Cherry Blossom Cupcake

Vanilla cupcake inspired by cherry blossom i.e. sakura. I use tip 101 to do the flowers. 

Here are the real cherry blossom flowers:

Some interesting facts about cherry blossom:

• It is the unofficial national flower of Japan.

• Its blossoming in spring also signifies the beginning of the new academic year in Japan.

• The kanji character for the cherry blossom (  ) is an image of a woman wearing a hair ornament next to a tree.

• Cherry blossoms are the flowers most beloved by the Japanese. Because cherry blossoms have short blooming times and are fragile, they have been used to symbolize the transience of life; this symbolism meshed well with the teachings of Buddhism. Also, since cherry trees blossom en masse, they have also been used as metaphors for clouds. Fallen blossoms, not to be ignored, are likened to snow and later, as a metaphor for a warrior killed early in life.

• On the other hand, in China, cherry blossom is the symbol of feminine dominance, female beauty and sexuality. Additionally, the cherry blossom is the Chinese symbol of feminine principle and it also symbolizes love in the language of herbs.Interestingly, cherry blossom is the flower of the April in China, whereas in Japan, it is wisteria.

Info from:  http://students.washington.edu/ianli/japan/sakura/ 

Photo: http://cherry-blossom-guides.blogspot.com/2011/08/japan-cherry-blossom_14.html