Tulip Cupcakes Tutorial – A great Mother’s Day Treat

Published by Kim Becker on

Spring time means tulips, and it’s definitely spring, so I thought tulip cupcakes would be in order. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful friend Gloria who is also the talent behind The Art of Cake.

Tulip Cupcakes

I won’t give you a tutorial on how to make and ice the perfect cupcake. This is about the decorative touches only –> The Tulip!

Tools:

Rolling pin
Shaping tool with a round ball on the end
Oval cutter (about 1″ wide and 1.25″ long approx.)
non-stick vegetable spray
cupcake pan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup total of modeling chocolate in the colours of your tulips, plus green for the leaves*
Chocolate melts (about 1/4 cup)

*If you prefer you could use gum-paste or fondant. Modeling chocolate is easy to work with and tastes great. Here are a couple of easy recipes:

recipe 1
recipe 2

12 frosted cupcakes in the flavour of your choice. I had a mix of vanilla/vanilla and strawberry/strawberry. Mmm…

Tulip Cupcakes

Roll out the modeling chocolate on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. You may need to work it in your hands for a minute until it is soft and easy to work with. About the consistency of play-dough.

Tulip Cupcakes

Using the oval cutter, cut out 5 ovals for each tulip. That means you will need 60 for your dozen cup cakes. I’d cut out a few extra just in case you damage one or two. (trust me… )

Tulip Cupcakes

The roll out your green modeling chocolate and using a sharp knife cut out long thin leaf-shapes by hand. You could buy a cutter for this, but why waste the money. You can do it, it’s easy. You’ll need 24 leaves.

Tulip Cupcakes

Now for the only tricky part. Shaping the tulip petals… Using the round ball tool (if you don’t have one use the edge of a spoon or even your hands), you need to flatten out just one edge of each tulip petal. Just to it thins out and starts to slightly curl. Don’t be intimidated, just take your time. You can always roll out a few more ovals, if you need some extra practice. Remember, that the odd minute tear won’t be noticed. Go easy on yourself.

Tulip Cupcakes

Tulip Cupcakes

Now thin out the edges of the leaves as well.

Tulip Cupcakes

Next you’ll want to spray the cupcake pan with non-stick vegetable spray.

Now melt your chocolate melts and put a small circle of chocolate in the bottom three or four cups of the cupcake tray (about 1″ round). Don’t do the whole tray or the chocolate will melt before you get a chance to get your petals into the chocolate. Slightly bend one end of the oval and set it into the chocolate, do that four more times for each tulip, each time keeping the ‘thinned-edge’ to the same side. slightly overlap each petal. There you have a tulip! Easy right?

Tulip Cupcakes

Tulip Cupcakes

Repeat this process 11 more times. Put the cupcake tray with your tulips in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once hardened, gently remove from the cupcake tray. They should pop-out easily. Be gentle!

Tulip Cupcakes

Now press one tulip into each frosted cupcake. Set leaves on either side of tulip, just push into the frosting and gently bend the tips outward.

Tulip Cupcakes

Tulip cupcakes! WOW, right?

These cupcakes would make a lovely Mother’s Day treat or how about for a bridal shower?

I’d love to know what you think?

Kim


13 Comments

Peggy · June 15, 2013 at 12:37 am

Thanks for a superb recipe. I prefer fondant and while I am nowhere near as good as you are at forming the flowers, your blog and descriptions were so helpful I surprised myself and my sister with these cupcakes! Love your blog. Keep up the good work!

Paula · June 15, 2013 at 5:47 am

I think your cupcakes are adorable. Great job!

Em · June 16, 2013 at 2:58 pm

These are fabulous! One of my best friends is great with fondant. I can see where this can be a great learning experience for me!

petal · June 27, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Wow, what a beautiful looking blog. Really great photos and easy to follow instructions.

Dennis · June 28, 2013 at 11:39 am

They are too pretty to eat. Cupcakes have come a long way in the last few years.

Chloe · June 28, 2013 at 3:33 pm

I love the detailed step-by-step instructions. The photos are great. I look forward to trying the
recipe.

R4 Kaart · July 30, 2013 at 1:52 am

Is so beautiful, thank you for sharing!

Gateway 3DS · August 5, 2013 at 3:43 am

What beautiful little flowers cupcakes!! Amazingly cute! O(∩_∩)O

aromakopiluwak · October 2, 2013 at 5:03 am

What a wonderful cake…. wondering one day i can make some with my daughter ^_^

Jocelyn · November 29, 2013 at 1:00 pm

Very yummy and cute cupcakes! yum! yum!

Simone D'Angelo · December 15, 2013 at 10:57 pm

woooohhh! So beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

iwanpulau · April 12, 2014 at 1:58 pm

Yes, Really great photos and easy to follow instructions.Thanks for sharing.

Malo · April 21, 2017 at 6:03 pm

Hello from beautiful British Columbia where it is for sure springtime today – hence, looking for seasonal baking ideas – and came across this tulip cupcake idea

QUESTION – you list “modeling chocolate” – then say to the effect – here are a couple of recipes” (above) Recipe 1 / Recipe 2 —– but the links don’t click to any recipes for modeling chocolate.

ps – we are going to try the candy sushi too – great tutorial – AND where to find those jelly fish – will have to look at DollarTr

thank you!

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