Buttercream Ruffle Cake

5 from 4 ratings

Quick and easy cake decorating tutorial to make horizontal and vertical buttercream ruffle cake with just Wilton Tip 104 (petal tip).

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Decorating time20

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Slices

Calories: 709kcal

Bake two 8 inch cakes and allow them to cool completely.
Place one cake on a serving dish.
Use a spatula to spread icing on top of the cake.
Place the other cake on top of the icing and press gently to secure it in place.
Then, use a spatula to spread icing on top and sides of the cake. You don’t have to be neat. The ruffles will hide all imperfections which is why I LOVE this design!
Chill the cake for 10-15 minutes in the freezer so that the icing hardens a bit.
Place your chilled cake on a turntable.
Fill a piping bag with pink frosting and attach Wilton tip 104. The tip has a broad end and a narrow end. The broad end should face the cake and narrow end should be facing you. Hold the bag at a 45 degree angle. Now, start squeezing and moving your bag right and left quickly while gently moving upwards along the side of the cake and you will end up with a column of ruffles. Continue doing this until the sides of your cake are completely covered in this design.
TIP: Before you start to pipe each column of ruffles, use a Kleenex to wipe off the tip so that each column looks neat.
For the top of the cake, do the same thing. Start piping around the outer edge of the cake and continue to work your way inwards until the top is fully covered in ruffles too. Enjoy!

Bake a heart shaped cake and allow it to cool completely. You can make a round or square cake, if you like.
Crumb coat this cake by using a spatula to spread icing on top and sides of the cake. It does not have to be perfectly smooth.
Chill the cake for 10-15 minutes in the freezer so that the icing hardens a bit.
Place your chilled cake on a turntable.
Fill a piping bag with pink frosting and attach Wilton tip 104. Hold the bag at a 45 degree angle on the top, near the outer edge of the cake. The tip has a broad end and a narrow end. The narrow end should face out and the broad end should be facing you. Now, start squeezing and moving your bag in an up and down motion until you have one row of ruffles. Continue piping, working your way from the outside to the inside. You will end up with multiple rows and the top will be completely covered in this design.

Try different flavors of cake and frostings.
Don't decorate a warm cake. It needs to cool fully or else the icing will melt and make a mess.
In the video, I will show you how to make horizontal ruffles. When I make the video for vertical ruffles, I will add that tutorial as well.
Your icing should be at medium firm consistency. If it's too thin, the ruffles won't hold their shape. If it's too firm, it will be very hard to pipe.
Your crumb coat on the cake does not need to be perfect. The flaws will all get covered by your piping.
Read additional tips and variations above.
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.