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How to Decorate Cupcakes With Buttercream Icing and Pastry Tips
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5 from 5 ratings

How to Decorate Cupcakes

Learn how to decorate cupcakes at home with simple ingredients and supplies. Use buttercream icing and pastry tips to frost swirls and pipe flowers
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Decorating time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Cupcakes
Calories: 468kcal
Author: Abeer Rizvi

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bake cupcakes and allow them to cool completely.
  • While cupcakes are baking and cooling, prepare the frosting and color it, if you like.
  • Attach a pastry tip to a piping bag and fill it with icing halfway.
  • Tie the end of the bag with a rubber band.
  • To make a buttercream swirl (with pastry tips 1M, 4B or 1A): Hold piping bag at a 90 degree angle in the center of the cupcake. Pipe around the center until you complete a full circle. Without stopping, move the piping bag slightly inward to create the next circle of frosting. Continue piping and moving inward for three full circular rotations. These rotations should keep getting smaller as you go up. Finally, pull your piping bag away gently from the top.
  • To make a rose cupcake (with tip 1M): Hold piping bag at a 90 degree angle in the center of the cupcake.Start squeezing your bag while moving your hand clockwise gently in a full continuous circle until the entire top is iced and covered and looks like a buttercream rose.

Video

Notes

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  • Frosting consistency should be soft yet firm. It should not be runny or else your swirls won't hold their shape.
  • Make sure your cupcakes have completely cooled to room temperature before you start piping or else the icing will melt and ruin the swirl design.
  • Once cupcakes have been frosted, they should be placed away from direct heat to prevent the icing from melting.
  • When I first started doing this, I would practice on sheets of wax paper and I highly recommend that. It allows you test out the pressure and angles and motions before you move onto piping a cupcake.
  • Use gel food coloring to tint the frosting since liquid coloring can make the icing too thin.
  • You need a steady hand for piping and that comes with practice. Practice makes perfect. Don't give up if the swirls don't turn out the way you wanted.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg