Buttercream Blossoms

The next time you’re planning a dinner party, check off both flowers and dessert with this two-fer: Cupcakes topped with realistic confectionery blooms. From the kitchen of their charming Smithfield cafe Ivy and Lace Bake Shop, Amy Ruggere and Amanda Thompson are busy fashioning roses, dahlias, hydrangeas, and other varieties from buttercream. Presented in flower market style with their bases wrapped in brown craft paper, these cupcakes are as scrumptious as they are lovely. “Years back I wanted to learn to make a buttercream rose and was bothered by how it didn’t look like a real flower. So, I practiced,” says Ruggere. “If people wanted their cake to look like it had flowers on it, then that’s what I wanted to give them.” Armed with degrees in pastry art and art, this innovative duo is living their shared dream of making and selling beautiful sweets. “We specialize in custom cakes and cupcakes, as well as a slew of other desserts,” says Thompson. This pair truly takes birthday cake roses to a new level. 

Serving Suggestion:

1.  Fill a clean bucket or pail to a half-inch from the top with dish towels or paper

2. Pack until firm

3. Top with a small flat plate or cut a paper plate to fit

4. Display cupcakes