Cupcakes are such an amazing treat to bake not just because they are easy, but because they are also perfect for decorating! :)
That said, probably the best part of a cupcake (at-least in my opinion anyway) would have to be the frosting. Not only does it taste amazing, but it makes your cupcake look amazing as well!
The only issue is they can sometimes be a bit tricky to frost. That's why in today's article, I'm sharing with you several tips you can use to frost amazing cupcakes every time!
Without further ado, here are 7 tips on how to frost amazing cupcakes each time...
1. BEFORE YOU FROST YOUR CUPCAKES, PRACTICE YOUR TECHNIQUE WITH MASHED POTATOES
Why is this important?
A great way to brush up your frosting skills is to use boxed dehydrated mashed potatoes. Yes. You heard me right! :)
This is a cheap and effective way to practice your piping technique.
2. CHILL YOUR FROSTING BEFORE YOU FROST YOUR CUPCAKES
Why is this important?
By chilling your frosting ahead of time, this will help your frosting hold it's shape. This is especially true for canned frosting.
A couple couple years ago, I was baking some cupcakes to take some product photos, and I had issues with the frosting not keeping it's shape.
When I chilled the frosting I was using, this issue was resolved. This worked quite well to keep the frosting shape.
3. USE A PIPING BAG INSTEAD OF A PLASTIC STORAGE BAG FOR BETTER CONTROL
Why is this important?
Using a plastic storage bag can be a great option if that's all you have available.
That said, in my opinion, I find it worth the investment to purchase actual piping bags to frost your cupcakes. Where I'm located, you can find a batch of 24 for about $7-$8. Not that bad comparing the cost of plastic storage bag.
With a true piping bag, you have far more control of the bag, and as a result, this will help you pipe much more professional cupcakes.
4. HOLD YOUR PIPING BAG PROPERLY
Why is this important?
When you are frosting your cupcakes, you want to make sure you hold the top portion of the bag in your palm, and use your palm to push the frosting out. Then, use your other hand to stabilize the bag near the base with your other hand.
5. MOVE YOUR PIPING BAG QUICKLY BUT ALSO NOT TOO QUICK AT THE SAME TIME
Why is this important?
You want to move your piping bag with a bit of speed and at a consistent pace. The reason you want to keep a consistent speed has to due with applying an even application of frosting. On top of that, however, moving with a bit of speed will also make your frosting job look much more professional.
6. USE GEL FOOD COLORS FOR A MORE VIBRANT FROSTING COLOR
Why is this important?
When it comes to using liquid food colors, they can often be a bit pale. Gel food colors are a much more concentrated version of food coloring, so you can get a nice vibrant and colorful frosting.
While gel colors are a bit more expensive than liquid food colors, they are well worth the investment.
7. USE PLASTIC WRAP OR A CUP TO FILL YOUR PIPING BAG
For instructions on how to go about the plastic wrap method, check out this video: https://youtu.be/eD8IzF77FE4
Or if you don't happen to have plastic wrap on hand, you can also use a cup:
All you need to do is place your piping bag in a cup with the tip facing down (Make sure you place your metal piping tip in the bag before adding frosting.), then use a spoon to pour frosting into your piping bag.
After you've done this, you can twist the remaining bulk of the bag on top to close the bag.
So there you have it. If you follow these tips, you should be well on your way to improving your frosting game. As you can imagine though, there's a whole lt more we could cover on frosting technique.
Which is why, if you find yourself with any issues frosting your cupcakes, or any issues with any baked good, I'm inviting you to feel free to send me an email at – to ask me any baking questions you might have.
Or as a matter of fact, an even better option is you could share it over on , where you can get your answer from me, and allow other people to learn with you.
Want to go into more depth on how to decorate cake? I would highly suggest you check out this book I'm selling on the store:
The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating
https://thebakerslife.com/products/the-complete-photo-guide-to-cake-decorating
