Using store bought frosting for decorating cakes and cupcakes with piping tips is a common practice for home bakers. While homemade frosting made from butter, powdered sugar, and flavorings often provides the best taste and texture for piping intricate designs, store bought frosting can also work well in many cases. The key considerations are the ingredients, consistency, and handling of the commercial frosting product.
Quick Answers
Here are quick answers to common questions about using store bought frosting for piping:
- Most buttercream and cream cheese frostings in cans or tubs can be used for piping details and borders.
- Whipped frostings are typically too soft and airy for piping delicate designs.
- Always look for frostings made with real butter, cream cheese, or shortening for best consistency.
- Avoid low-quality or non-dairy frostings as they tend to be too thin and sweet.
- Refrigerating store bought frosting briefly can help improve the texture.
- Consider adding a bit of powdered sugar or shortening to stiffen up thinner frostings.
- Practice piping on a plate or board before decorating the actual cake.
- Store bought frosting won’t hold as sharp lines or intricate details as homemade.
- Still, store bought frosting can create pretty flowers, borders, and writing when handled properly.
Frosting Ingredients
The first thing to evaluate when choosing a store bought frosting for decorating is the ingredient list. Look for options that contain:
- Butter – Real butter provides creaminess and a rich, creamy flavor. Avoid vegetable oil spreads.
- Cream cheese – For tangy cream cheese frostings ideal for piping.
- Shortening – For frostings that need to be very stiff to hold their shape.
- Powdered sugar – Also called confectioners’ sugar, this is essential for structure.
- Natural flavors – Like vanilla, almond, etc. Artificial flavors won’t taste as good.
Avoid frostings with a lot of water, gums or fillers, and artificial ingredients. Read the label to determine if it’s a high quality frosting made with real dairy and sugar.
Frosting Consistency
The consistency of the frosting determines how easy it will be to pipe detailed designs. Look for frosting that:
- Holds its shape without spreading or dripping.
- Has a thick, spoonable texture similar to peanut butter.
- Feels dense and substantial when scooped, not airy or fluffy.
- Isn’t so stiff that it takes a lot of force to pipe through the tip.
Whipped frostings are typically too soft and creamy for piping. Flat icings won’t have enough structure. The best consistency is akin to a thick buttercream. Feel free to refrigerate canned frosting briefly to firm it up if needed.
Adjusting Store Bought Frosting Consistency
You can adjust the consistency of thinner, looser frostings by:
- Chilling in the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Leaving uncovered at room temperature to lose moisture.
- Mixing in more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.
- Adding a pinch of cream cheese or shortening for stability.
For frostings that are too stiff and dense:
- Microwave 5-10 seconds to soften.
- Mix in milk, cream, or water a teaspoon at a time.
- Add a pinch of cornstarch to reduce stiffness.
Take the time to get the exact piping consistency you need. Test the frosting on a piping practice board before decorating the real cake.
Piping Techniques
While store bought frosting may not be quite as ideal for piping as homemade, you can still create pretty decorations with some care. Follow these tips:
- Use a coupler. This lets you quickly change piping tips for different effects.
- Choose the right tips. Opt for medium sized round tips and avoid intricate sets. #12-#18 tips are very versatile.
- Refrigerate piping bags with frosting briefly to make it easier to handle.
- Don’t overfill bags. Less frosting is easier to control.
- Practice piping on a plate or board before decorating the cake.
- Work quickly once frosting is piped before it melts or softens.
- Start with borders as they are the most forgiving.
- Use smooth motions and steady pressure as you pipe the frosting.
- Keep designs simple, nothing too intricate or tiny.
Take your time and don’t get frustrated. Even with store bought frosting you can create pretty piped accents like flowers, vines, dots, and writing.
Best Store Bought Frosting Brands for Piping
These name brand frostings are known to perform well for decorating cakes and cupcakes:
| Brand | Type |
|---|---|
| Duncan Hines | Creamy Home-Style Classic Buttercream Frosting |
| Pillsbury | Creamy Supreme Premium Buttercream Frosting |
| Betty Crocker | Rich & Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting |
| Wilton | Cake Icing Decorating Cream |
| Carvel | Chocolate Fudge Icing |
| Siggi’s | Whipped Icelandic Skyr Frosting |
Try to stick to frostings made by well-known baking brands. Generic, low-cost frostings likely won’t deliver the same results.
