Which Frosting Works Best For Cupcake Decorating?

Buttercream is the most common type of frosting, made by combining fat with sugar or using eggs to create a smooth and airy texture. It can be used without a pastry bag and can be used for various cupcake decorations. The best frosting for decorating cupcakes is a stable buttercream that holds its shape when piped.

To start, choose your preferred frosting type and use a small icing spatula or rosette to pipe a swirl starting in the center of the cupcake and ending on the outer edge. Use a piping bag fitted with the 104 tip and purple icing to begin by piping one petal on to the outer edge of the cupcake. Apply pressure to the bag and gently rock your wrist up.

The best frosting for decorating cupcakes is a stable buttercream that holds its shape when piped. For this tutorial, I use my favorite vanilla frosting recipe, which is also included in the printable recipe card below the post.

There are three go-to types of buttercream frosting: Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream (as seen in our chocolate stout cupcake recipe), and Chocolate Fudge. American buttercream frosting is the best choice for its firmness, ease of piping, and strong shape retention. Swiss Buttercream is ideal for making flat-topped cupcakes.

When piping, hold the tip about 1/2″ above the center of the cupcake. Use smooth icing for closed star tips to prevent resistance from clogging and making it difficult to pipe out.

How to make frosting taste like bakery?

To make a cake with canned frosting, mix peanut butter, cookie butter, chocolate-hazelnut spread, dulce de leche, caramel sauce, lemon curd, and fruit jam. This last-minute dessert can be made more festive by adding different ingredients to the frosting. The texture, flavor, and color can be altered by adding different ingredients. You can whip up a celebratory frosting using a stand mixer or keep it simple with a bowl and a whisk or spatula. These go-to ingredients can be added to canned store-bought frosting to elevate it, making it a party-worthy treat.

What is the most stable frosting for cake decorating?

Italian buttercream is a light, stable, and light-weight buttercream made from a meringue made by combining hot sugar syrup into egg whites. It is whipped until completely cool, then gradually mixed with small cubes of butter. The frosting is then added with vanilla, salt, and other flavorings until it is soft, shiny, and white. Swiss buttercream is made from meringue but whisked over a double boiler for a gentle heat source. A stabilizing agent like cream of tartar is often added to ensure stiff peaks.

The warm egg white and sugar are whipped into a stand mixer, then gradually mixed with small cubes of butter, salt, vanilla, or add-ins like blueberry-coriander jam or hazelnut praline paste. German buttercream starts with a custard, a thick mixture of whole eggs, sugar, cornstarch, warm milk, and sugar. The custard is cooled before being combined with whipped, fluffy butter, vanilla, and salt. This frosting is lighter, more yellow, and almost ice cream-like than other types.

What is the best type of icing for cupcakes?

Buttercream is a popular type of frosting due to its simplicity and versatility. It requires beating butter into icing sugar until a frosting consistency is reached, which can be over-beaten. Buttercream is not as flexible as fondant but can be used for similar applications. It is popular for cupcakes, but not all buttercream is made the same. For example, to decorate a cake with buttercream flowers, cut the butter quantity in half and replace it with vegetable shortening. White buttercream frosting is made by blending powdered sugar and vanilla with straight shortening, giving it a yellow hue.

Cream cheese frosting, made from butter, cream cheese, sugar, and flavoring, comes in various consistency and is often used as both a filling and icing. It is made from whisking butter, cream cheese, sugar, and flavoring and should be refrigerated after icing. American-style buttercream cream cheese frosting is commonly found on desserts like carrot or red velvet cakes, and at We Take The Cake, vanilla and chocolate cream cheese frosting are also popular.

What icing do cake shops usually use?

Professionals use Swiss meringue buttercream for cakes due to its smooth texture and stability, making it ideal for intricate designs with piping tips and bags. This subtle flavor makes it suitable for chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and other flavored cakes. Its smooth texture doesn’t crust or dry out, allowing for easy piping. Swiss buttercream can be flavored to enhance its mildly sweet taste. To make the frosting, soften 24 ounces of unsalted butter to room temperature.

What icing holds its shape best?

Modelling paste is a hard-setting icing that holds its shape better than sugar paste alone. It is suitable for creating shapes like frills, ruffles, bows, and swags in moulds. Pavillone is a hard-setting icing suitable for structures like castle turrets or solid shapes like handles on handbags. However, it lacks stretch, making it unsuitable for modelling or flower making. For more information, visit our modelling techniques course.

Is icing or frosting better for cupcakes?

Frosting is a thick, creamy topping for cakes, often used as a filling between layers. It can be made from buttercreams, whipped creams, or meringue styles, and can involve cooking sugar syrups or powdered sugar. American buttercreams are the simplest style, a blend of powdered sugar, butter, milk, and flavorings. Icing, on the other hand, is thinner and is often poured or piped over baked goods like Bundt cakes, pound cakes, eclairs, and doughnuts.

It is made of powdered sugar and a liquid like orange or lemon juice, milk, cream, or liqueur. The most popular style is Royal Icing, made with egg whites, powdered sugar, and water, which dries to a hard, shiny gloss. It is used to decorate sugar cookies and is easy to pipe. Cream cheese styles are softer and can be found on top of cinnamon rolls or Cinnamon Bun Scones. Glazes are thinner and designed to be brushed, drizzled, or spooned over baked goods, creating a protective layer and keeping them fresh longer. They are simple to make, mixing powdered sugar with liquid to create a viscous glaze about the consistency of maple syrup. Glazes are quick to prepare and provide a final flourish to baked goods.

What kind of icing do professionals use?

Swiss meringue buttercream is a popular choice for cake decorators due to its smooth finish and ability to hold intricate piping details. Made with egg whites, sugar, and butter, it is heated over a water bath (bain marie) and can be whipped with meringue syrup. Cake flavor pairings include Sprinkle 2. 0, Chocolate Indulgence, and Vanilla Almond White. Swiss meringue buttercream is an excellent choice for beginners experimenting with classic buttercreams, as seen on Instagram, and those seeking a smooth, glossy finish for their cakes.

What icing tips to use for cupcakes?

Closed star piping tips, also known as drop flower tips, are used to pipe basic flower and star shapes with a single tip. Common open-star tips include Wilton 18 and Wilton 21, ideal for smaller and medium-sized star shapes and swirls. Jumbo tips like Ateco’s 846, 848, and 849 are suitable for wide-closed star piping. Wilton 8B is good for swirls and roses. For a ruffled look, use Wilton Size 2D. A French star tip like Wilton Size 199 is ideal for wide star shapes and deep grooves, and is popular for piping out pate a choux and pastry cream. For larger sizes, look at Ateco 864.

Which frosting is best for beginners?

For beginners, try Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, Super-Simple Chocolate Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting. For those not afraid of double boilers and hot sugar syrup, Swiss or Italian Buttercream are ideal for decorating due to their smooth pipe and shape retention. Meringue, a soft and sticky marshmallow-like spread, is also a great option for more advanced techniques like brûléed cupcakes.

What is the best icing that holds its shape?

Crusting buttercream is a light, fluffy frosting that can be used for cake decorating, piping swirls on cupcakes, or creating buttercream flowers. To make it, cream butter and shortening together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, scrape down sides, and turn the mixer to low speed. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat well on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to help everything incorporate.

How do you frost cupcakes beautifully?

To prepare the dip, it is essential to ensure that the dip has cooled sufficiently. The dip should then be dipped, twisted as it is pulled up, and finally allowed to drip off. Once this process is complete, the dip should be turned upright.