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My Favorite Piping Tip: Wilton 4B

March 19, 2018 · In: Tools

When I first started making cakes, I was so pleased to find out that my local craft store had a whole two aisles full of cake decorating supplies! All of the tools in those aisles were Wilton and they became the foundation of my toolset for years to come. Although I have incorporated some other brands into my cake decorating arsenal I am most definitely still a huge fan of Wilton, especially since their tools have taken a beating from me over the last several years and have held up pristinely.

I wanted to shed a spotlight on my favorite piping tip of all time, the classic Wilton 4B. It’s an open star tip that I’ve come to love for creating unique designs on cakes and cupcakes. It really shines when you get a little crafty with color.

I once made a cupcake rainbow with my 4B tip by creating different shades of buttercream. I think there are 14 colors represented here.

rainbow cupcakes by sugar and sparrow

And made some monochromatic magic with a few different shades of teal.

monochromatic cupcakes by Sugar and Sparrow

I’ve created an under-the-sea inspired cake for a friend who loves diving. I love how it turned out looking like a coral reef.

under the sea cake by Sugar and Sparrow

And created a little sunny ombrè cake.

mango buttercream cake by sugar and sparrow

I’ve also used it several times to accent my cake designs. I just love that extra pop of texture it adds!

matcha cake by sugar and sparrow

Have you tried any of these looks with 4B? I want to see ‘em. Tag me on Instagram and show me!

By: Whitney · In: Tools · Tagged: buttercream, buttercream piping, buttercream piping tip, cake, cake decorating, cakes, cupcakes, piping, piping tip, wilton, wilton 4b

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Comments

  1. Mary Doherty says

    February 13, 2024 at 3:07 pm

    I love the cakes and cupcakes on this page. I was wondering if all the different sizes of stars were made using the same tip. If so, do I just keep squeezing until the star gets bigger? I’m a beginner cake decorator, I appreciate you help.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 27, 2024 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Mary! Yes, all of these stars were made with the same piping tip (Wilton 4B) and that’s exactly how you’d get the different sizes – squeeze the piping bag until the star gets bigger. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Monica says

    February 11, 2019 at 10:52 am

    Hi! How do you get the buttercream colors to be more muted? Mine always come out looking bright and neon-ish even if I add just a little bit of food gel.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 12, 2019 at 10:09 am

      Hi Monica! I have the Americolor Nifty Fifty Kit and it includes a lot of muted color gels. Also, if a color is too bright I usually add a tiny bit of a slightly darker color to tone it down.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A Year Older, A New Birthday Cake Recipe - Sugar & Sparrow says:
    June 7, 2018 at 11:06 am

    […] culinary torch. You can use some piping tips to pipe unique designs with the meringue (I’ve used Wilton 4B for the open stars and 1M for the rosettes) or keep with the traditional look of swirling the […]

    Reply
  2. The Tastiest Churro Cake Recipe - Sugar & Sparrow says:
    May 7, 2018 at 8:06 am

    […] Top with your favorite local churros or topper of your choice. In this design I’ve also piped a few open stars with buttercream using Wilton tip 4B. […]

    Reply

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@sugarandsparrowco

CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES 🍏deliciously moist, perfect CARAMEL APPLE CUPCAKES 🍏deliciously moist, perfectly spiced apple cupcakes topped with a swirl of salted caramel buttercream and drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce – these are the ideal Fall cupcakes if you ask me! 

Comment RECIPE and I’ll send it to you! Or find it linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/caramel-apple-cupcakes/

