• Food & Recipes

How To: Write on a Cake

Follow These Five Easy Steps:

1. 1Fill a pastry bag fitted with a fine tip

   Fit a pastry bag with a fine tip and fill with room-temperature melted chocolate, colored frosting, or piping gel.
   
   Tip: If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a resealable plastic bag instead. Fill the bag, then snip the tip with scissors to create a tiny opening.

2. 2Mark each word with a toothpick

   Using a toothpick, mark the beginning and ending of each word in a straight line. This will help keep you centered when you start to pipe.

3. 3Trace the letters

   Using the same toothpick, trace the letters in the frosting.
   
   Tip: If you make a mistake, smooth over the letter with fresh frosting and start again.

4. 4Practice piping on a plate first

   Before you pipe directly on the cake, practice a few letters on a plate or other clean surface. This way, you’ll get comfortable with the piping bag and can also gauge how much pressure to use when writing.

5. 5Pipe over the lines

   Use your non-writing hand to steady the bag as you pipe over the letters you traced.
   
   Want to make a cake that looks as good as it tastes? It’s easy with Real Simple’s cake decorating techniques.