Piping cream/icing on cake/biscuits!

[NanaNina]

PLEASE can anyone tell me how to do this. I have tried every gadget in the shops and I just end up in a sticky mess. My latest effort was with some plastic "concertina shaped" containers of different sizes - piped fresh cream ok but not buttercream. I notice on The Bake Off they all use those blue piping bags. I've tried them too but no luck, more mess! I don't understand how you fit the nozzles to those piping bags? Can anyone help?

Those blue bags don't have holes for the nozzles until you cut them, so basically you cut a hole (not too big) and put the nozzle inside the bag and into the hole. If it's not big enough, cut a bit more!

There's lots of tutorials on youtube that will help you. I've tried those plastic bottles you mention, but it's not an easy way to hold, squeeze and pipe at the same time! Much easier with the piping bags. You can buy small ones in any supermarket. Very cheap and as they are small, you can just put a small amount of icing in and it's easier to hold, whilst you get the hang of it. The blue bags, I got on Ebay or Amazon I think. Couple of quid for a roll of 100 and you can easily get enough icing in them for at least 30 cakes, but you need to have a bit of experience at doing it first or it goes everywhere!

I'l see if I can find some links for you.

This is quite a good one. There are hundreds though, so just keep looking through them, until you find one that's for you.

You would not believe the mess I've been in........I must be pretty stupid because I have some piping bags and I cut the end off one and tried to put one of the nozzles in from the plastic concertina bottles but it just fell out! I did manage some pathetic swirls with the plastic bottles but it took for ever and lots of mess.

Can you tell me exactly HOW you put the nozzle in the piping bag - from the picture you kindly posted it looks like it's on the outside of the bag but that can't be right can it........maybe nozzle inside and then plastic cap to hold it in place outside - oh I don't know really! On the Bake Off it just looked like they had a neat nozzle and I couldn't see what was holding it in.

I think I just might give up.........

Lol! Keep trying - you'll get it. You really do just cut the end off and put the nozzle inside the bag. Just remember little cuts at a time. If the hole isn't big enough you can cut more.

There is one other option, that I use for doing cakes with multiple nozzles. You can buy connectors. Here The principle is the same though. It's in two parts. You cut the end of the bag and put the bottom part inside the bag and then put your nozzle over the bit poking through the bag and screw the top part of the connector over it. It just means you can change the nozzle and it is on the outside.

I think that's a bit fiddly until you've got the hang of it though!

OMG Maureen that picture looks like something medical!! I not like!!

Sorry to keep asking but do you just put the nozzle with no plastic bits around it inside the piping bag. On Bake off nothing seemed to be sticking out of the piping bag????!

On a positive note, I ate one of the cakes tonight (they are for my sister) and they were very yummy - just choc sponge with a bit of a swizzle of butter cream on - but the washing up - and waste of butter cream I could cry!

lol, yes you can just put the nozzle into the bag. It doesn't need to be a very big hole at all. Just big enough for the tip to poke through.

Next time you have left over icing in the bag, wipe the nozzle clean, cover it with cling film and put it in the fridge. You can try again in a couple of days then!

Thank you Maureen think maybe just maybe I realise the nozzle doesn't have to poke out of the bag........yes I should have saved the butter cream but I was losing the will to live...............! and just wanted to get rid of all the mess. BUT I will try again - thank you for your patience!

My pleasure.