Pipe Perfect Buttercream Bows In Just 2 Simple Steps

Beautiful cakes dressed in buttercream aren't just elusive creations that only fill your Instagram feed and imagination. After all, that decadent red velvet cake you just took out of the oven deserves a bit of gussying up, and you don't need to be a professional to make it look good. You can bring your visions life with a simple technique that helps you pipe delicate bows onto your next cake. 

To get started, fill a piping bag with buttercream, a common frosting type that can hold its form. You'll need a thin, wide decorating tip to create your elegant ribbon ties. A piping nozzle like a Jem 115 (also called a leaf piping tip) has a small divot in the middle that will form the pinched center of the bow. You might want to practice first on a baking sheet lined with parchment. 

As you squeeze the bag gently, delicately wave it up and down about four times, to create frosting "folds" that stack on top of each other to form a wavy ribbon. With some practice, you'll be able to form tiny bows that looks like they could top a birthday gift — perfect for a festive layer cake. 

London's Lily Vanilli Bakery demonstrates this bow piping technique on Instagram. An important factor is that the creator quickly and sharply pulls the piping bag away at the last second, giving each bow a pointed bottom that resembles thick, beautiful ribbons.

You can cover a cake's surface with many of these bows, or simply pipe them around the perimeter of a classic white cake for an elegant look. You could also try experimenting with different sizes of piping nozzles to create bows of varying thickness and width — just remember to use thin, wide tips. And creating your own fancy two-tone frosting would make for absolutely lovely bows.

Don't feel limited to cakes or cupcakes when it comes to these cute enhancements. Top a plate of French toast or a morning stack of pancakes with your pretty ribbons and crown your creation with sprinkles. You can use buttercream bows to brighten shortbread rounds or buttery sugar cookies, or add a touch of whimsy to the pies for the holidays. Red bows would look dashing on a Christmas apple pie, while autumnal yellow would suit pumpkin pie. Whatever treats you choose to decorate, your guests will scramble to post photos of your adorable desserts on social media.