Cupcake Decorating Tip - Piping Bag

I get a lot of questions about my cupcakes. One of the most common is how I get the frosting to look nice. The first batch of cupcakes I made (not pictured, they didn't look good at all), I used an offset spatula to put the frosting on. This didn't work well at all. I ended up making quite a mess!

The second batch, I used a piping bag. I had some disposable bags I bought at a local craft store. This ended up working really well. I didn't use a decorating tip; I just snipped the tip of the bag. You can also use the different decorative tips if you had them available. You can get a pretty big set at a craft store for not too much. I will be making some cupcakes soon that will have some more decorative techniques. This is something I am working on!

Picture from Wilton Website

If you don't have any disposable piping bags another option is to use a ziplock bag. Fill the bag with the frosting, the same you would for the piping bag. Zip the bag up, almost all the way. I find it works better if your hand acts as the closure rather than the zip part of the bag. Next, cut a hole in one of the corners of the bag. Frost away! The only tip I have, is don't force the frosting out of the hole. If it isn't work well, cut the hole bigger. If you apply too much pressure the bag will split. (the piping bags are stronger, I have never split one while using it)

Want the spiral look on your cupcakes? Check out this tutorial.