Decorating Techniques

Embroidery Cake and Piping Tips for Beginners

I made this embroidery cake after being inspired by an old tablecloth that was embroidered by my grandma. I think modern embroidery is having a big moment right now, and it’s starting to creep more and more into the cake world.

As I piped the designs on this cake, I realized it was a great time to talk about some basic tips for piping. If you’re a beginner, using piping bags and tips to create all these designs can seem intimidating. How do people pipe so perfectly? Well the first answer is that those perfectly piped decorations you see are likely done by someone who’s been practicing for a very long time. But this is great news for those of us who aren’t the most steady-handed; piping skills aren’t solely based on talent, they can be learned! Read on to learn my tips for better piping or watch the video below.

Tips to improve your piping:

*These tips are given within the context of my buttercream embroidery design, but most of them are applicable to any piping technique

  1. Use a tall cup or glass to prop up your piping bag while you fill it.
  2. To get the crispest piped lines, use a small round piping tip. For my embroidery cake I used a number 2 round tip. You could pipe these lines without a tip, by simply cutting the point of the bag off, but the piping tip helps create smoother, more consistent lines.
  3. Chill your cakes before piping on any designs. If you are piping onto buttercream, you’ll want the base layer to be firm to prevent any accidental bumps or scratches.
  4.  Find a comfortable position for piping. I actually like to sit down at a table so that I can rest my elbow on the table for stability.
  5. Use your fingers to help steady the piping bag. I’m right handed, so
    I hold the bag in my right hand and use my left hand to steady the tip of the bag.
  6. Hold the bag perpendicular to the surface of your cake. If you’re holding the bag at an angle, it makes it a little harder to pipe straight lines.
  7. To pipe longer lines, lift the frosting away from the cake as you pipe. If you hold the tip right against the cake, it will show every little wiggle and shake from your hand. What you want to do instead is touch the cake where you want the line to start, then pull away as you squeeze. Stop squeezing just before you want the line to end and bring the tip back towards the cake to attach the other end. Gravity is your friend here, so try to pipe from top to bottom if you can.
  8. Mistakes can be scraped off with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Just be sure your cake is well chilled before you start piping so that you don’t mess up the frosting underneath.

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