How to Make Hydrangea Cupcakes with Video
Buttercream is making a comeback and I’m really glad because it’s delicious. There are so many gorgeous things you can make without being a professional baker. If you can master a few simple tricks you’ll be able to make cakes and cupcakes that look like they were made by a pro. All you need is a good buttercream frosting recipe, a few decorating tips and someone to encourage you and you’ll be making beautiful cakes and cupcakes in no time at all. I bet you can make these hydrangea cupcakes faster than you can drive to the bakery to buy them.
Supplies for Hydrangea Cupcakes:
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Recipe:
Your favorite cupcake recipe
Crusting Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Frosting Colors:
- Blue and Violet Hydrangea Cupcakes:
- Blue-AmeriColor Sky Blue with a touch of Royal Blue
- Wilton-Violet
- Pink Hydrangea Cupcakes:
- Pink-Add a tiny drop of AmeriColor Super Red to white frosting
- White
- Green Hydrangea Cupcakes:
- AmeriColor Electric Green
- White
Tools:
2D Decorating Tip
Decorating Bag
Bag Tie
Butterknife or offset spatula
How to Make Hydrangea Cupcakes Video:
In case you’re not convinced yet, here is a video for ya. (This is my version of twisting your arm!)
Bake a batch of your favorite cupcakes and make some Crusting Buttercream Frosting. Let the cupcakes cool while you tint the frosting and prepare the decorating bags.
Blue Hydrangea Cupcakes:
- Tint some frosting with the blue with Americolor Sky Blue and Royal Blue so you can make one of those beautiful hydrangea cupcakes to look like those gorgeous flowers.
- Next, tint the violet frosting with Wilton Violet and add a little at a time so you don’t overpower the blue.
- Now you need to layer the blue and violet in the decorating bag with a #2D tip. You will see how to do this step in the next few pictures.
Green Hydrangea Cupcakes:
- Tint some frosting with AmeriColor Electric Green and add a little at a time so you get a beautiful green color.
- This part is pretty simple because you can use the white frosting you’ve already made.
- All that’s left for this color is to layer the green and white frosting in the decorating bag with a #2D tip.
Pink Hydrangea Cupcakes:
- Tint some frosting pink with a small amount of AmeriColor Super Food Gel so your hydrangeas will be that beautiful pink we all know and love.
- Again, this is the simple part because all you need to do is add the white frosting to the piping bag that has the #2D tip placed in the bottom.
- You know what’s next, layer the pink and white frosting in the decorating bag with a #2D tip so you’ll be ready to make hydrangeas.
- To make the hydrangea cupcakes you need to layer the blue and lavender frosting in the decorating bag. As the frosting gets piped out, it will blend and look more natural and resemble a real hydrangea flower.
- Cut the end of the decorating bag so the tip of the 2D tip is sticking out of the bag. Be careful not to cut too much or the tip will fall out of the bag as you apply pressure when you pipe the hydrangeas.
- Place the tip in the decorating bag and push it into place and fold the top of the bag down around your hand to make a cuff.
- Use an offset spatula to spread a line of blue frosting inside the bag from the tip to the top of the fold.
- Repeat with the violet frosting. Start on the inside of the bag at the 2D tip and place the violet frosting on top of the blue frosting and pull it towards the top of the fold just like you did with the blue frosting. It might look a little messy but that’s okay. It will look beautiful when you pipe with it.
- Repeat until the bag is full.
Don’t stress this step. The main thing you want to do is place the two different colors of frosting in the bag so they slightly blend when you pipe the hydrangea petals. I’ve found it works better to stripe the bag instead of placing blobs of frosting and hoping for the best. Blobs can sometimes look muddy and no one wants muddy flowers.
Repeat with the green and white frosting and for the pink and white frosting.
- It’s time to start piping the hydrangeas. The first petal may not want to stick to the cupcakes so you need to place the 2D tip on the center of the cupcakes. Pipe it slowly until you get the size you want. Release pressure on the bag and quickly pull the tip away from the cupcake.
- Don’t worry about the design of the tip in that first-star shape because we will cover it up in a minute.
- Pipe the next petal close to the first petal. You want to keep them close to the flower will look nice and full without a lot of cupcake showing through.
- Continue to pipe the petals (star shapes) until the top of the cupcake is covered.
- Be sure to go as close to the edge of the cupcake so the flower looks really full. The fuller the better.
- Repeat with the second layer of petals. Start a little towards the center and pipe a few more petals.
- Once you complete the second layer of petals, turn your hydrangea cupcakes around to make sure they are nice and roundish looking. If you see any holes add a few more petals.
I know this tutorial has a lot of pictures so I thought I would add one more. That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? It does if you’re inside my head! LOL
I wanted to make an image for you so you don’t have to scroll around like crazy trying to see how to make these cupcakes. Feel free to print this picture and hang it on the fridge as a reminder to make some cupcakes. You know you want to and seriously, these are the easiest cupcakes I have ever made. So simple and yet so pretty.
Flower cupcakes are easy to make and are great to take to parties or events so I plan on taking them to every event possible. I wish they were all as colorful and simple as these hydrangea cupcakes because who doesn’t love a beautiful hydrangea cupcake after dinner?
I have one more surprise in store for you and it involves these beauties so be sure to come back soon because I know you’re going to like it!
More Flowers for ya:
Poppy Cupcakes
Ranunculus
Daisy Cupcakes
Bear hugs,
Beautiful. I love how they came out! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you Gaby! I love your name by the way. It’s adorable!
My favorite is the blue/violet. I always have a hard time with layering the icing in the bag. Thanks for the video as always Lisa.
Hi Brenda!
I always used a spoon and the frosting would look muddy but placing in a line with an offset spatula really helped make the icing blend without the muddy look. I hope you give it a try!
They are GORGEOUS!!! They look just like the real thing!! (Except delicious!)
Hello! I just found your site this morning and I’m so glad I did. I’m just sorry I’ve been missing out until now.
Your willingness to share so much information on this site is heartwarming. You’re helping people and that is very admirable.
Thank you so much!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You make it look so simple…
I completely agree with the “swiping” and not “plopping” method to fill the bag. The colors stay “separate” until they reach the tip where they get combined. The “blob” method creates “mud” issues due to handling the bag and pushing the icing as you pipe.
Great pictures…one can never have too many!…and excellent video. 🙂
Could this be done with cream cheese frosting??
Hi Emma,
I believe it can be done if the cream cheese frosting is the right consistency. As a matter of fact, Glory at Glorious Treats made a tutorial using cream cheese frosting. You can find her post and recipes here: http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/07/hydrangea-cupcakes.html
hey Lisa….! your cupcakes looks so colorful and yummy with delicious. Thanks for the sharing.