How to Make Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus with Video

I’ve always heard that practice makes perfect and I’d love to make perfect buttercream ranunculus. Have you heard that practice makes perfect? I always believed in it as a kid, but as I got older I realized it isn’t necessarily true. Take these flowers for example. If we make them using the wrong technique, chances are we’re always going to make them wrong. If we learn to make them the correct way, we will practice making them the right way and end up with beautiful buttercream flowers.

What I want you to take away from this tutorial is this, “Perfect Practice makes Perfect!” Take some time and learn to do things the right way and you’ll be able to create anything you can imagine!

How to Make Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

 

Say it with me, “Perfect Practice makes Perfect!” I promise you, with the right buttercream recipe and decorating tips anyone can make beautiful buttercream flowers.

Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus:

Supply List:
(may contain affiliate links)

Recipes:
Frosting Colors:
Tools:
  • You can use a variety of tips to make this flower depending on what size flower you need. You can use tip #61, #121, #122, or #123.  These buttercream flowers were made with the #122 tip.
  • Parchment Paper Squares-Cut parchment paper squares that are a little larger than your flower nail.
  • Decorating bag
  • 3″ Flower Nail-I like to use a big flower nail for these. This one is 3″ wide and it’s perfect for making large buttercream flowers.
  • Decorating Bag Ties

Buttercream Ranunculus Video:

Here’s a video for you. Watch how the petals are piped. Remember, you want to build the petals up more than you want to build them out towards the end of the flower nail.

How to Make Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Begin by making a good buttercream frosting. If you need a recipe you can find mine here, Crusting Buttercream Frosting Recipe.
  • Next, tint a little of the frosting pink.
  • Cut the tip of the decorating bag so the end of tip #122  is sticking out of the bag.
  • Use a butter knife or an offset spatula to make a line of pink frosting inside the bag from the narrow side of the tip all the way up the bag. Don’t go all the way to the top because the frosting will push out of the top and fall all over the place as you try to pipe your flowers. You need to make the pink line so the tip of the flowers will be pink and the rest of the flower will be white but don’t stress a nice clean perfect line. Just do the best you can and the flowers will look amazing!
  • Fill the rest of the bag with the white frosting and push it down to the tip.
  • Twist the top and use a decorating bag tie to keep the frosting inside the bag so it doesn’t come out of the top of the bag as your piping.

How to Make Buttercream Ranunculus with a Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Add a small amount of frosting to the top of the flower nail.
  • Place a parchment paper square and press it into the frosting.

How to Make Buttercream Ranunculus with a How to Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Begin by making a cone with the narrow side of the tip pointing up. The wide end of the tip doesn’t need to touch the nail but hold it close as you pipe the cone while gently turning the flower nail. Don’t worry, I have a video for you at the end of this tutorial that will show you exactly how to make this gorgeous flower.

How to Make Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Once you have the cone, pipe 4 petals around it. Start at the base of the cone and pipe the petal to the opposite side of the flower without covering the center.

How to Make Buttercream Ranunculus | The Bearfoot Baker

  • When you pipe the petals, make a small rainbow shape with the tip of the piping bag.
  • Start at the bottom, squeeze the bag with gentle pressure.
  • Continue the pressure as you make the arch of the rainbow shape while turning the flower nail.
  • Continue pressure as you bring the arch to the bottom of the flower.

I hope that makes sense, but as I said before, I have a video so you can see it in action.

How to Make Beautiful Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • The idea is to make the buttercream ranunculus taller, not fatter. When you pipe a rose, you start with a cone and work your way out to the edge of the flower nail. Since the #122 tip is rounded, it allows you to make the flower taller which will make it look like the petals are in a tight circle. Build up and out slightly.
  • When piping the petals, begin the new petal by placing the tip next to the back of petal you just piped. You want to start the new petal in the center of the previous petal. You don’t want all the petals to be perfectly lined up, so by starting at the center of the previous petal, you will give the flower a natural look.

Beautiful Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Repeat and make another row of petals the same way. Pipe the little rainbows without covering the center of the flower.

Make Beautiful Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • As you can see the side of this flower looks a bit messy, but that’s okay, it is supposed to look this way right now.

Make Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus with a Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • Continue piping the petals until you get the flower as wide as you want.

Make Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

  • When you get the flower the width you want, pipe some longer petals around the flower but don’t arch the rainbow as high. This will give your flower a nice finished look.

How to Make Stunning Buttercream Ranunculus with Video | The Bearfoot Baker

Now make a batch of frosting and pipe some buttercream ranunculus over and over until you get the technique down. Don’t give up if the first few flowers look a bit wonky. You should have seen the first few I made. Yuck! Don’t give up though because you can learn to make these with a little practice. Then your flowers will be gorgeous!

You will be making amazing cakes covered in beautiful buttercream flowers before you know it so just practice. Oops! I mean “perfect practice” them! While you’re at it, you can perfect practice making some buttercream poppy flowers to add to your collection.

Bear hugs,

Lisa