How to Make a Cupcake Bouquet

A cupcake bouquet makes a refreshing (and tasty) change to a standard floral bouquet. If you're looking for a new way to present your cupcakes, why not give this a try? It's certainly a novel way to give flowers to the men in your life (who never normally received flowers). Any guys who want to give it a go, we can assure you, your girlfriend or wife would be thrilled to get one of these!

Using classic vanilla cupcake recipe make a batch of cupcakes and leave them to cool on a wire rack. You will only need 6 cupcakes for this cupcake bouquet.

Top Tip: Cream the butter & sugar together first to achieve lovely, even, flat tops on your cupcakes... plus this makes decorating easier and adds that professional touch.

Making the Bouquet

1. Take a small clean plant pot and line it with pretty tissue paper, I have used pink in this example.
2. Cover a round oasis ball with green tissue or crêpe paper and secure the tissue tightly to the oasis with sticky tape, the join will face the bottom of your plant pot so it will not be seen.
3. Fit the covered oasis into your plant pot, making sure it's a snug fit and that the sticky tape is facing downwards so it can't be seen.
4. Carefully push cocktail sticks into the covered oasis (you will need two cocktail sticks per cupcake). It is best to start with the first two cocktail sticks in the middle of the oasis then move to the outer edge making sure the pairs of cocktail sticks are equally spaced around the outer edge.
5. Cut a few pieces of the remaining green tissue paper into strips to look like grass and foliage and place around the cocktail sticks.
6. Carefully push your cooled cupcakes onto the cocktail sticks; the cocktail sticks should pop slightly through the cupcakes. Then gently push the cocktail sticks firmly back into the oasis, making sure the cupcakes feel secure.

Dressing Your Bouquet

Now you can dress your fabulous bouquet! Basic butter cream is the perfect consistency for making delicate rose swirls - just start piping from the centre of the cupcake and finish at the outer edge. A large nozzle such as the Wilton 2D is great for this project. You could decorate your iced cupcakes with edible glitter or dust to give a fresh, raindrop effect - or use butterfly or ladybird cake toppers for the potted plant look.

Decorating your Pot

Use your imagine to decorate your plant pot however you like - here are just a few ideas to get you going:

• Simply add a ribbon and tie it in a bow - simple but effective
• Paint it with acrylic pearlised paint to complement the cupcake colours
• Add the children's hand prints - a great idea for Mothering Sunday!
• Instead of a flowerpot, why not use a ceramic bowl, an oversized teacup, a jug, or even a pretty watering can for a rustic feel

If you know the recipient well, be frugal and ask for your pot & oasis back and re-use it!

Remember to post your cupcake bouquet images on our facebook page so we can see your amazing creations!