Mother's Day Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream Icing

Mother's Day is fast approaching and for me that means making something super cute and feminine to treat my mom. One of my favourite treats to surprise her with and to show my appreciation are light and airy vanilla cupcakes with rose petal buttercream icing. The only downside to making these rose petal cupcakes is that your mother may tell you that they are too pretty to eat.

The Perfect Mother's Day Cupcakes

These cupcakes are the perfect treat for Mother's Day or for any special occasion such as bridal showers, baby showers, Valentine's Day, birthdays... I could go on. I love these cupcakes because they are so decadent and scrumptious, they are fluffy and airy, they have gorgeous and girly pink tones, and they are so simply and easy to make.

Ingredients in Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

• all-purpose flour - adds substance.
• baking powder - adds lift.
• salt - adds flavour.
• unsalted butter - softened butter which adds flavour, rise, and browned edges.
• granulated sugar - adds sweetness.
• eggs - adds flavour and structure.
• vanilla extract - adds flavour.
• milk - adds moisture.
• buttercream icing - made with unsalted butter, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, milk, and food colouring. If you are a chocolate lover, you could also use creamy Nutella buttercream frosting to pipe roses on these cupcakes.

You will also need a 2D star piping tip and a piping bag.

How to Make Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing for Mother's Day

1. Make the vanilla cupcakes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add in the vanilla and continue to beat together. Add the dry ingredients gradually, alternating with the milk, until fully mixed together.
2. Bake the cupcakes. Line muffin tray with cupcake liners. Fill the liners ⅔ full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes in a preheated 350 F oven. Let cool.
3. Prepare the buttercream icing. Beat the butter using an electric mixer. Add vanilla and mix until light and fluffy. Then, add in confectioners' sugar gradually, mixing on medium speed. Add milk and food colouring and continue to mix together until light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth until you are ready to use.
4. Frost rose petals on the cupcakes.

How to Frost a Rose Petal Cupcake

So, the million dollar question is: how do you frost gorgeous rose petals on these cupcakes? Well, luckily you don't have to be a professional pastry chef to create professional-looking cupcakes because it is not as complicated as it looks. Here's how you do it:

1. Secure the 2D piping tip onto a piping bag and fill the bag with icing.
2. In the middle of the cupcake, pipe a small amount of icing.
3. Without lifting your piping bag, slowly work your way around, counter-clockwise, until you reach the outer edge of the cupcake. Make sure you use a lot of pressure to get the icing out consistently.
4. Repeat with all the cupcakes.

Frosting a rose on a cupcake can be done in literally a few seconds! If you are a beginner, take it slow on the first or second cupcake, until you get the hang of the swirl technique. You've got this!

More Mother's Day Recipes

For more Mother's Day recipes, check out my Easy Mother's Day Brunch Menu. You will find everything from savoury showstoppers (pancakes, crepes, and fresh toast), to effortless eggs, to savoury tarts and galettes, to baked goods (croissants, scones, biscuits) and homemade bread, to fresh spring salads, and refreshing drinks and smoothies.

Recipe

Mothers Day Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream Icing

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4.9 from 17 reviews

• Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 cupcakes
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Light, airy and fluffy vanilla cupcakes with rose petal buttercream icing is the cutest treat for Mother’s Day. They are super quick and easy to make.

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Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 + ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 + ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk

Buttercream Icing

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1-2 drops red food colouring

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Instructions

Vanilla Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tray with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add in vanilla and continue to beat together.
4. Add the dry ingredients gradually, alternating with the milk, until fully mixed together.
5. Fill up the cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Using a toothpick, check that the centre of the cupcake comes out clean.
6. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin tray. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Buttercream Icing

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter using an electric mixer. Add vanilla and mix together until light and fluffy.
2. Add in confectioners' sugar gradually, mixing on medium speed. Add milk and food colouring and continue to mix together until light and fluffy. If using liquid food colouring, you may need to add a little more sugar.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth until you are ready to use the icing.

Frosting Rose Petals on the Cupcakes

1. Secure a 2D piping tip onto a piping bag and fill the bag with icing.
2. In the middle of the cupcake, pipe a small amount of icing. Without lifting your piping bag, slowly work your way around, counter-clockwise, until you reach the outer edge of the cupcake. Make sure you use a lot of pressure to get the icing out consistently.
3. Repeat these steps with the all the cupcakes.

Notes

If you are a chocolate lover, use creamy Nutella buttercream frosting to pipe roses onto these cupcakes.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Cupcakes
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American