Browse Decorating Techniques

1M Swirl

Difficulty: Easy

Here is another quick way to decorate your cupcakes or cakes. It just takes minutes to pipe a fancy iced swirl and add colorful sprinkles.

Apple Blossoms

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

This springtime flower is virtually the same as the wild rose, but uses a smaller tip. Pipe apple blossoms about the size of a penny and dry them on flower formers.

Apples

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

A great party pick. You can pipe the royal icing fruit in advance, including stems and leaves. At serving time, just position as needed on your iced cake or cupcake. Or make your fruit directly on your cake in buttercream icing.

Aster

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

The aster is such a popular flower, due to its textured sunburst of petals that point almost straight up. Great for Mother’s Day or shower cakes. They can be made ahead of time using Royal Icing or piped directly on your cake using Buttercream Icing.

Baby Booties

Difficulty: Easy

The perfect little topper for your baby shower cupcakes.

Baby Bunnies

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

These baby bunnies are the cutest cottontails around! Easy to make, with a big ball head, pointy pull-out ears and little dot cheeks.

Ball

Difficulty: Easy

The ball shape makes bold borders and is the first step to learn for figure piping. Vary the basic look by adding stars, dots or spirals on the ball shapes.

Balloons

Difficulty: Easy

Let your cupcakes mirror the party décor. Make the balloons piped on top the same color as the real balloons you use as decoration!

Banana

Difficulty: Easy

Add a single banana or a bunch to the top of your cupcake. Could the banana decoration be a clue that the cupcake is banana flavored?

Basketweave

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

This technique turns any treat into beautiful baskets. Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, bridal or any Spring and summertime theme.

Bead

Difficulty: Easy

The bead shape makes great borders or frames and makes great accents to letters and designs.

Bountiful Harvest Cornstalks

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

Cornstalks are the ideal addition to an autumn or Thanksgiving cake. They can be piped directly on the cake in buttercream.

Bowler

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

The bowler is right up your alley if you want an easy-to-do figure piped decoration. Build the body with basic mound and ball piping, then add the arms and a bowling ball candle.

C-motion

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

This is a great technique to use as waves on water or for beach scene cakes! For water, use blue colored icing — or try a two-tone look using blue and white icing in the same bag.

Cactus

Difficulty: Easy

The cactus is a must-have for western themed cakes, and it couldn’t be easier. Elongated shells come together, topped by pull-out needles. We used tip 199 for great texture.

Carrots

Difficulty: Somewhat Easy

Use this carrot technique to top off your favorite carrot cake cupcakes!