Cherry Blossom Cupcakes

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Using a serrated knife, trim top of each cupcake to make level. Tint 1/4 cup buttercream brown with gel-paste food color. Tint 2 cups buttercream peach. Tint 1/4 cup each yellow and green. Transfer tinted buttercreams to pastry bags fitted only with couplers. Tint remaining buttercream pale pink. Using an offset spatula, spread a smooth layer of pink buttercream over each cupcake.

   Step 2

   Using brown buttercream and a fine plain tip (#1), pipe thin branches on cupcake. With peach buttercream (shown opposite; pink is shown below) and a small petal tip (#103), pipe basic petals: Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle to the cupcake, with the tip’s wide end down and narrow end pointed away and slightly to the left. Move the tip forward 1/8 inch and back again while you pivot the narrow end to the right. Make five or six petals, turning the cupcake as you go. Then, if desired, pipe a smallpetal on stem to make the bud shown at left. With yellow buttercream and a small plain tip (#2), pipe three or four dots in center of flower. Pipe tiny leaves with green buttercream and a small V-leaf tip (#349). Repeat for remaining cupcakes. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.