One question I get asked A LOT is “How do you make cupcake decorating look so easy?”, and by this, they mean piping the buttercream.

Sure, it might look effortless in the reels I put up, but I can assure you that it wasn’t always this way! Just like most of you, I too used to struggle with piping, and when I first started, I had no idea what I was doing! I think I read a couple of how-to posts, maybe watched a video or two, and just went “Alright let’s do this!”

These were the FIRST cupcakes I ever piped, using the little plastic piping kits you can get from the supermarkets (excuse the terrible lighting/photo quality from almost a decade ago)!

Fast-forward to 2 years later when I decide to teach myself piping and cupcake decorating properly as a creative outlet and therapy for mental health illness (I actually bought a proper piping tip set this time)!

And fast-forward to now, EIGHT years later, as an established home-caking business owner who specialises in cupcakes and buttercream.

Now, if you’re thinking, does it really take THAT long to achieve those results, stop worrying, because that’s what I’m here for! I’m going to weed out some of the mistakes and the unnecessary experiences (and hopefully the tears!), with some of my top tips for perfect piping so you can fast track your journey to piping beautiful cupcakes like a pro!

Tips for Perfect Piping

Cupcake Prep:

1. Flat Tops

Cupcakes with flat tops make it easier to pipe buttercream on as angles can affect the finished look eg the buttercream looking “droopy” or the overall design looking unbalanced. If your cupcakes bake with a dome/peak, just cut them off with a knife for a flat top.

 2. Crumb Coat

A crumb coat is a thin layer of buttercream that is applied before your actual buttercream layer/design. Whilst not always necessary for cupcakes (but an absolute must for cakes!), applying a crumb coat can provide better adherence of your actual buttercream design to the cake.

Piping Tips/Tools:

1. Material

Make sure you get good quality, STAINLESS STEEL piping tips – NOT plastic! It makes a huge difference! Plastic tips will fray and lose their shape very quickly, causing your buttercream to come out with rough edges and an unpolished/not very defined finish.

2. Size

When it comes to piping buttercream, size DOES matter! ;) While smaller tips are great for detailed work and finishes, most of the time you’re better off with the larger tips as they will give you a beautiful, even finish! Plus a tip size that is proportionate to your cupcake size will also make it easier and quicker to pipe the buttercream, as it can sometimes be hard to squeeze out buttercream in a smooth finish with a tip that is too small (look at the picture of my first ever piped cupcakes above to see what I mean)!

Buttercream

1. Smooth Buttercream

Of course, there’s no point in being able to pipe beautiful cupcakes if your buttercream isn’t right to begin with! For smooth buttercream, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start making it. And the biggest tip of all is to make sure you cream your butter well (depending on the power of your mixer, you’re looking at around 5mins). And be sure to use the paddle/beater attachment rather than the whisk to avoid air bubbles!

2. Buttercream Consistency

The key to perfect piping is in the consistency of your buttercream. It should be firm enough to hold its shape when piped, but not too stiff! You can adjust the consistency by playing with the temperature, or adding liquid or sugar.

Too cold/stiff/thick: Your buttercream will break off as you pipe and leave rough/jagged edges.

Too warm/runny/thing: Your buttercream will droop and not hold its shape when piping, leaving undefined edges.

Piping

1. Piping Bag

First of all, use a PROPER piping bag, not those freezer bag/Ziploc hacks! Trust me, it is just soooo much easier, especially if you’re still working on your piping skills! Make sure your piping tip is pushed all the way down so it’s secure (and buttercream won’t leak out), then fill up the bag with your buttercream till about ¾ full at most. The fuller your bag, the harder it will be to control your pressure and piping! Then, push down all the buttercream towards the tip, and twist the end of the bag several times to secure it and maintain a nice, firm, bag.

2. Piping Technique

When you pipe, you need to make sure your thumb & index finger remain on that twist at the end of your bag so your buttercream stays secure. As you pipe, you will need to keep pushing down the remaining buttercream and retwisting to maintain that firm/secure pressure on the bag.

Despite what you might have heard previously, hold the bag perpendicular (not angled!), with your piping tip at a slight distance from the cupcake. You need the space because you will basically be guiding the buttercream and letting it fall naturally on the cake rather than “forcing” it on, for lack of a better word. So as you pipe, make sure you apply even pressure mainly using the outside of your palm that’s holding the bag, then as you finish your pattern, gradually release the pressure and give a slight push downwards before pulling your tip away.

Design

1. Plan Ahead

To reduce mistakes, plan your design ahead of time. You can even practise on baking paper first so you’re feeling more confident before applying it to the actual cupcake. That way you can be sure you’ve got the right design, technique, and even the right piping tip and size!

 2. Colours & Embellishments

For a more polished or professional look, try using a combination of different piping tips/techniques! You can also add colours (gel or oil-based food colours tend to give the best results) and/or embellishments (eg. sprinkles, edible blooms, fresh fruit, etc.) – these can even help cover up some of your piping mistakes/blemishes too ;)

And my last tip is…

PRACTICE!

There really is no shortcut – perfect piping takes time and practice, so be patient! Don’t get discouraged, but learn from your mistakes and keep at it! A handy tip that will minimise effort & wastage is to practise on baking paper, then scrape it all off when you’re done and store it in glad wrap in the fridge until your next practice session!

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I hope you found these tips helpful! I know I would’ve been much further along much quicker if I had known all this when I first started! And because I really want to encourage you and help you perfect your piping, I have condensed all these tips into a handy little cheat sheet for you so that you can quickly refer to the main points without having to come back to this blog post! You’re welcome! ;)

Click the link below to download my FREE cheat sheet “8 Tips for Perfect Piping”, and make sure you subscribe to my blog if you want to keep getting MORE free tips & tricks, recipes, inspiration, behind-the scenes, and relatable stories on all things baking, motherhood, and mental health!

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