Learn how to frost cupcakes with this simple step-by-step tutorial. You’ll become a piping pro in no time with these easy cupcake frosting tips!
Piping frosting on cupcakes and cakes may seem intimidating, but it’s not at all! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll end up with amazing desserts that look like they came from a local bakery. These tips and tricks below are an easy guide for decorating cupcakes for beginners.
Best way to frost cupcakes
Last week I shared one of my favorite buttercream frosting and chocolate cupcake recipes and got quite a few e-mails and questions on what tips I used and how I frosted the cupcakes. So today I thought I would show you a quick and easy way to frost cupcakes using my favorite 1M tip.
I learned this trick at a cake decorating class I took a few years ago and never realized just how easy it was. You just need a few simple tools to get started, then you’ll be frosting pretty cupcakes in no time!
Supplies needed for piping cupcakes:
- 1M frosting tip (can be found on amazon or your local craft/baking store)
- Large coupler
- Disposable decorating bags
- Frosting and cupcakes of course ;)
Decorating cupcakes for beginners
To get started, you’ll need to choose which frosting and cupcake recipe you want to use. Below are a few delicious recipes you can practice with. :) My all-time favorite combination is my chocolate cupcake recipe with classic buttercream frosting.
Frosting
- Classic buttercream frosting
- Chocolate buttercream frosting
- Strawberry buttercream frosting
- Peanut butter frosting
- Cream cheese frosting
Cupcakes
- The best chocolate cupcakes
- Vanilla cupcakes
- Rainbow cupcakes
- Churro cupcakes
- Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes
- Carrot cake cupcakes
- Apple pie cupcakes
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes
- Lemon poppyseed cupcakes
- Lemon raspberry cupcakes
- Pink velvet cupcakes
How to frost cupcakes
Scroll down for the printable tutorial for piping cupcakes.
Instructions:
1. Cut off the tip of the bag and place the frosting tip and the base of the coupler inside. Screw on the top of the coupler on the outside of the bag.
2. Fill the bag with frosting about half way and place a rubberband on top to hold the bag in place.
3. Hold the tip above the middle of the cupcake and squeeze out the icing to form a star.
4. Raise tip slightly and form a tight circle around the star.
5. After completing the first circle, move the tip back toward the center and go around to make a second circle around the inside edge of the first circle.
6. Slowly pull the tip away at the center of the cupcake.
More cupcake frosting tips
- Make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely! You don’t want your frosting to melt when piping cupcakes.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a large freezer bag. Simply cut the corner off one of the ends and then add your tip/coupler.
- I also like to use a 2A frosting tip. It’s easy to pipe with and holds a smooth shape with no ridges (see picture below).
- Before piping, make sure your frosting is thick enough to hold a point.
- If piping with cream cheese frosting, add 1-2 extra cups of powdered sugar so that it will hold it’s shape. Also, make sure not to soften the butter or cream cheese too much.
- If adding fruit to your buttercream, use freeze dried fruit instead of fresh (it stiffens up better). Simply pulse the freeze dried fruit in a blender before adding to your frosting.
How to Frost Cupcakes
Instructions
- Cut off the tip of the bag and place the frosting tip and the base of the coupler inside. Screw on the top of the coupler on the outside of the bag.
- Fill the bag with frosting about half way and place a rubberband on top to hold the bag in place.
- Hold the tip above the middle of the cupcake and squeeze out the icing to form a star.
- Raise tip slightly and form a tight circle around the star.
- After completing the first circle, move the tip back toward the center and go around to make a second circle around the inside edge of the first circle.
- Slowly pull the tip away at the center of the cupcake.
Notes
- Make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely! You don't want your frosting to melt when piping cupcakes.
- If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a large freezer bag. Simply cut the corner off one of the ends and then add your tip/coupler.
- I also like to use a 2A frosting tip. It's easy to pipe with and holds a smooth shape with no ridges (see picture below).
- Before piping, make sure your frosting is thick enough to hold a point.
- If piping with cream cheese frosting, add 1-2 extra cups of powdered sugar so that it will hold it's shape. Also, make sure not to soften the butter or cream cheese too much.
- If adding fruit to your buttercream, use freeze dried fruit instead of fresh (it stiffens up better). Simply pulse the freeze dried fruit in a blender before adding to your frosting.
There you have it… a simple and easy way to frost the perfect cupcakes! And… now I want cupcakes for breakfast. ;)
Have you tried this method? What’s your favorite way to frost cupcakes?
What an awesome tutorial, Jamielyn! My frosting technique has always been hit or miss, so this is very helpful. Pinning for my other frosting-impaired friends out there! ;)
I guess I don’t have a favorite way to frost cupcakes. I usually use a butter knive. *holds head in shame* haha! I definitely need to get me some bags and tips. They look so much yummier. :)
No shame Melissa! I still frost cupcakes with a butter knife all the time, but I am in love with this way of frosting! It’s so beautiful. :)
It’s probably a lot faster than using a butter knive too. At least once you got the hang of squeezing the bag just right.
Cant wait to join
I have the Pampered Chef decorating thingy (I can’t remember what it is called). I call it my cheater method for making things look good, but I would really like to give this a try and learn how to use a decorating bag and tips. Thanks for the tutorial.
KC
They look great! Can’t wait to try this technique! Thanks! XO
I needed this. Yours turned out pretty!
http://www.thelipstickchannel.com
Thanks Esther! It is easier than it looks! :)
I made sure to star the cupcake post for the next time I went to the store. I came home with everything I need to try these over the weekend. Now all I have to go is get my hubby to wrap his mind around sour cream in cupcakes. Thanks for the recipe and for the icing tip. I typically use the small spreader from Pampered Chef to ice with but my hubby gave me one of the icing guns for my birthday. Now I need to try this technique! :D
Thank you for sharing this technique with us and the recipes. The cupcakes look so pretty. I am going to try this the next time I make cupcakes.
I’ve always wondered how people make them look so pretty. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness! I made these amazing cupcakes and equally amazing frosting for my family and friends last week for Valentine’s Day and everyone raved about how yummy they were! My frosting looked a little wonky, however, so I’ll try this technique next time. :). Thanks so much for sharing!