Great tips that even someone that uses buttercream on a regular basis can use. The book had beautiful photos and easy to understand directions. I would definitely recommend for bakers of all stages.

Buttercream Botanicals for Beginners is a well written, accessible, and beginner friendly tutorial guide by Leslie Vigil. Released 8th Nov 2022 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 128 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This book reads like a really well run and enjoyable workshop with a competent and fun facilitator. She begins with an overview over tools and supplies (including the best tutorial on choosing and using piping bags and tips I've ever read), and builds up slowly to introduce recipes, techniques, icing surfaces for decoration, and finishing and arrangements and presentations. 

There are tutorial exercises throughout which build up techniques through repetition and clear step by step photos. The recipes for buttercream and vanilla cake are basic and no-frills, so learners can concentrate on acquiring technique instead of varying the "tools" of cake base and frosting. The book is beautifully photographed throughout and readers could definitely build the skills necessary to produce the cupcakes on the cover using only information contained in the book. 

Five stars. This is an impressive and accessible book. Highly recommended for public or school library acquisition, as well as home use and gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Great resource for beginners and for pros! If you’re interested in cake decorating this is the best tool to have to get started in gorgeous floral cakes

Buttercream Botanicals for Beginners by Leslie Vigil
Simple techniques for creating stuffing flowers, botanicals, and more

Having taken several months of cake decorating classes while in the USA unable to return home due to hostilities near our home, I wanted to see what this book might offer and how it would compare with what I learned decades ago. Little did I realize when I requested to read and review it that it was written by a master in buttercream frosting that creates art on cakes that are lifelike and museum quality.

The provides recipes for basic buttercream frosting and basic cakes, discusses essential supplies, how to get started, four fundamental techniques, how to prep the cake canvas and how to add final touches to uplift the final product.

What I liked:
* Recipes were concise and used natural easily found ingredients
* Photos to illustrate steps and desired results
* New to me use of slip-joint pliers to adjust piping tips to personal specifications
* Gel colorants – have used liquid and paste but have not tried gel and they seem to be more concentrated
* The variety of new colors to create when making decorative buttercream frosting – this section reminded me of the color charts I created for watercolor painting and how various shades can be achieved
* The ‘adding color accents’ section was new to me and intriguing – how to add an accent color to the piping bag to give two-tones with each squeeze of the piping bag
* Notes and tips to make it all easier when a new concept is introduced
* The variety of new ideas that I have never seen or tried: succulents, stitchery, using buttercream piles to create elevation on a cake, color combinations
* The four fundamental techniques: Blossom, Rose, Mum, Leaf (what I learned was basic and may have included these long ago BUT did not put them into application as illustrated in this book…makes me want to get my tips out and try some decorating again)
* The photos of final product with step-by-step instructions to create numerous end products for decorating a cake with tips to use and
* The variety…so much of it…and how it reminded me again of watercolor and trying to create certain flowers in pain on paper…now want to create the same flowers on cakes and cupcakes

It would be a treat to attend one of this author’s classes at some point in time. After doing a bit of online searching I found that there are courses offered online by the author and those would be a treat to attend at some point in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto-Quary Publiishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Wow.

Firstly, this book is just simply beautiful, the work is quite exquisite. I was so very impressed by the outcomes and so many lovely photo's that I'm sure probably don't do it justice.

I don't find it so easy to do buttercream flowers but I have had a go and will be getting back into it, this book just shows you in such an easy way, its inspirational.

The book is written in such a way it's like reading from an old friend, there's plenty of tips and tricks and unlike most cooking books - no chunks of text with heavy jargon in it that makes you feel like flinging the book shut!


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher read and inspire oneself with this FREE ARC in return for my honest review, I simply loved it!

This book is full of colour and tips. It amazes all the creations you can make with buttercream and made me want to practice and I hope it will look good like in the book.

I could just have a whole book of the pictures of the authors buttercream botanicals. They are like works of art. She explains how to make each piece so well.

