How To: Make Icing Flowers from Cutters

Always wanted to know to create realistic flowers and centres for use in your cake decorating? Look no further. This month, our very own Claire Bailey will be taking you through the many ways you can use icing to create beautiful blooms, starting with the simplest method first – flower cutters.

All you need is your chosen colour ready to roll icing, a sugar craft rolling pin, the flower cutter you want to use and a ball tool, and you’re good to go!

Flower Cutters

1. Knead and roll the Ready to Roll Icing until soft and pliable on a clean dry work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to the desired thickness.

Mix your icing with flower and modelling paste or add gum tragacanth or CMC before rolling to help the icing set firm once rolled out, cut and shaped.

2. Cut out the flowers using your chosen cutter. Wriggle the cutter slightly to loosen the flower icing shape and remove the excess icing.

3. Use a small sharp knife to trim any rough edges, and using a ball tool, thin around the edges of the petals to create a realistic curl to the edge of the flower.

4. Leave the icing flower to set in an egg carton, apple tray or flower former until the flower sets and can hold its shape.

5. For the flower centres, take your icing or paste and roll to the size of a small garden pea. For flowers such as daisies, or simply use a mini chocolate flavour beans, sticking in place using cooled boiled water.

For flowers like daisies, take a small rolled ball of icing and press onto a sieve to create a bobbled effect before sticking onto the centre of the flower with a little cooled boiled water.

6. Place the flowers on the cake or cupcake, sticking down with a little cooled boiled water if required.

Feeling inspired to try your first flower cake? How about something simple like these florally adorned butterfly cupcakes, or being a little more adventurous with our flower bouquet cake?