How to Frost Cupcakes 12 Ways
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Learn how to frost cupcakes 12 different ways with this easy tutorial! As a former bake shop owner, I’m a pro at frosting cupcakes and I’m sharing all my tips and tricks.
If you’re looking for cupcake recipes, be sure to check out some of my favorites like Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes, Organic Oreo Cupcakes, or Earl Grey Lemon Cupcakes.
Table of Contents
Learn how to decorate cupcakes 12 different ways with this easy tutorial! If you’re new to baking, this tutorial will help you learn how to frost cupcakes with ease.
And you’re honing your baking skills, learn how to pipe cupcakes with different piping tips for different designs. I’m sharing my favorite five decorating tips that I use the most!
Why You’ll Love This Tutorial
12 Different Ways: I’m sharing how to frost cupcakes 12 different ways! Whether you are trying to hone your cupcake skills, or don’t have any tools at all, you’ll learn how to frost cupcakes!
Video: I have a full video showing you exactly how to pipe cupcakes for each method. If you’re a visual learner, this will definitely help.
Use for Any Cupcakes: You can apply these decorating techniques any cupcake recipe!
Things You’ll Need
- Cupcakes: You can use your favorite cupcake recipe, one of mine, or even store bought box cupcake mix. Make sure to have your cupcakes baked and cooled. Try my Simple Vanilla Cupcakes for a classic everyone will love.
- Buttercream Frosting: I’m showing you how to pipe cupcakes with buttercream frosting. This is a stiffer frosting that will harden, so it’s what I recommend. You can use the frosting recipe associated with the cupcake recipe you’re using, or you can use a classic like my Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting.
- Spoon: Learn how to frost cupcakes with just a spoon. If you don’t have the other tools, this method works just fine!
- Piping Bag: To learn how to decorate cupcakes more professionally, you’ll want to invest in some piping bags. I advise an 18-inch piping bag for most cupcake recipes.
- Decorating Tips: I use the Ateco brand of decorating tips, but Wilton also makes similar ones (though the numbers are not the same). The tips I’m sharing today for how to pipe cupcakes include Ateco tip #104, #864, #827, #808, and #846. You don't need all of these, but to learn the different techniques, these are the ones I'm sharing. You can start with just one!
Watch the Video
How to Frost Cupcakes with a Spoon
The first method I’m sharing is how to frost cupcakes with just a spoon. If you are a beginner baker or don’t bake often so you don’t want to buy all the tools, then this is the best option! You can easily learn how to frost cupcakes with just a spoon.
Spoon a dollop of frosting onto your cupcake. Then take the back of the spoon and smooth and kinda swirl it around until you get the desired look. This is super simple and rustic looking. You can top your cupcakes with toppings like sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or a drizzle of caramel or chocolate ganache.
How to Pipe Cupcakes
Make sure to fit your piping bag with the decorating tip you are choosing to use. If you don’t know how to fill a piping bag with frosting, check out my tutorial, How to Fill a Piping Bag for a step by step tutorial and video. I also briefly explain how to do this in the video here too.
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Baker’s Tips
- Before you get started, here are some tips that apply, no matter which technique you are using.
- I prefer to use a large piping bag that’s 18-inches. This ensures that you’ll have a good amount of frosting to work with and usually allows for a full batch of frosting to fit (that will frost about a dozen cupcakes). This makes it easy as you don’t need to keep refilling the piping bag.
- Make sure to fit your piping bag with the decorating tip you are using properly. For more info on this, see my post How to Fill a Piping Bag.
- The main thing when learning how to pipe cupcakes is applying the right amount of pressure. Beginner bakers usually have the most problems with this (even over technique!).
- To apply the best pressure, twist your piping bag at the top so much so that you think your frosting may be coming out of the tip. Twist it more each time you pipe a new cupcake so your hands have to the least amount of work.
- Apply more pressure than you think you probably need. This is the biggest mistake beginner bakers make, in my opinion, they don’t apply enough pressure so their design doesn’t look right.
