Creating Buttercream Side Designs
Original Sketches, Editing & Layout by Diane Shavkin NY

 
 
The Basics in Creating Designs

 Design #1:

1.  Pipe a curve with green, buttercream frosting to resemble a vine.

2.  Pipe a drop flower or place a royal icing flower in the center of each curve of the vine.

3.  Pipe a leaf at the center of the upper portion of each curve of the vine.

Design #2:

1.  Pipe a curved vine as in Design #1.

2.  Starting at the left point of the center of each curve, pipe the curved stems.

3. Pipe the lily-of-the-valley on the stems.

4.  Pipe the leaves at the top of the curve at the point where the flower's stems touch the curve of the vine.
Design #3:

1.  Pipe the curved vine.

2.  Pipe the buttercream flowers or place royal icing flowers in the center of the upper portion of each curve.

3.  Pipe a leave near each flower.

4.  Pipe the ice cream cone shape in the appropriate color.  Pipe 3-D "dots" to resemble the ice cream.
Design #4:

1.  Examine the above design to see how and where the leaves and acorns have been placed on the curved vine.

2.  Pipe the acorns first and then the leaves.  To create the varigated oak leaves, place some green and some orange buttercream frosting in a decorating bag.  As the leaves are piped, the orange and green buttercream will blend together to create the Fall colors which will include orange, green, brownish-orange and brownish green.

 
Repeated Basic Design with a Theme

To make this design, it would be necessary to take adding machine tape and cut it to fit the circumference of the cake's side.  Then, fold it in order to make 8 evenly-spaced sections.  Be sure the buttercream has a "crust" before placing the tape on the side of the cake.  Use a toothpick to mark each section where the folds are and where the ends of the tape meet.  Draw your design with the toothpick at each section of the side of the cake where your center marks of the toothpick area.  Add the flowers and the leaves.  Add the Easter eggs or any other type of design that creates your theme such as ice cream cones piped with buttercream, hearts (candy or piped with buttercream), etc. 


More Cake Designs

 
Top of the Cake and Side of the Cake Designs

Use the butterfly, bunny or mouse as the design on top of the cake along with the floral design.
Then, incorporate the floral work into the design for the sides of the cake.

 
 
This page has been created by Diane Shavkin of NY
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