What Tip Do You Use For Edging Cakes While Cake Decorating?

A simple piped shell border is a versatile way to complete a cake, and it can be seen as the little black dress of the cake world. To create a sharp edge on your buttercream frosted cake, follow these steps:

1. Start by setting the frosting to set well so you can use a knife to cut it. Use a sharp knife with hot water to cut the extra lip of frosting on the top, flush with the top of the cake.
2. Use a round tip instead of a star tip, such as Wilton tip 12 for a larger border.
3. Use a large star tip (Wilton 4B-8B or Ateco 864) for a swirl on top of a cupcake, creating a beaded border along the bottom edges of a layer cake, or dropping dollops to create big stars.
4. Fit a decorating bag with a star tip and medium consistency icing. Squeeze hard, letting icing fan out generously as it forces the tip up. For this type of border, use a Wilton 1M, 4B, or 21 tip, or any star tip.
5. Pipe a swirl border using a straight petal piping tip with the fatter end touching the cake. Position the tip so that it is positioned at the base of the cake.
6. Use a bench scraper, papertowels, fondant smoother, or a cake turntable to make the process easier.