A Cupcake Tip Tutorial

I remember when I was little I would look at the bakery in the local grocery store and wonder how they made those beautiful swirls on cupcakes and cakes. I used to think they had to carve away at the frosting to make it look like that.

Thank goodness that isn't how it's done!

Once I learned how to frost cupcakes with piping tips, I never went back! It's about 503859 times easier than frosting with a knife, and it looks so professional. Easier and prettier? Count me in.

I use five piping tips for frosting cupcakes. Here they are!

[LVCC stands for "Little Venice Cake Company." I got all of these tips at Michael's.]

These are done on mini cupcakes, so keep that in mind when checking out the sizing on the cupcakes. 

1. Open Star

2. Closed Star

3. Round Tip

4. French Star Tip

5. Drop Flower

Cupcake piping tips are larger than traditional piping tips to help you get that perfect cupcake swirl. 

With minis, you can also do just a little squirt of frosting instead of the swirl. I did that with a few of the tips.

[LVCC 195]

[Wilton 1M]

[LVCC 1A]

Wilton 1M is the piping tip I use to always make that "Perfect Cupcake Swirl," but I like to mix it up with the French bakery tip [LVCC 195] and all the others occasionally, too! The large round tip [LVCC 1A] is good for if you're planning on decorating the cupcake with something just around the edge of the frosting and not on top, like this. 

I'm so glad I discovered that the cutest way to decorate cupcakes is also the easiest way! 

Happy decorating, everyone!