This is definitely my go to frosting technique. I love how simple it is and how it can quickly elevate and perfectly finish off a cake. The ‘tall tower’ as I call it is really simple once you’ve mastered it, and can be super quick to learn and perfect.
The theory and practicality of this decoration is really straightforward and it’s a lot simpler than it looks. The most important thing here is to make sure that your buttercream is the correct consistency . Too runny and it will fall out of the bag and lose its shape and too thick it will be impossible to pipe. In order to get the rose shape, the piping nozzle that you use is super important, my favourite is the Wilton 2D.
To be able to pipe this, you need to first be able to pipe a basic rose, you can find my tutorial here. This is so important because this acts as the base of the icing tower. This is the one step that I see people mis out a lot. Rather than creating that solid rose base and building up from there, they just build up the sides leaving the inside hollow which eventually results in it caving in.
Start from the inside and swirl your way out. Once you’ve completed the rose base, you start to build up, adding a layer each time until you’ve reached the peak. Once you’ve reached the top of the swirl slowly remove pressure and gently lift the icing bag up. Please see video.
For this video, I’ve used my Classic Vanilla Buttercream Recipe, which is my go to whenever I’m topping off a cupcake. From here you can add any extra toppings or finishing touches, from sprinkles to glitter.
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