I am having the worst time trying to make roses. I have tried buttercream, royal and MMF, and am just not having much luck. It looks enough like a rose, and it's not really too bad, but the rose just seems to be too flat. I'm not sure how to get it to stand up more, if that makes any sense. I don't have my digital camera right now so I can't take a picture to show you what I mean, but when I make the petals out of royal icing, they just seem to lay back too far and not stand up. I'm using tip 12 to make a base, letting it dry because it was leaning to the side when I started adding petals right away, and then tip 104 for the petals. Any tips on getting a perfect rose, preferably out of royal icing which is what I want to use for my next cake?

if your bc or royal roses aren't standing up maybe your icing isn't stiff enough????? I can't make them out of bc for the life of me....but you give me any pliable substance, MMF, gumpaste, tootsie rolls, fruit roll ups, starburst, bubble gum, play dough....anything else!!! LOL and for some reason they're a cinch!! Go figure, and I thought the buttercream roses would be the easiest!!!

LOL I'm with you, KHalstead!! Give me something I can mush and squeeze into shape & I can make it look like anything!! But bc roses just end up making me angry and frustrated!! For me, part of the problem is I have hot hands, so my icing...no matter how stiff or perfect consistency it is when I start...always ends up way too soft.

potatocakes - would you say they look more like camellias or cabbages?? That's how mine always seem to turn out. Part of my problem is the center never staying put. It starts softening and leaning part way thru and my petals never stand up. I've seen and heard of people using regular chocolate and white chocolate Hershey's kisses for their centers here on CC. I'm thinking of giving that a shot this weekend for some practice.

Yes, Jenn, that's exactly what's happening! That's why I thought last night, as I was getting ready to try them again, to just make the bases and let them dry overnight, and then tonight I'll make the petals and see if that works. As for MMF roses, I tried the other day to make them, but my MMF was way too soft and it wouldn't hold its shape. The petals just drooped together. How long does it take roughly to make, say, two dozen MMF roses?

K- I thought bc would be super easy, too! It really makes me feel inadequate and untalented!!!

I too had the same problem this past wknd. when I was making the wedding cake in my photos. I made the roses with Royal Icing. And the base was titlting to one side also, so what I had to do was squeeze out all the icing in the mixing bowl again and add more confectioner's sugar to make it stiffer. Sometimes, I had to do that twice until it was stiff enough. I even made some. even with the base tilting alittle, I would just move the base a little by shaking to one side.

Believe it or not, at first I was holding the petal tip the wrong side down. (My husband pointed that out), and when I did the tip the right way, it worked. Something so easy, huh?

LOL.

So which end is the right way up, the wide end or the narrow end? I can't remember exactly (I'm at work right now so I can't check), but I think I was holding it with the wide end down, narrow end up. Is that right?

Okay, I read the article on CC and then watched the video, which I didn't know was on here! That would have helped me, but I had never noticed it. DUH! Anyway, I think one of my problems is I'm turning the nail clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. Don't know if that will make a difference, but I'll try it. Also, it looks like maybe I'm not holding the bag quite at the right angle. And I think maybe my icing needs to be stiffer. So, I'll give it a try tonight and see how it works! Fingers crossed for me please!!!

Good luck! You will get it. The roses I did for the wedding cake in my photos are my first time I have ever did royal icing roses. So, I did alot of them and got better. They are not perfect but alot of practice helps.

My first royal icing roses "melted" into each other - not stiff enough royal and was raining out that nite, so the air was damp. I pretty much have the BC roses down - alot of practice! My problem now is I am rose-bud challenged! Last weekend I did about 40 of them and every time I did one I really thought looked botanically correct, could not repeat it! Luckily all flowers in nature are not perfect! Could you imagine trying to do one of those "english" roses that have a million petals?!

deb

oops sorry...just learning how to "quote"

also if you want to try to make a rose to get some practice, you can go to wal-mart or any store that sells wilton supplies and get the wilton can of icing. it is the right consistency for roses and decorations. i cant get my icing the right consistency either. it is either too soft and falls or too stiff and the edges of the roses break. there are a few photos in my photos of a heart shaped cake that i used this icing for making the roses and they turned out so well and easy i was actually surprised it could be so easy. i am in wilton course 2 now and we are doing flowers and next week we have to use royal icing and i have only played with it once and made roses and they too melted together for some reason. so i am scared of what is going to happen in class....lol.

riagirl ..

here is where the video is ...

http://www.cakecentral.com/article25-Getting-Started-with-Buttercream-Roses.html

thanks for the video link!

Yes a common mistake is turning the nail the wrong way. I used to do that all the time!

Okay, so I went home last night with printed instructions in hand and tried again. And it went so much better! I think it helped a LOT that I had already made the cone bases and let them dry. I think I'll do that all the time when I have to make roses. It went so much faster. My roses are still not perfect, but they look much better. Along with turning the nail the wrong way, I found I was not holding the tip straight enough. I was holding it with the top narrow end sticking out too far, which caused the petals to lay back more than I wanted, resulting in the flat, "cabbage" look. I wish I had the camera to take some pictures and show you, but you'll just have to take my word for it! I feel much better now! Thanks for all your all's suggestions, encouragement and replies!