in the middle and working your way out until you get the desired size rose you like. Continue to do this in different spots around the cake.
Step 8
Next, use the orange frosting with Ateco tip #864 and repeat the same movement by piping a spiral, starting in the middle and spiraling your way outwards until you get the desired rose size. Space them out on the cake however you like.
Step 9
Using the raspberry powder frosting with Atecto tip #18, pipe small dollops of frosting in a circle and fill in the center with one dollop. This technique is making a hydrangea flower! Continue to do this around the cake.
Step 10
Next, using the blue spirulina frosting with Ateco tip #104, hold the piping bag with the larger part of the tip pointed towards the cake and the smaller side pointed towards the ceiling. Pipe upside down “U”s in a circle motion to create the petals of a wildflower. I add a small amount of the nonpareils into the middle where all the petals connect for the center of the flower.
Step 11
Using the wild blueberry frosting with Ateco tip #32 repeat the same spiral you did with the pink and orange, starting in the middle and working your way out. Continue around the cake with these smaller rosettes.
Once you have some of the flowers where you like them, then it’s just time to go back and forth with all the colors and flower styles and fill in the cake!
Step 12
Once the cake is completely covered in flowers, then it’s time to add in the leaves with the green. To pipe the leaves, just ensure to use a good amount of pressure and pipe a small little wave movement anywhere you want a leaf to be. Continue to do this around the cake, adding leaves on the sides of flowers.
Step 13
Cut the cake into 12 slices. Store extra cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Baker’s Tips
- I use my stand mixer to make the batter as it’s a big cake. But if you prefer to use a hand mixer you can do that as well, just be sure you have a large mixing bowl.
- You can also use a hand mixer for the organic buttercream if you prefer. If you do this, I suggest adding in butter first and then powdered sugar slowly, this will ensure nothing goes flying!
- You can apply this buttercream flowers technique to any cake that you like.
- Feel free to use different colors for the flowers, depending on your preference.
Easy Substitutions
- If you're avoiding seed oils, you can replace the canola oil with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- If you don't have a lemon, you can also make this a vanilla cake simply by adding 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla bean to the batter in place of the lemon zest.
- You can also make the frosting vanilla by removing the lemon juice and just adding a bit more milk.
- I'm using fruit powders for dyes, so you get a little sweet fruity flavor in the frosting which is so good with the light lemon cake! But, if you just want vanilla, then I recommend using India Tree Nature's Colors Dyes instead of the powders as these will be free of flavors.
- Feel free to color the flowers any colors you like, you do not have to do them the exact colors that I do.
- Make this super festive for Easter by adding an organic chocolate bunny on top! I love this one from Lake Champlain, where it looks like he's driving through the flower field!
FAQ’s
Yes, if you want to half the recipe you can make this in an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking pan. You’ll need to bake it for a little less, start with 25 to 30 minutes and go from there.
Yes, you can apply this piping technique for how to make a Flower Cake on top of any cake that you like! This technique does require more frosting than a traditional cake, so if you are using another recipe you probably want to double the amount of frosting.
Make sure to store leftovers in an airtight container so it stays fresh. It will last for about 3 days.
Craving More?
How to Make a Flower Cake
Equipment
- Ateco Tip #104
- Ateco Tip #18
Ingredients
Batter
- 680 grams cake flour
- 454 grams cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 226 grams canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 lemon (zest)
Frosting
- 340 grams salted butter softened
- 680 grams powdered sugar sifted
- ½ lemon (juce)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 to 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cane sugar and mix together for a few rotations to combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the zest of 1 lemon, canola oil, eggs, and milk. Mix on low until combined into a smooth cake batter.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
Make the Frosting
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, add the milk in as needed until you have a smooth buttercream.
- Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of frosting into a small bowl. Then divide the remaining frosting into 5 bowls.
- Add a 1 to 2 teaspoons of strawberry powder into one of the bowls. Add a little water to help mix in the powder and stir to combine until you get the desired pink color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #846.
- Add a few drops of the orange dye into another bowl and stir to combine. Add food coloring until you get desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #864.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of wild blueberry powder to another bowl with a little water and stir to combine until you get the desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #32.
- Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of blue spirulina to another bowl with a few drops of water and stir to combine until you have desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #104.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of raspberry powder to another bowl with a few drops of water and stir to combine until you have the desired color. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #18.
- Add a little bit of matcha powder and a few drops of water into the last small bowl with the least amount of frosting and mix together. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #68.
Decorate the Cake
- Remove the cake from the baking pan and place on a serving platter.
- Begin by piping the light pink frosting with Ateco tip #846 first as these are the largest roses. Start anywhere on the cake you like. Hold the piping bag straight up and apply good pressure, pipe a spiral, starting in the middle and working your way out until you get the desired size rose you like. Continue to do this in different spots around the cake.
- Next, use the orange frosting with Ateco tip #864 and repeat the same movement by piping a spiral, starting in the middle and spiraling your way outwards until you get the desired rose size. Space them out on the cake however you like.
- Using the raspberry powder frosting with Atecto tip #18, pipe small dollops of frosting in a circle and fill in the center with one dollop. This technique is making a hydrangea flower! Continue to do this around the cake.
- Next, using the blue spirulina frosting with Ateco tip #104, hold the piping bag with the larger part of the tip pointed towards the cake and the smaller side pointed towards the ceiling. Pipe upside down “U”s in a circle motion to create the petals of a wildflower. I add a small amount of the nonpareils into the middle where all the petals connect for the center of the flower.
- Using the wild blueberry frosting with Ateco tip #32 repeat the same spiral you did with the pink and orange, starting in the middle and working your way out. Continue around the cake with these smaller rosettes.
- Once you have some of the flowers where you like them, then it’s just time to go back and forth with all the colors and flower styles and fill in the cake!
- Once the cake is completely covered in flowers, then it’s time to add in the leaves with the green. To pipe the leaves, just ensure to use a good amount of pressure and pipe a small little wave movement anywhere you want a leaf to be. Continue to do this around the cake, adding leaves on the sides of flowers.
- Cut the cake into 12 slices. Store extra cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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