How to Frost Cupcakes

Guide Note

• Frosting cupcakes is not that difficult once you know the right tricks. How to Frost Cupcakes will help improve your frosting techniques and ensure your cupcakes look as good as they taste.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Frosting, Icing, or Glaze?
• Spatula versus Pastry Bag
• Using a Spatula
• Using a Pastry Bag
• Conclusion
• References

Frosting Cupcakes Tips

1. Frosting, icing and glazes differ in consistency.
2. Brush off crumbs before frosting.
3. Cupcakes should be completely cool before frosting.
4. Using a rubber spatula is gentler on cupcakes.
5. An offset spatula will give you more leverage.
6. Pastry bags are better for thinner icings.

Newest How To Guides

Tips on dealing with difficult people

Great ideas for mixed drinks

Beat the cold of winter by making the perfect cup of hot chocolate

Need to save money? Learn how to spend less on food

All the information you need to make the digital TV switch

• by Darcy Logan

Introduction

• While frosting cupcakes might not seem like a tough task, making elegant cupcakes is an art that shouldn't be ignored. Knowing a few tips on how to keep crumbs out of your icing, making a smooth surface and how to deal with difficult frosting will help improve your frosting techniques and ensure your cupcakes look as good as they taste.

Frosting, Icing, or Glaze?

• Before you try frosting your cupcake, you should understand the difference between frostings, icings and glazes. Basically, the difference lies in the thickness and the ingredients.
  1. 

     (Creative Commons photo by Evangeline)
     Frosting is the thickest of the three. It is traditionally made with butter, sugar, and either water or milk.¹ It holds shapes better and remains soft to the touch.²
  2. Icing is thinner than frosting but thicker than glaze. As it dries, it thins out and becomes very smooth.² Some of the major types of icing include buttercream, royal, ganache and fondant.
  3. Glaze is very thin and usually drizzled on. It is basically made using powdered sugar and either water or milk.¹

• • For information on how to make different frosting and icings, check out Mahalo's How to Make Buttercream Icing, How to Make Royal Icing, How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting, How to Make Vanilla Icing.

Using a Spatula versus a Pastry Bag

• There are two different methods you can use to frost your cupcakes: a spatula/knife or a pastry bag. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

1. A pastry bag can give your cupcakes a more professional look as well as add different swirls and stripes onto your cupcakes.^{3 4} Use it for icing, which can run if spread with a knife or spatula.²
2. A small offset spatula will spread frosting evenly and give you extra leverage with the crooked handle.^{5 6} It is also called an icing spatula, frosting spatula, or pastry spatula.⁵
3. A rubber spatula is gentler than knifes and metal spatulas and less likely to cut off the top of your cupcake.^{7 8}

Using a Spatula

• A baking or flexible spatula is one of the easier methods to frost cupcakes, especially since you most likely have one of those objects already. Here are some tips to make your cupcakes look their best:

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Bean)
   Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. Warm cupcakes can cause the frosting to soften or melt.⁹
2. Divide one batch of vanilla frosting into different bowls and add a few drops of food coloring to ensure a rainbow of cupcakes.⁴
3. Brush the cupcakes lightly with your fingers to remove any crumbs before frosting.¹⁰
4. Avoid crumbs by placing a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake.
   1. Then, using a table knife or spatula, make short strokes to spread the icing outward from the center.¹⁰
   2. Work your way down in a circular motion, moving a littler further out each turn.⁸
5. Try not to let your spatula touch the cupcake, which will get crumbs in the frosting.¹¹
6. Occasionally dip your spatula in hot water to clean off any crumbs and frosting accumulation.¹
7. After frosting, dip your knife in hot water and smooth it over the top of the frosting to make a smooth surface.¹²

Using a Pastry Bag

• A pastry bag is a cone shaped bag with a small hole on one end and a large hole on the opposite end.³ Here are some tips you should consider when using a pastry bag to frost your cupcakes:

Fill the Pastry Bag

1. Measure and cut the end of your pastry bag.¹³
   • • -You can make your own pastry bag by cutting off the corner of a small plastic bag.¹⁴
2. Insert the tip before adding the frosting.¹³
3. Fill the bag half way with frosting.¹³ Do not overfill.
4. Make sure the coupler ring is screwed on straight and secure and the bag is airtight at the end.¹³
5. You can twist the bag above the tip and secure with a clip to prevent any frosting from coming out the end of the bag.¹³
   • Expert Village: Filling a Pastry Bag with Icing (Time 2:15)

Frost the Cupcakes

1. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. Warm cupcakes can cause the frosting to soften or melt.⁹
2. Brush the cupcakes lightly with your fingers to remove any crumbs before frosting.¹⁰
3. Hold the tip about 1/8 inch off the surface of the cupcake.¹⁵
4. Gently squeeze the pastry bag.
5. Release the pressure before lifting the tip.¹⁵

How to Make Rainbow Frosting

• For colorful swirled frosting, try this advanced technique:

1. Place the pastry bag inside a glass.
2. Use a paint brush to paint 1/2-inch thick stripes of different colors on the inside of the bag.¹⁶
3. Scoop white icing into the bag with a spoon.
4. Squeeze the bag until the white icing no longer flows white.¹⁶

Conclusion

• Now that you have frosted your cupcakes, you might want to learn some tips on how to decorate them. If so, check out Mahalo's pages on How to Decorate Halloween Cupcakes, Thanksgiving Cupcakes or any of the other pages located in the cupcake section.

Subscribe to Mahalo's Weekly How To Email Newsletter

• Get our best How To tips and ideas in your inbox each week
• Email
  

References for How to Frost Cupcakes

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} C&H Pure Cane Sugar: Frostings - The Sweet Finish
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Christmas-Cookies.com: Decorating Sugar Cookies
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} RecipeTips.com: Pastry Bag
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Homemakers.com: 10 Expert Tips for Making Great Cupcakes
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} RecipeTips.com: Baking Spatula
6. ↑ Cupcakes Take The Cake: Cupcake Tips
7. ↑ RecipeTips.com: Flexible Spatula
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Cookies-n-Cakes: Cupcake Decorating Tips (Part 2)
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Kraftfoods.com: Baseball Cupcakes
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} DianasDesserts.com: Tips for Cupcakes
11. ↑ About.com: Cake Decorating, Part I  
12. ↑ Epicurious.com: Eyeball Cupcakes
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4} Baking911: Pastry Bags 101  
14. ↑ Food on Shine: How to Frost Cupcakes with a Homemade Pastry Bag
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Expert Village: Using a Pastry Bag to Decorate Cakes (Time 2:42)
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Chica and Jo: Colorful Swirled Cupcakes (September 18, 2008)