Top Tips for Piping Fine Lines with Royal icing

Piping Royal icing onto a cake can be tricky, but practice makes perfect and we have some handy tips for you to ensure you become a pro in no time!

Use a small piping bag and fill no more than 2/3 full, This will be easier to control the flow and be more comfortable. Use both hands to apply pressure and one to guide.
Paddle your icing before you start to eliminate any air bubbles, this will ensure no bubbles break the line when you are piping.
Pressure and consistency of pressure are all important for neatly executed line work. Keep practicing to perfect the flow and angle.
Practice! Place some clear acetate or plastic over the pattern you want to achieve and simply wipe clean once done.
If you make a mistake or a dot has a peak, don’t worry! Simply use a damp brush to wipe away or flatten the mistake.
For lettering, start with easier fonts before moving onto to more elaborate styles. This will ensure you are comfortable icing the shape of the letters.
When writing direct onto a pale coloured cake, to give you more confidence, try over piping – pipe the inscription in white first, allow to dry, and then over pipe with your chosen colour.
If piping onto the side of a cake, always tilt the cake to make the task easier. A tilting turntable is ideal for this.
When you are confident to start piping directly onto cakes, ensure you have enough room and use a ruler when piping letters to ensure they are straight.
Prick out lines of your design with a scriber needle first, then simply trace the design with your icing.

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