Instructions

1. Cut the tip of a decorating bag and insert a large petal decorating tip. Fill the decorating bag with a somewhat stiff, crusting buttercream frosting that can hold the shape of the ruffles. Replace all or at least half of the butter in your standard buttercream frosting recipe with solid vegetable shortening, which doesn't melt as much as butter. The shortening makes the frosting harden slightly as it dries.

2. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle with the cake. Hold the longer, wide end of the petal tip slightly out from the cake or cupcake with the short, narrow end facing in the direction you wish to make the ruffles. If you want to frost the top of a cake or cupcake with rings of ruffles, the narrow end should face the outer edge of the cake. To make vertical ruffles to cover the side, face the narrow tip out and slightly to the side. You can cover the side with upward facing, horizontal ruffles by facing the narrow tip upward.

3. Squeeze the decorating bag with firm pressure to start a stream of frosting.

4. Move the frosting tip up and down slightly with a gentle wrist motion to create the ruffles. Move the tip slowly for loose ruffles and faster for tight ruffles. Keep the frosting flow continuously until you complete a circle around the top or make your way from bottom to top. If the frosting breaks off, push it down with the petal tip and begin a new frosting strip directly over the broken end.

5. Reposition the petal tip so the narrow end lines up at about the center of the first ruffle. Squeeze a new ruffle row or ring overlapping the previous ruffle. Repeat this process as you work your way around the cake.