There’s a new era of cupcakes emerging, and this time they’re about artistry rather than sugar and fat. When you’re preparing to devour one of these masterpieces, even the manliest of men feels like a princess. Korean cupcakes, which have been gaining popularity among baking bloggers and Pinterest users, sit in the hand like a tiny, impossibly beautiful bouquet, and are adorned with megabytes of glistening examples of the intricate confections.

Until early 2010, the majority of flower cakes in Korea were Western style, and most of the time, the aesthetics were not that important. When teachers and artists such as Kang decided to take things to the next level, the world changed. Flower cakes were taught in Korea only by a few teachers at the time, including myself. Ideally, nature should be mimicked in as elegant a way as possible. There are a lot of thin, almost translucent petals on the plant.

Cake decorating enthusiasts, professionals, students, and home bakers from all over Korea learned this technique at Kang. Thanks to the Korean Wave, people started coming from abroad over time. Additionally, Kang says, colors were displayed more naturally, rather than artificially. A recipe for buttercream that’s super-glossy and structurally stable was developed by Kang, which permits the pipering of petals with ever thinner, more delicate, more detailed, and more lifelike details.

1. Korean Buttercream

In recent years, glossy Korean buttercream has become a popular method of making buttercream flowers. Korean buttercream is traditionally made using the Italian meringue technique. My version of the Swiss meringue method differs from the original recipe.

As for myself, I usually make sugar flowers using my popular stiff buttercream recipe. It was noted, however, that many of you contacted me to ask if I had tried this buttercream. Therefore, it was a must-try for me. However, this buttercream is tasty and you should definitely try it. My version involves a little more effort than the original recipe.

G.G.Craft created the glossy Korean buttercream recipe under copyright. You can find her original recipe with a link to her website in my cake decorating tutorials. A candy thermometer is required for the original recipe which is based on the Italian meringue method.

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I enjoyed making this Italian meringue buttercream, but it was not an easy task. All the ingredients, from butter to sugar syrup and meringue, had to be measured at the proper temperature. Although I did it once, it was not something I would repeat. To accomplish that, I had to figure out how to use my preferred method, Swiss meringue.

2. Korean White Bean Paste

The recipes I share here will always be favorites from my family, and this is one of my mom’s favorite cookies of all time. The word cookie might not conjure images of bean paste, but if you’re Korean, you think about it. Shiroan, also known as white bean paste, is a common filling for desserts and pastries in Japanese and East Asian cuisines. White bean paste has a milder taste than red bean paste, so this is a good choice if you’re not a fan of red bean paste.

Premade white bean paste is almost impossible to locate outside of Japan, while red bean paste is readily available in Japanese and Asian grocery stores. In spite of the fact that the process is not complicated, it does take some time. However, Japanese sweets can always be made with white bean paste in advance.

There is nothing much to say about sangtugwaja other than that it is white bean paste. A chewy, creamy, and fudgy cookie, these are one of those bites that leave you sighing. A piping bag and five ingredients are all you need, and they can be prepared in minutes.

3. Korean Buttercream Cupcakes

The buttercream used to decorate Korean cakes is very sweet and leaves a wonderful impression. You will see elaborate and beautiful flowers fashioned from this cream a lot in Korean bakeries. It’s amazing how gorgeous they are!

The 5.5-hour masterclass will be led by Chef Amber as she demonstrates how to make a smooth and natural Korean Buttercream. There will be an emphasis on piping roses, crysanthemums, apple blossoms, scabiosa flowers, hydrangeas, and lamb ears in this class. As part of the workshop, Chef Amber will teach you how to read color charts, how to tune ombre gradients, and how to tone natural colors.

4. Veranda Cup Cake

Despite seeming to be a little less popular in Seoul than in other parts of the world, maybe more people would be able to see what they’re missing out on if they tried Korean Veranda Cupcake. I’ve passed shops and cafes that look cool and then never found them again due to the abundance of small shops and cafes. I almost went to Veranda Korean Cupcake, but I decided to write it down so that I could check it out later.

Baking cupcakes was my favorite sweet treat because I lacked self-discipline when cutting the cake. The fact that Korean cupcakes are so cute is another reason! In addition, they always come up with more interesting flavors. Despite several open tables in the shop, the atmosphere was much louder than I expected.

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If there isn’t any traffic, maybe stopping by during the empty time is more peaceful, but I wouldn’t study alone here. Although you can come here alone or with friends, you can also come here on a date. Several regular tables and some couches are located in front of the large windows that overlook the road.

5. Creamfields Heaven Cupcake

Getting Korean good cupcakes has been difficult here in Korea. I was devastated when the only place I knew with amazing cupcakes closed a few months ago. Although I might be overreacting, I was deeply upset. The coincidence of passing by a cupcake place I had never noticed before with my dog seemed like fate.

My feelings about Creamfields remind me of the hipster feel of Southern California. There is a nice open feel to the interior with glass walls and white chiffon curtains. Gold-trimmed marble tables, fresh flower arrangements, and posters inspired by California adorn the space. The experience is everything a millennial who is obsessed with Instagram could ask for.

As a matter of fact, Creamfields is known for making some pretty amazing cupcakes. Despite the cake’s density, it has a good balance between moisture and moistness. Although I prefer my cupcakes a bit more on the moist side, I think these are a good compromise for both taste and texture lovers.

On the earl gray cupcake, there is a creamy cream cheese frosting, while on the mint cookies & crème cupcake, there is surgery buttercream frosting. Korea’s desserts are generally geared towards pleasing Korean taste preferences, which means they lack the richness and sweetness they are known for. Despite not being completely western-style cupcakes, these are pretty close.

6. David Austin Rose Cake

Peach David Austin Roses were the central flower on the cake, and the foliage surrounded it. These roses are so delicate and pretty with the ruffled centers that I absolutely adore them. If you want to know how I make my David Austin sugar roses, now is the perfect time. The video tutorial this week explains each step from the tools you need to add the different layers of petals.

Three different sizes of rose petal cutters were used to make the rose. I used the three largest size petal cutters from the Windsor set of five rose petal cutters in this video. My traditional rose cutters also work with these, so if you’re familiar with traditional rose-making, you won’t need any new equipment. Veins were also added to the larger petals to enhance their realistic appearance. With regard to my wedding cake, I loved how the rose turned out and I thought that it added a great touch.

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