I took classes in cake decorating classes, but nothing I was taught came close to the glorious creations between the covers of BUTTERCREAM BOTANICALS FOR BEGINNERS. Even if you have no interest in learning yourself, you'll still enjoy the beauty on these pages.

This is a wonderful book for beginning bakers! Wonderful graphics and instructions were included. I feel like I can make the beautiful icing flowers I see in the magazines!!
Thank you for NetGalley for allowing me to review this wonderful book! I am ordering it for my own cookbook shelf!

This is a lovely book full of gorgeous photos. I thought the how to pipe flowers was well explained. I hope to improve,but I think I would benefit more from videos.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry and NetGalley for e-ARC of the book.

As a beginner in piping, I really appreciated all the details and advice on materials and techniques. The photos in the book are not only gorgeous, but educational and demonstrate amazing detail, and some even convinced me into thinking those were real flowers.

Absolutely beautiful pictures! Some I think would be great to watch a video to understand technique of holding piping bag and how to twist etc but everything you need is here!

This is a great buttercream flower decoration book for beginners -- there are quintessential flowers and skills every beginners need to learn in this book and it covers basics such as buttercream, vanilla cake recipe, piping tips, and such. There are just enough numbers of flowers to learn and have fun piping, but not too many to be overwhelmed by. The photos are crisp and clear, and instruction is easy to understand, however, this book lacks of lesson on how to create colors which can be a difficult thing to master for beginners. I think, in that sense, this book has some room to grow, and perhaps Leslie Vigil will publish a book for advanced decorators that teaches how to mix and create many colors from three primary colors. For what it's worth, it is a great book for beginners who would love to learn how to pipe flowers!

This was an excellent guide to buttercream blooms and although it's for beginners I think it would be a really great edition to anyone's collection. I have made buttercream flowers before and I found many helpful tips in this book. Clear concise instructions and really good step by step pictures . I will definitely be adding this to my collection and would highly recommend to anyone who wants to give this a try or if you want to expand your range of blooms. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.'

This is a great book for you if you want to start decorating your cakes with buttercream. All manner of flowers are included. There are clear, detailed instructions with the author emphasising you to not need to purchase expensive equipment. In addition to the buttercream recipes, there are recipes for basic cakes too. The chapters on working with colour are particularly good.

This book did a great job of explaining how to make buttercream flowers and plants. I wasn't so sure how it would go as I more of a visual learner and tend to do better with videos but I was wonderfully surprised how detailed the instructions were and how there was a picture of each tiny step. I also really liked the beginning instructions and explanations of some of the tools needed. In the videos you see people using these tools but they don't tell you what they are or where to get them. I also appreciated that she didn't have a crazy long list of specialty items you need to have and also had substitute ideas of items you could use that you probably already own. If anyone has ever been interested in learning how to make things with frosting this is a great resource.

This book is a great tool for a beginner cake decorator. The instructions are simple, with beautiful step-by-step photos on all the techniques. Besides showing you how to make flowers and succulents, there are instructions for frosting your cake, and for adding different textures to your cake. There are also directions for doing cake embroidery. I would definitely recommend this if you are looking to improve your piping skills

This is a very useful primer. I was able to make a flower that was now a rose. This has some super cue flowers to make and some great leaves. I would have loved a bit more photos of cake decorations.

I felt drawn to the cover of this book to to pick as one to read.
The photos are so beautiful. It brings me back to my younger days where cake design was popular and seems to be making a comeback.

This book presents flowers as work of art and decorating cakes with them. I wanted to re-familiarize myself with the secrets of making beautiful flowers and decorations.

There are over 8 designs this book offers and the colors /hybrid are gorgeous.
I love the creativity the author has put together simple easy to follow instructions as well as a myriad of different florals, making the cakes too pretty to eat!

Another great book to help hon my cake decorating skills. The flowers and succulents that are created in this book are beautiful. Rich beautiful colors created. The book lists supplies, tips, color combos to help you create beauty. There are recipes for buttercream and cakes. She shows you ideas for painting on your cake and also painting your piping bags to create multi colored flowers. Following these directions you can make beautiful cakes.