Eating cupcakes don’t have to be the only fun part of the baking process!
Cupcake piping is a great way to personalize your baked goods to fit any theme. Between choosing the icing color, picking the design, and displaying the final product, you have tons of creative freedom with your baked goods.
If you’ve had a professional baking course before, you’d know that piping desserts require lots of practice. However, with the right tips (and the right piping tips), you can create a beautiful baked good for any occasion, no matter what your level of expertise. Keep reading to learn how!
Choosing the Right Tip
The first tip to creating beautifully iced cupcakes is finding the right cupcake piping tip.
While there are tons of different piping tip options and brands on the market, it is important to know the 6 basic types of piping tips:
- Round Tips: best for small details and wording
- Open Star Tips: perfect for borders and mini-cupcakes
- Closed Star Tips: similar to open star tips, but with a more defined texture
- Petal Tips: perfect for creating flowers and ruffles
- Leaf Tips: easily creates leaves, perfect for floral designs
- Specialty Tips: this category spans many different piping tips, but they are all intended to create quirky and fun designs
Each of these tips range in size and shape, so pick the best tip for the design you want to create.
Choosing Your Piping Bag
The next step in creating cupcake piping designs is to get a piping bag.
There are tons of different piping bag options to choose from: size, material, disposable or reusable, etc. The piping bag you choose will be dependent on the type of icing (or other food item) you will be putting in it.
Whichever type you choose, make sure you do not overfill the bag, because this can cause a huge mess when it comes time to decorate.
The Best Icing for Piping
As mentioned above, certain piping bags are better for certain food items.
Since you clicked on a cupcake decorating tips article, we will be focusing on cupcake icing. The best type of icing for cupcake piping beginners is buttercream icing.
Buttercream is known for being light and airy while still holding its form, which is great for creating designs from icing. You can make your own, or you can buy pre-made buttercream if you need it fast.
Filling the Piping Bag
Overfilling your piping bag can lead to messes and possibly ruining your cupcakes. It is very important to get the correct size piping bag for the job you’re doing.
A great tip for filling your piping bag is to use a tall cup. Insert the piping tip into the bag, and place it in a large cup tip side down. Then, fold over the edge of the bag over the side of the cup to create a cuff. This makes it much easier to fill and not spill.
Cleaning and Storing Your Piping Materials
If you want your piping tips to last a long time, then it is very important to clean and store them properly.
If you decide to use a disposable piping bag, then you can just throw it away after use and clean the tip with soap and water. If you choose a reusable piping bag, it is important to clean it thoroughly to keep away bacteria and mold.
To do this, turn your piping bag inside out and wash out the icing with soap and water. Then, turn it back to its normal position and clean the outside of the bag. Dry thoroughly, and store.
When storing your piping tips, it may be beneficial to label them or keep them in a tip organizer case. That way, instead of guessing and wasting icing, you can easily choose the tip you need and begin decorating.
Cupcake Displays
While it may be tempting to eat the cupcake right after you ice it, chances are that you want them to be seen in all their glory! Displaying your cupcakes in a fun way can add to the overall effect of your cupcakes.
Some examples of fun display ideas are using edible decorations, such as flowers or fondant shapes. These are a great way to spice up your cupcake display without adding any choking hazards.
Additionally, you may want to create towers of cupcakes using a cupcake stand. These stands can even be customized to fit with the theme of your event!
Displays are a great way to make your cupcakes into more than just food. Make them an experience!
Use Piping Tips for Other Foods
While this article focuses on cupcake piping, it is important to briefly mention the usage of piping tips and other foods.
Piping tips can be an amazing addition to your non-icing food items, such as mashed potatoes, doughs, and fillings. Many of the designs mentioned in the piping tips section can also be used on foods other than cakes.
You’ll want to make sure that the food-item you choose is thin enough to make it through the tip. If your tip gets blocked, use a toothpick to break up the clump, and squeeze it out.
You Are Ready to Decorate
Got enough tips on piping tips?
You don’t have to be a professional pastry chef to make beautiful cupcakes! With practice, patience, and these tips, you’re ready to start cupcake piping.
Want more tips on the things you do everyday? Check out our website! We cover many different topics from baking to business, so you are bound to learn something new.