- The techniques (swirl, zigzag, etc.) are less important than the amount of pressure. You’ll find that you will actually move your piping bag less than you may think, it’s all about the pressure!
Ateco Tip #808
I love using Ateco tip #808 as it’s a simple yet pretty way to decorate cupcakes. This is just a round tip with a large hole, so if you don’t have this tip you can easily mimic it by just cutting a hole in your piping bag too!
My favorite way to frost cupcakes with this tip is just piping a large dollop on top so it looks like a big Hershey kiss of frosting on top of the cupcake. Start by holding your piping bag straight (not at an angle). Using a lot of pressure, pipe a dollop of frosting into the middle of the cupcake. Only begin to move the piping bag up until the frosting is basically touching it. If you don’t apply enough pressure, your dollop will look small and sad. It’s all about the pressure!
Ateco Tip #827
Ateco Tip #827 is my favorite tip, one I use all the time. I love using this tip to make the iconic swirl of frosting on top.
This technique is all about the pressure! When you start piping, apply a good amount of pressure and go around the outer edge of the cupcake and as you get back to the starting point, lift up a small amount and do it one more time, ending in the middle.
Ateco Tip #846
This is the most versatile cupcake decorating tip, in my opinion. You can use Ateco tip #846 in so many ways. Learn how to pipe cupcakes four of my favorite ways with this tip!
Circle with Filling
For this method, hold the piping bag straight, not at an angle. Pipe a circle around the outer edge of the cupcake. Fill the inside with a soft filling like jam, caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, or lemon curd.
Dollops
This is a great method for beginner bakers as it’s really easy. Hold the piping bag straight, not at an angle. Pipe dollops of frosting on top of the cupcake, it’s that simple!
Zigzag
You can hold your piping bag straight or even angled for this one. Pipe a z shape or zigzag on top of the cupcake.
Flat Rose
This is a favorite of mine because it’s so easy, but it looks the most impressive. You’ll need to hold your piping bag straight, not at an angle. Starting in the middle of the cupcake and applying a lot of pressure, pipe a spiral around the cupcake and stop when you reach the outer edge.
Ateco Tip #864
Ateco tip #864 is great for beginners as you can do a couple simple designs that are very easy, but look super fun.
Dollops
Just like above, hold your piping bag straight, not at an angle. Pipe dollops of frosting on the cupcake.
ZigZag
This tip also looks great with the zigzag design. Holding the piping bag straight or at an angle, pipe a zigzag on top of the cupcake.
Rosettes & Dollops
Combine small roses and dollops. Start anywhere on the cupcake and pipe one swirl of frosting, starting in the middle and just go around once. Do this 2 or 3 times, then fill in with dollops.
Ateco #104
I love Ateco tip #104 because it makes a ruffle effect when used. You can also use this tip to make a more realistic rose, versus the flat rose from above.
Ruffle
Hold the piping bag with the larger side of the tip on the cupcake and the smaller side of the tip pointing up to the ceiling. Starting in the middle of the cupcake pipe a circle. This can be very freeform as it will look good even if it’s not perfect. Continue to keep going around until you’re at the edge of the cupcake.
Rose
Hold the piping bag with the larger side of the tip on the cupcake and the smaller side of the tip pointing up towards the ceiling. In the middle of the cupcake, create a small circle, then pipe a smaller circle on top of that circle to create a cone. This is the middle of the rose. If your center has a hole that’s too large, you can even pipe a third circle as it should look like the middle of a rose, where it’s not quite opened yet.
Then, pipe upside down “U” shapes going all the way around the cone. You’ll do about 3 the first time around as the cone is small. Then, as you work your way around the cupcake, you’ll be doing more than three and that’s okay. These are the petals of the rose opening up. Continue to do this until you are filled the entire cupcake.
The Takeaway
Whether you’re a beginner baker, or a seasoned baker that wants to expand their decorating skills, you can learn how to frost cupcakes 12 different ways with this tutorial and video! Apply these techniques to any cupcake recipe you like.
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