Ingredients:

For Cupcakes:

3 and 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/4- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

2 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla essence

For Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

3 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp milk

Styrofoam ball / polystyrene foam ball

vase

toothpicks

piping bags

Preparation:

For Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius. Line 2 cupcake trays with 18-20 paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt.
3. In a bowl, whisk in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla essence, until combined.
4. Slowly mix this wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (flour mixture).
5. Add in the melted butter and mix with a spatula until just combined. Do not beat or overmix 
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin until 3/4 way full.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean...Allow the cupcakes to cool completely..

For Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1.  In a bowl, add the butter and beat until smooth and creamy at medium speed using electric mixer.
2. When pale in color, add 3 cups icing sugar/ confectioner's sugar, little at a time on low speed,until it mixes well with the butter.
3. Then increase the speed to medium and add vanilla essence and milk (if required) and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Transfer half into another bowl and add few drops of pink food coloring.
5. Place each butter cream in a large piping bag with the 1 M wilton nozzle or a large star shaped nozzle.

To Assemble:

1. Place the foam ball into the vase and push down to secure.

   2. On the top, use 2 toothpicks to secure 1 cupcake in place.

   3. Then start arranging the cupcakes in a circle around the edge of the vase, then another circle of cupcakes on top until all the ball is covered.

    4. Pipe the cupcakes with buttercream icing on each cake to make it look like a rose. 

    5. Fill in the gaps between the cupcakes with any flowers, leaves..

    6. Store in a cool place or refrigerate until needed...

• To make rose, hold the piping bag in a vertical direction and pipe straight down (creating a star) in the center and quickly, using pressure continue piping around the center until the cupcake surface is fully covered. ( I didn't have the proper nozzle and the buttercream was not firm, so didn't get the perfect roses).

Recipe adapted from here