A rose is not just a rose when it is lovingly piped onto a frosted cupcake to celebrate a bride-to-be, a sweetheart, or your parents on their anniversary. Besides the realistically replicated blooms, the monochromatic color scheme makes for an ultra-elegant dessert. Or, for a more casual event, pipe the flowers in one color, and frost the cupcakes with another. A flower nail is essential, as you can turn the nail with one hand while piping the roses with the other. The flowers can be refrigerated up to two days before placing them atop cupcakes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 24

　　24 White Cupcakes (page 154) or Devil’s Food Cupcakes (page 34)

　　2 recipes Swiss Meringue Buttercream (page 304)

　　Gel-paste food color (red is pictured)

　　

Step 1

Cut parchment paper into squares to fit on top of flower nail (#7). Tint buttercream red with gel-paste food color. Dab buttercream on top of nail to secure parchment. Fit a pastry bag with only a coupler; fill with buttercream. Squeeze pastry bag gently; pull up slowly to make an acorn-shape mound on top of the square.

　　

Step 2

Secure a small petal tip (#103) to the coupler. (If you need both hands to attach the tip, anchor the nail in a block of polysterene or in a potato with a flat-cut bottom.) Holding tip against the point of the buttercream mound, wide end down and the narrow end angled in toward the acorn’s center, pipe a wide strip as you turn the nail, enveloping the top completely.

　　

Step 3

Turning the nail as you go, make two slightly arched petals that each reach around half of the circumference of the acorn.

　　

Step 4

Continue turning the nail, making longer petals that overlap, and angling farther outward as you go, until you have piped a full rose. Gently slide the parchment with the rose off the nail and onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days). Repeat to make 24 roses.

　　

Step 5

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cupcakes to make level. Using an offset spatula, spread buttercream over cupcakes. Use a clean offset spatula to gently transfer buttercream roses onto frosted cupcakes (discard parchment). Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.

　　Martha Stewart's Cupcakes