Ruffle piping

Ruffle piping makes a frilled ribbon of icing, often used for cake borders and garlands. A university 4-H cake manual describes the motion: hold the tip at a 45 degree angle with the wide end lightly touching the surface and the narrow end pointing down and away. Move your wrist up to pull the icing and down to complete one curl, then swing the tip down and up to form a curve with a slight up-and-down hand motion. Repeat this to form a continuous row of ruffle.

The manual lists ruffle tips such as numbers 87, 88, 99, 100 and 339 and also describes ruffle garlands as a side decoration on cakes. Leaves can be ruffled too, by moving the tip back and forth.

Practice on waxed paper first. Use medium-consistency icing so the folds hold their shape.