Decorative Piping

The only time I pipe decorations on a cake these days is when I use a whipped cream topping. Although I often just spoon it onto the cake and make decorative swirls with a spatula, occasionally it’s fun to pipe large stars or shells, for example. Stars are the first thing most people, including myself, learn to pipe because they are so easy. Shells are a variation on the star, and I think they are the most graceful of all festoons. Piped pearls are elegant and provide a lovely unobtrusive finish. You can make one row or two staggered rows. It’s also very attractive to pipe little pearls or beads as a border.