#applecupcakes #saltedcaramel #caramelcupcakes #fallbaking #caramelapple
DYE-FREE BLACK BUTTERCREAM 🖤 (recipe below) there DYE-FREE BLACK BUTTERCREAM 🖤 (recipe below) there is ZERO food coloring in this black buttercream recipe which means it won’t turn your mouth black (or anything else 💩) + it tastes like Oreo cookie butter so it’s a win all around!! The key is to use EXTRA dark black cocoa powder, which also comes in handy in my black velvet cake recipe 🙌🏼 ideal secret ingredient for your Halloween cakes! 
⁣
Full recipe (and the black cocoa powder I use!) is linked in my bio and at https://sugarandsparrow.com/dye-free-black-buttercream/
⁣
DYE-FREE BLACK BUTTERCREAM⁣⁣
Yield: 2.5 Cups⁣⁣
⁣⁣
INGREDIENTS:⁣⁣
1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/2 Cups (300g) powdered sugar⁣⁣
1/2 Cup (56g) EXTRA DARK black cocoa powder⁣⁣*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣⁣
2 Tbsp whole milk, room temp
pinch of salt⁣⁣
⁣⁣
INSTRUCTIONS:⁣⁣
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, 4 min. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low until just combined, then add the rest of the powdered sugar. With the mixer still in the off position, sift in the black cocoa powder and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix on low until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.⁣⁣
2. Place the buttercream in an airtight container and allow the color to deepen for 24 hours or more. ⁣⁣

*I use a brand called The Cocoa Trader that I get on Amazon. It’s the darkest black cocoa powder I’ve seen so far!!
⁣⁣
#blackbuttercream #naturalfoodcoloring #blackcake #buttercream #blackcocoapowder
SMALL BATCH pumpkin cake with cream cheese frostin SMALL BATCH pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting 🧡 This mini cake is a scaled down version of my favorite pumpkin cake recipe + makes the perfect amount for 2-4 people! Bake it as a 4-inch mini layer cake or a single layer 6-inch cake, either way is absolutely delicious and the perfect for date night, a small gathering, or any time you’re craving pumpkin cake without having to make a huge dessert 🙌🏽

Comment RECIPE and I’ll send you the full recipe (with thick and stable cream cheese frosting!) or find it linked in my bio + at https://sugarandsparrow.com/small-batch-pumpkin-cake/ 

INGREDIENTS 
2/3 Cup (88g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/3 Cup (67g) packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
1/3 Cup (80ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 Cup (125g) canned pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line three 4-inch cake pans or one 6-inch cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Set aside.
3. In a separate medium bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil (if using melted butter in place of the oil, cool it for 5-10 minutes prior to adding here), egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until uniform, then add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pan(s). If using 4-inch cake pans, bake for 22-26 minutes. If using a 6-inch cake pan, bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting (full recipe with cream cheese buttercream is linked in my bio!)

#pumpkincake #smallbatchcake #minicake #creamcheesefrosting #fallbaking
TOP 10 FALL CAKES 🍂 These are not only MY favorite TOP 10 FALL CAKES 🍂 These are not only MY favorite Fall cake recipes, they’re yours too! 🥰

Comment “FALL” and I’ll send you all of the cake recipes shown here and all 36+ of my favorite Fall baking ideas – classic cakes like pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, spice cake, and cranberry orange cake, more complex flavor combinations like chocolate pecan pie cake with salted caramel and apple crisp cake, and cozy recipes like no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, homemade salted caramel, and my favorite brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars. 

https://sugarandsparrow.com/fall-baking-recipes/

#pumpkincake #applecake #fallcake #cakeinspiration #cakeideas
The BEST pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting 🧡 The BEST pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting 🧡 this pumpkin layer cake is easy to make, perfectly spiced, so moist, irresistible with cream cheese frosting, and uses the ENTIRE 15oz can of pumpkin (no awkward leftovers!). Top it with pretty piped pumpkins to make it extra cute 🥰

Comment RECIPE to get the full recipe (with frosting + cake decorating tutorial) or find it linked in my bio and at https://sugarandsparrow.com/pumpkin-layer-cake-recipe/

INGREDIENTS
2 Cups (265g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 Cup (200g) packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 Cup (240ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
4 large eggs, room temp
15 Oz (425g) canned pumpkin puree
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and line three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil (if using melted butter in place of the oil, cool it for 5-10 minutes prior to adding here), eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until uniform, then add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool the cakes completely to room temp before frosting!

#pumpkincake #creamcheesefrosting #layercake #cake #fallbaking

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