Last Updated on March 1, 2023
Piping frosting allows you to create beautifully decorated cakes. Most people choose to use homemade frosting when piping decorations on their baked goods. This may have led you to wonder, can you pipe canned frosting?
Though making frosting from scratch can be delicious, it takes time and can be messy. Canned frosting can be a tasty and easy alternative to making your own. It will save you time while still allowing you to have delicious desserts.
Piping allows you to use different tips to create different patterns and designs. Though it may take some practice at first, you can make elegantly and beautifully decorated cakes. Piping is a great skill to have if you enjoy baking cakes and cupcakes.
Can You Pipe Canned Frosting?
Though most people just use a spatula to decorate with canned frosting, you can pipe with canned frosting. It can be a great alternative to having to make your own frosting. Store-bought frosting often has a thinner consistency than homemade, so it will need some changing to get it at the right consistency.
To make your frosting the right consistency to pipe, you will need powdered sugar. Powdered sugar stiffens up the frosting so it becomes the proper texture to pipe with. Right out of the can, the frosting will likely be too thin to hold up your designs.
Making Your Canned Frosting Ready to Pipe with
To get your canned frosting ready to pipe with, you will need one 16-ounce jar, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and a mixer with a whisk or paddle attachment. You can use whatever flavor of canned frosting you want, whether that is vanilla buttercream, chocolate, or cream cheese. However, if you want to add food coloring, your best option is to go with vanilla buttercream.
One 16-ounce jar of canned frosting is typically enough to frost an eight or nine-inch two-layer cake. You can also frost up to 36 cupcakes in one jar.
How to Prepare the Store-bought Frosting
With your stand mixer, add one can of frosting and one-fourth cup of powdered sugar. Mix the powdered sugar at low speed until incorporated into the frosting. Then bring the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat the frosting for 30 seconds.
If needed, you can add more powdered sugar to make the frosting stiffer. Add one tablespoon at a time until it has reached the right consistency. It is good when the frosting is a bit stiff as that will help your decorations stay in place properly.
If you want your frosting to be colored, add a couple of drops of food coloring. Mix it into the frosting and add a couple more drops at a time until you reach your desired color.
Once your frosting is ready, add it to your piping bag. Be sure to fill it no more than three-fourths full. For writing, you will only want a few tablespoons of frosting in your bag. Otherwise, it will be harder to control the piping bag well in spelling your text.
Depending on how you want to decorate your cake, there are different piping tips you can use. For beginners, a 1M tip is great for creating classic swirls. If you are wanting to pipe accents and flowers, a star 21 tip is a good way to start.
Storing Leftover Frosting
If you have any leftover frosting, you can store it in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge. Allow your frosting to reach room temperature before using it. Using cold frosting to decorate can be difficult, so you want to ensure it’s at room temperature to make it easier to work with.
You can also freeze your leftover frosting as well. Place your frosting into a Ziploc bag, squeeze out all the air and tightly seal it. It can last up to three months in your freezer.
Once you are ready to use it, allow it to thaw in your fridge overnight or for at least two hours. Then allow it to reach room temperature before using.
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Which Store-Bought Frosting is Best For Piping?
When it comes to frosting, store-bought frosting is the quickest and easiest to work with. However, some store-bought frosting isn’t the best when it comes to piping. However, there are a few icings that are great for piping and also taste delicious. Here are my top three picks.
- Duncan Hines Creamy Buttercream Frosting. Duncan Hines is a super accessible brand and one of the most affordable options too. When it comes to using this icing for piping, it’s incredibly smooth and spreadable and works really well. However, it does have quite an artificial taste. But because of its spread-ability, it’s definitely a top pick.
- Wilton Buttercream Icing Mix. When it comes to cake making, you can’t go wrong with Wilton. It’s been around for many years and is a much-loved brand. It’s easy to use, thick and spreadable. The sweetness is not overbearing and it’s as close to homemade as you can get when buying your icing from a store.
- Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting. Betty Crocker is another well-loved brand that has been around for as long as I can remember! It’s easily accessible and affordable too. It’s creamy, and silky and has a fantastic texture to work with when it comes to piping.
Can You Pipe Rainbow Chip Frosting?
You can pipe the rainbow chip frosting from Betty Crocker. However, I’ve found that it works best when spreading it over a cake. If you do want to pipe it, be sure to stir it at room temperature before adding it to your piping bag. If the frosting is too cold, this will make it even more difficult to pipe. Be sure to use a wide tip too so that the rainbow chips do not get stuck in the tip.
Can You Pipe Coconut Pecan Frosting?
Of course. Again, be sure to use a wide tip when piping this frosting as you do not want the pecans to get stuck. I usually stick to spreading the frosting on when the icing is thick and contains foods such as nuts, but it is pipe-able if you’d prefer to pipe the frosting on.
How Can I Pipe Icing Without Piping Bag?
To make your piping bag, it’s super easy! All you need is a Ziploc bag and something sharp like scissors. All you need to do is tape one of the corners for additional support and snip the corner. Fill your bag up with frosting and push the frosting downwards. It’s best to start with a small hole as the hole will expand as you push the icing down. It really is as simple as that.
If you don’t have a Ziploc bag, you can just use a spatula or a knife to spread the icing on. While it doesn’t give off the same finish, it tastes just as delicious!
How Thick Should Frosting Be to Pipe?
If you’re new to the world of piping, you may be wondering how thick it needs to be for you to be able to pipe onto the cake. The general rule is that your frosting should be somewhat of a stiff peak. It should slightly curl when you hold it up, but be stiff enough to hold onto whatever you’re mixing with.
Piping with Canned Frosting
Piping with canned frosting is a great alternative to using homemade. By simply adding powdered sugar, you can achieve the right consistency. This will allow you to create beautiful designs and patterns in your cakes while taking less time to prepare.
You can use whatever flavor of canned frosting you like for your piping. Using your favorite store-bought frosting can save you time and stress in the kitchen.
Do you have any questions on how to use canned frosting for piping? If so, please ask your questions in the comments down below.
Ever since she was a young girl, Anna has been a lover of desserts. As an adult, she enjoys
baking a variety of desserts from cakes, cookies, brownies, bread, and more from scratch. She
enjoys sharing her passion for baking with others who also have a sweet tooth. From properly
measuring ingredients to making sure they are the correct temperature, Anna knows the
importance small details can make in baking. She wants to share her experience with others in
hopes they can make the most delicious baked goods. When she’s not busy blogging, Anna
enjoys trying new recipes in the kitchen.