How to ice cupcakes

Points to remember

• Put a curved star nozzle into a piping bag, fill with icing and twist the end.
• Hold the end with one hand - usually your writing hand - and rest the tip of the bag in your other hand. Squeeze from the top of the bag with an even pressure.
• To make icing swirls, hold the bag above your cupcake.
• Pipe a ring of icing around the edge of the cupcake, continue overlapping the ring until you reach the centre.
• Stop the pressure when you reach the centre and draw up sharply to finish.
• To make a rose effect, again, hold the piping bag above the centre of the cupcake.
• Pipe in a swirl, working out in a circular motion towards the edge.
• When you reach the edge, swipe sharply around to finish.

TIPS