How to Decorate Cakes and Cupcakes with Buttercream

Cake decorating comes with practice; once you have mastered it, you can do it with your eyes closed. You can use this technique on cakes, cupcakes, desserts etc.

The key to a perfect buttercream is to keep whipping it. The butter must be soft but not melted. The icing sugar should be sieved, so there are no lumps. The buttercream should be of Medium Consistency, but not too loose otherwise, it will not hold up. It should be smooth with no air bubbles. The colour is up to you, but we like to keep it simple.

Make sure your cakes or cupcakes are cool; you cannot pipe the buttercream straight away; otherwise, it will turn into a puddle of icing. To keep the piping bag clean, put the buttercream into cling film, roll it up like a sausage and wrap the ends. Cut one end and put it in the piping bag. The large star nozzle should already be in the bag.

Using a large open star nozzle allows you to be versatile. You can pipe:

The Classic Swirl: this is what you see in most bakeries, and it's super easy. Start by holding your piping bag 90 degrees over the centre of the cupcake and pipe a dollop in the middle. Without releasing pressure, move your piping bag to the outside edge of the cupcake and in a steady motion, piping overlapping circles. Each one should be a little bit smaller until you reach the top of the cupcake.

The Ruffle: beware, this type of piping uses a lot of frosting. This works particularly well when you are using a less sweet icing like Swiss buttercream, so the sugariness is not as overwhelming. It's the same basic concept as the classic swirl, but you are going to apply more pressure and move slowly as you pipe.

The Rosette: the easiest rose ever. Start as you would with a classic swirl, but after you pipe a dollop in the centre, move in concentric circles from the inside out — such a lovely design with ombre colours.

If you haven't done a lot of piping before, practice on parchment paper first. Scoop up the buttercream and store it in a container till you are ready to pipe onto the cupcakes. If you practice a lot, the buttercream might become a bit too soft. Put it into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Then start again with the piping when it has slightly hardened.

Watch our epic video below on how to pipe. Sorry, there is no voiceover or instructions. But you get the gist of it. You will hear the sound of a piping bag :)

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