Cupcakes have taken the modern world by storm and become all the rage. Once considered a treat meant for children, cupcakes have grown and changed to be included in all festivities – even weddings.
With this fairly new popularity has come a stream of home bakers wanting to get in on the action. Unfortunately, many people feel beautiful cupcake designs must be challenging to make. But that’s far from the case.
Continue reading to learn seven simple and sweep cupcake decorating tips that will impress your friends.
1. Create a Simple Rosette Swirl
A rosette swirl is classy and straightforward. It creates a rose-like design that’s flatter than traditional children’s cupcakes and is super easy to do. Pull out your piping bag and an open-star tip to begin.
Fill your piping bag with enough icing that you can apply pressure, but not so much it overfills. Start piping in the center of the cupcake and swirl outwards in a single layer.
2. Make Grass or Fur With Icing
Making grass or fur with icing is a simple trick that will be a hit with adults and children alike. It’s much easier than many people believe, too! All you need is your piping bag and a multi-opening tip (also known as a grass tip).
Start in the center of the cupcake and apply even pressure to the icing bag at a 90-degree angle. Pull upwards slowly until the grass-like strands are the desired length. Then, let go and repeat until the cupcake is covered.
You can use varying shades of green icing to create grass. Brown, white, and black are standard colors to use to create fur. Add your non-icing embellishments (like flower rings or edible eyes) to finish the look.
3. Use a Basic Piped Swirl
A basic piped swirl will work in almost any situation. If you learn only one way to pipe cupcakes, this is the one you should go with. Grab your piping bag again and an open tip.
Starting at the outside corner of the cupcake, apply even pressure to the piping bag and circle towards the center from the inside out. Follow this up by creating ever-smaller rings of icing until you reach a pointed end in the middle. Remember to keep pressure throughout piping for the evenest swirl.
What makes this basic piped swirl so great is how versatile it is. The aesthetic can change based on how thick your open tip is, what colors you use, and which non-icing embellishments you choose. Experiment with the results of different sized open tips or try the same technique with a ruffled tip instead.
4. No Piping Bag? No Problem!
If you need to ice cupcakes in a pinch but don’t have a piping bag, don’t worry. Grab your icing and a butter knife. Stay near running water so you can use it as needed.
Use your butter knife to apply a thick layer of icing onto the top of the cupcake. For swirls, move the butter knife back and forth in a ribbon-type movement. For a rounded top, moisten clean hands and gently create an ice-cream scoop shape on top.
For ice-cream scoop shapes, roll in sprinkles after. Not only will this cover any imperfections in the icing, but it also helps create a smoother shape.
5. Create Your Own Colors
You don’t have to be limited by the icing colors found in the store. It’s effortless to create a range of nearly limitless colors by starting with plain white icing and using food coloring. Plain white icing can be bought in the store or made from scratch.
To create your icing from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup softened butter (margarine works in a pinch but may alter the taste slightly)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk (whole is best, but 2% works)
Using a tabletop mixer is the preferred choice. However, you can also use a handheld mixer if that’s all you have. You’ll need to continue manually stirring between each step instead of letting it go on its own.
Throw the butter and vanilla extract into the mixer and let it go until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Add milk and continue mixing until light and fluffy.
At this point, you could add the desired coloring and mix it thoroughly into the icing. You can also place icing into individual bowls and mix in manually if using multiple colors. Feel free to experiment with the colors you could make by combining them or using more (or less) of a color.
6. Get Creative With the Extras
Use your creativity with non-icing extras on your cupcakes. If an item fits on top of a cupcake and isn’t poisonous, it can likely be used. A few examples of things you could use to decorate your cupcakes include:
- Crushed, halved, or whole cookies
- Candies
- Edible eyes
- Toy rings
- Small toys (like trucks, dolls, animal figures, etc.)
- Sprinkles
- Nonpareils
- Flowers (natural or synthetic)
There are many other options for non-icing decorations you could add to your cupcakes. This list is far from inclusive but should get the creative juices flowing.
7. Think Beyond the Cupcakes Themselves
The cupcakes may be the centerpiece, but how you arrange them can make a world of difference at social events. Find a cupcake holder stand or two you like. You can also use homemade boards with wrapping paper or foil in a pinch.
More Questions About Cupcake Decorating Tips?
Decorating cupcakes doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. The seven simple and sweet tips above can help you decorate beautiful cupcakes with minimal effort. You can use these starting tips and tweak them to your own uses as you become more comfortable with the decorating process.
Do you have more questions about cupcake decorating tips?
Browse our other posts. You’ll find articles on dessert decorating, baking, and similar topics to help you learn more on the subject.