How to Make a Palette Knife Floral Cake!

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How to Make a Palette Knife Floral Cake!

Learn how beautiful and simple it is to make a palette knife floral cake. This technique is something you can do with thick acrylic paint on canvas too.

This art project is fun because the canvas is a beautiful and edible cake and the paint is creamy delicious buttercream frosting!

This white canvas cake was made for me by a fabulous cake maker friend, CakeologybyKatie. I am not a great cake maker and can't get a smooth frosting finish, so I'm more than happy to hire a friend to do the hard part for me.

So find a friend to make you a delicious lemon poppyseed cake with smooth white buttercream frosting or make one yourself.

I had Katie make me a batch of buttercream frosting too so this project was fun for me to just come in and paint.

Here's how to make Buttercream frosting:

3 Cups of Butter (real butter--and yes, 3 cups...this is why it's so good)
2 pounds of powdered sugar
1/4 Cup of milk (or cream if you are feeling really decadent)

Dump the butter in a mixer and blend until smooth. Then add half the powdered sugar and mix. Mix slowly so the sugar doesn't poof all over.

Then add the rest of the powdered sugar and drip a little of the milk in at a time.

Use the milk to bring it to the right consistency, rather than just pouring it in all at once.

You might need less.

It should be smooth and soft, but hold its shape.

If you are squeezing it through a piping bag, it needs to be soft enough to squeeze through without dripping out, or blowing out the bag.

Here's how to make Buttercream frosting: 3 Cups of Butter (real butter--and yes, 3 cups...this is why it's so good) 2 pounds of powdered sugar 1/4 Cup of milk (or cream if you are feeling really decadent) Dump the butter in a mixer and blend until smooth. Then add half the powdered sugar and mix. Mix slowly so the sugar doesn't poof all over. Then add the rest of the powdered sugar and drip a little of the milk in at a time. Use the milk to bring it to the right consistency, rather than just pouring it in all at once. You might need less. It should be smooth and soft, but hold its shape. If you are squeezing it through a piping bag, it needs to be soft enough to squeeze through without dripping out, or blowing out the bag.

Supplies Needed For the Palette Knife Floral Cake:

Step 1: Color Frosting

Begin by splitting up the buttercream frosting into bowls and mixing all the individual colors you want to use.

All the food coloring gels can be mixed to create varying colors and shades. Some frosting colors can look too vibrant and "fake", so adding a bit of the opposite color can dull it just slightly.

Step 2: Palette Knife Flowers

Now put small piles of colored frosting on the glass palette.

Begin by selecting a long, thin palette knife.

Slide the back of the palette knife across the frosting, picking up an even layer of the frosting.

Then place the backside of the palette knife on the cake and slide it gently, leaving the frosting behind.

Step 2: Palette Knife Flowers Now put small piles of colored frosting on the glass palette. Begin by selecting a long, thin palette knife. Slide the back of the palette knife across the frosting, picking up an even layer of the frosting. Then place the backside of the palette knife on the cake and slide it gently, leaving the frosting behind.

It can take a swipe or two to get the hang of it, so start by practicing on another cutting board.

Repeat the process adding petals to the flower on the cake.

Change colors, change palette knife sizes and add flowers around the entire cake.

Continue adding beautiful flowers to the cake! Get creative and add different types of flowers too.

A rose can be done easily with the rounded palette knife. Just add swashes of colorful frosting to create depth and contrast.

Step 3: Palette Knife Leaves

Now repeat the same process with a palette knife to create leaves. Use a variety of colors to create depth and visual interest. Mix frosting colors together and even give them a marbled look if desired.