Frosting Flavors for Piping
Buttercream, cream cheese, chocolate, and vanilla frostings tend to be best for piping details. Avoid soft or artificial flavors like:
- Whipped
- Fluff
- Whipped peanut butter
- Coconut
- Mint
- Lemon
- Strawberry
- Honey
Stick with classic neutral flavors and favor butter, shortening, and cream cheese-based frostings over tropical, fruit, and liquid flavors.
Pairing Frosting & Cake Flavors
Match flavors between cake layers and frostings, like:
- Yellow cake with vanilla buttercream
- Chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting
- Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
- Red velvet with cream cheese frosting
- Coconut cake with toasted coconut buttercream
For fun color contrasts, pair:
- White cake with chocolate frosting
- Chocolate cake with mint frosting
- Yellow cake with strawberry frosting
Just make sure the frosting flavor matches the cake and occasion.
Cake & Frosting Temperature
Proper cake and frosting temperatures help ensure the frosting handles well for decorating. Best practices include:
- Cake should be completely cool before frosting.
- Refrigerate warm frosting 10-20 minutes to firm it up.
- Don’t let refrigerated cakes sit out more than 1 hour before decorating.
- Keep decorating tips, bags, and frosting cooler but not frozen.
- Avoid decorating on hot, humid days.
The right balance of chilled but not frozen cake and frosting prevents things from melting too quickly as you work.
Cake Prep for Frosting
Prepare cakes properly to hold up to frosting and piping:
- Level cakes so layers are flat.
- Cut a thin slice off domed layers.
- Create even base with a crumb coat.
- Refrigerate cake 30-60 minutes before decorating.
- Use frosting dams if needed to keep fillings in place.
Take the time to create an ideal base for decorating. This prevents bumps, dips, and imperfections under the final piping.
Troubleshooting Frosting Problems
Here are some common frosting piping problems and how to avoid them:
Frosting Too Thin/Runny
- Add more powdered sugar to thicken it up.
- Stir in a pinch of cream cheese or shortening.
- Let frosting sit out uncovered to lose moisture.
- Refrigerate frosting 10-20 minutes to firm it up.
Frosting Too Stiff
- Microwave frosting 5-10 seconds to soften.
- Mix in small amounts of milk or water.
- Add a pinch of cornstarch.
- Avoid over-mixing once liquid is added.
Frosting Too Grainy
- Sift powdered sugar before adding to improve texture.
- Add more butter, shortening, or cream cheese.
- Switch to finer grind powdered sugar.
- Press through a sieve after mixing.
Piping Losing Definition
- Refrigerate piping tips and bags.
- Use proper tip size and piping pressure.
- Work quickly before frosting softens.
- Avoid piping on hot days.
Frosting Melting or Sticking
- Ensure cake layers are completely cool before frosting.
- Refrigerate cake after crumb coating before decorating.
- Add shortening for stability in warmer conditions.
- Avoid frosting cakes more than 1 day before serving.
Storing Frosted Cakes
Here are tips for storing cakes after decorating with store bought or homemade frosting:
- Refrigerate frosted cakes covered in a cake dome or plastic wrap.
- Let refrigerated cakes come to room temp 30-60 minutes before serving.
- Freeze frosted cakes up to 2-3 months; thaw overnight in fridge.
- Store cupcakes in covered cake carriers or plastic containers.
- Freeze excess frosting in piping bags or airtight containers.
Proper storage keeps decorated cakes looking pristine and prevents frosting from drying out.
Conclusion
Store bought frosting can be used to decorate cakes and cupcakes when you use a quality product and handle it properly. Look for name brand buttercream or cream cheese frostings made with real ingredients. Adjust the consistency as needed by chilling or carefully adding ingredients. Practice piping ahead of time and work quickly to prevent melting. Refrigerate finished cakes and don’t over-decorate too far ahead. With some care and technique, even canned frosting can help create beautiful decorated baked goods.
