Piping

How to Pipe a Shell Border

Name: How to Pipe a Shell Border
Ingredients: Buttercream Frosting; Open Star Cake Decorating Tip 21; 12-Inch Disposable Decorating Bags, 12-Count; Standard Coupler

The shell is one of the most versatile icing decorations. Use it to pipe a simple border or pipe rows of shells to accent or cover a cake. Try piping shells in multiple colors and in combination with other decorations like dots or zigzags to create your own unique designs!

Skill Level:: Beginner

Ingredients

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream Frosting

Tools
Open Star Cake Decorating Tip 21

Open Star Cake Decorating Tip 21
12-Inch Disposable Decorating Bags, 12-Count

12-Inch Disposable Decorating Bags, 12-Count
Standard Coupler

Standard Coupler

Instructions

Click to mark complete

- Fit a decorating bag with a star tip and medium consistency icing. Hold decorating bag at an angle with the back of the bag facing you, tip slightly above the surface.
- Squeeze hard, letting icing fan out generously as it forces the tip up.
- Gradually relax pressure as you lower tip, at the same time pulling the bag toward you until tip reaches the surface.
- Stop squeezing and pull tip along the surface to form a point.
- To make a continuous shell border, start your next shell so that the fanned end just covers the tail of the preceding shell to form a chain.

Notes

Experiment with different sized star tips to change the shape and size of shells.

Resources

How to Pipe a Shell

Products