I'm making a cake for my Godchild's twins Baptism. The cake is not the problem.  Making the roses is.  I've watch tutorials and they look easy, but when I try, my look like squares.  Help

I've heard of cabbages before, but never squares!  Are you making them on a stick or a flathead rose nail?  I made a video, maybe it will be helpful...

http://s984.photobucket.com/user/Unlimited1cakes/media/20090718_013631.mp4.html?o=2

I never liked my buttercream roses so I was happy to teach myself how to make fondant and gumpaste roses. Much easier. You might want to give them a try.

On a flathead rose nail.  I've watched several and they look so easy, but I'm new at this.  Would gumpaste be better for a novice?

Will give them a try. tks

See : "How to make gum paste roses without cutters for cake decorating " tutorial on "you tube". This is similar to how I have made them in the past without the need for petal cutters or a balling tool. I use meringue glue to attach the petals though. And I don't use broken spoons to shape the petals although that is a good idea. Meringue glue is 1 tablespoon of meringue powder with enough water added to make a thin paste. I like to dry the middle bud overnight if it is on wire or a toothpick. But I often make them without either.

You can buy the cutters and tools too but it isn't necessary. I have foam sheets that are kind of crinkled that I use to flatten the petals on. You can use anything that is food safe to get that crinkled petal texture.

I always buy a couple of real roses to use for examples of the petal size and shape and for how a rose is shaped. It really helps.

Thank you. I bought some Wilton gum paste, a non-stick rolling pin, and some other tools to help me practice.  

 Though you are a newbie, if you keep practicing you will be able to make buttercream roses easily. It just takes practice. Your frosting also has to be kind of thick enough to keep the rose shape. Try watching more you tube videos that show close ups of how to make them. I know you can do it!!! Don't give up on buttercream roses! Once you master them you will be glad that you kept trying.  I put them in freezer for about 10 minutes to harden up then you can put them on your cake and arrange them however you want to. 

Gum paste roses are pretty but they do not taste very good.  

I've also just recently started playing with buttercream roses.  When I make them, they always end up with a really wide  base.  Any hints on how I can do them better?

Thanks,

Lizzie

I have a video on youtube showing my pathetic attempt at making buttercream roses...They only way that I can make them look halfway right is by making them on a dowel. That way you can make them more upright and when you slide it off the dowel it will press it into the right shape. It's just a matter of practice until you get it right, there's no fast way to learn how to do them. 

Lizzie, what tip are you using?  Sometimes the larger tips will give you a wider base.  Another hint would be to check your beginning base, are you using a round tip to pipe a base or just using the petal tip for the base?  Roses take lots of practice but can be so much fun and easy to do.  Some of my first roses looked as if bunnies had been running through them then munching on them.  The key for me is firm buttercream.  I have taught classes for several years and everyone has their own way of accomplishing their final rose.  Don't give up!  :)

Thank you for the video, Kara - I will try that way next time I have some buttercream to play with.

TheresaCarol, I am using a pretty big petal tip.  It is normally after I have been doing ruffles on the side of a cake that I then have a play around with whatever is left in the piping bag.

I will keep practising - although I don't have much demand for roses, it is fun to do :-)

I've also taught for many years and got quite adept at trouble-shooting the rose-making process!  LOL  Wish I could see you actually pipe one so I could decipher where your problems start....   :)

One of the tricks that I have sometimes given my students was to tell them to attempt to pipe in the opposite direction than their Wilton book  tell them to... in other words, instead of turning the nail in the usual counterclockwise...try doing it clockwise!  Son instead of drawing the petals towards you, you will pipe them away from you! 

It sounds awkward, and may be at first, but this motion seems to be a bit more natural to some folks.  An outward curve is a more natural movement than an inward curve.  Anyway, it worked for me....so here is my general explanation: 

       -Turning the nail: start with the nail resting at the tip of your index finger and use your thumb to draw it backward to about the middle of your finger. 

      -Piping basic petals: imagine the clock face with the 6 position being close to your body (3 on your right, 9 on your left).  Begin with your tip  touching the rose base at a position somewhere around the 4/5 position (7/8 for lefties) with tip vertical (straight up and down, no leaning either direction!) -now doing two things at once, gently squeeze and drag the end of your tip forward across the rose base in that little arch/horse shoe shape -releasing pressing as you come to the end of the petal....all the while giving a slight clockwise turn of your nail. 

And remember to think small - don't try to go the entire way around your rose base with a single petal!  :) 

OK- that is my teacher's 2 cents worth.  :)  

Now practice, practice, practice!