How to Make a Rosette Cake

Prepare Cake

stacking a three layer chocolate cake with pink frosting on a metal cake turntable with a pink background.

Bake, Level, and Stack the Cake: Start by baking your favorite layer cake and letting it cool completely. Level the tops of the cake layers so they stack evenly, then fill and stack the layers with a thin layer of frosting. A flat, stable cake makes piping rosettes much easier and helps your buttercream swirls look clean and consistent.

a three layer cake stacked, filled and crumb coated with pink frosting on a metal cake turntable.

Apply a Crumb Coat and Chill: Spread a thin crumb coat of frosting over the top and sides of the cake to seal in any loose crumbs. This does not need to look perfect since it will be covered with rosettes. Chill the cake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the frosting is firm to the touch. A chilled crumb coat gives you a smooth base for piping buttercream rosettes.

Measure and Mark Rosette Rows on Cake

To keep your rosettes even and evenly spaced, measure the height of your cake with a ruler. Divide that number by how many rows of rosettes you want. Most standard layer cakes look great with two or three rows, while taller cakes can support four rows of rosettes.

Use a small knife or toothpick to make light guide marks at each interval. For example, if your cake is 6 inches tall and you plan to pipe three rows of rosettes, mark the cake at 2 inches and 4 inches all the way around. These guide marks help you keep each row straight and evenly spaced as you decorate.

Prepare Your Buttercream and Piping Bag

Make your buttercream frosting and adjust the consistency so it is smooth and pipeable but still holds its shape. The frosting should be soft enough to squeeze easily but stiff enough that the rosettes keep their ridges.

Fit a piping bag with your chosen star tip, such as a Wilton 1M or 2D, and add about 1 to 2 cups of buttercream frosting. If this is your first time piping rosettes, practice a few swirls on parchment paper or a silicone mat before decorating the cake.

🌟 Top Tip: Remove Air Bubbles from Frosting for Smooth Buttercream Rosettes

For smoother, cleaner rosettes, remove air bubbles from your buttercream before piping. If using a standing mixer, mix the frosting with a paddle attachment on the lowest speed for 3 to 5 minutes. If you don’t have a standing mixer, stir the frosting with a rubber spatula to push out trapped air. You can also transfer the frosting to a food processor or use an immersion blender and pulse for a few seconds (not too long or it can melt!). The slight warmth from mixing smooths the frosting, which prevents holes in your buttercream rosettes and gives your rosette cake a more professional, bakery-style finish.

How to Pipe a Rosette

Hold the piping bag at a 90 degree angle from the cake.
Apply a fair amount of pressure to the piping bag so a frosting star (from the star piping tip) starts to form.
Then, while still adding pressure to the piping bag, slowly drag the piping bag around the formed star in a circular motion. The more times you go around in a circle the larger the rosette will be. For classic rosette cakes going around once is common.
Slowly let up on the amount of pressure when ending the rosette, and pull away.

Piping Rosettes on a Cake (Step-by-Step)

piping the first layer of pink rosettes onto the left side of a pink crumb coated cake on a metal cake turntable.

Pipe First Row of Rosettes: Begin piping rosettes at the bottom edge of the cake, trying to keep the rosette between where you’ve measured the rosette layers. Work your way around in a straight, even row and place each rosette right next to the previous one so there are no gaps. Be sure to keep your piping direction consistent, so if the first rosette is piped clockwise, continue piping all rosettes clockwise. Try to end each rosette in the same spot, such as the right-hand side, and overlap the tail with the new rosette.

piping the second layer of light pink rosettes onto a light pink cake, on a metal cake turntable.

Pipe Second Row or Rosettes: Continue piping the second row above the first. For the cleanest, fullest look, slightly offset each new row of rosettes instead of stacking them directly on top of the row below. Start each rosette in the new row in the gap between two rosettes from the row underneath. This staggered pattern helps fill in empty spaces and prevents vertical lines from forming between rows. It also creates a more natural, bakery-style rosette cake with fewer visible gaps.

piping the third layer of pink rosettes onto a pink cake on a metal cake turntable.

Repeat: Continue piping each row this same way as you work upward, keeping the rosettes evenly spaced and slightly staggered from the row below.

piping rosettes on to the top of a pink cake on a metal caketurntable.

Pipe Rosettes on Top of Cake: Once the sides of the cake are fully covered, move on to piping rosettes on the top. Again, place each rosette right next to the previous one so there are no gaps. As with the sides, keep your piping direction consistent for a uniform look. If needed, slightly overlap the tails of each rosette to hide seams and create a clean finish along the top surface. That’s it! Then chill, slice, and enjoy your cake!

Tips and Tricks

Practice your rosettes first: If you have never piped rosettes before, practice on parchment paper or a silicone mat to get comfortable with the piping pressure and motion. You can also try different star tips and see which one you like best! When you’re done practicing, just scrape the rosettes right back into your bowl.
Use a matching crumb coat color: While not required, crumb coating the cake with the same color frosting you plan to use for the rosettes can to help hide small gaps and make the finished rosette cake look fuller and more polished.
If coloring your frosting, use gel food coloring: Gel food coloring creates bold, even buttercream colors without thinning the frosting, which helps your rosettes keep sharp ridges and clean definition.
Do not overfill your piping bag: . If the frosting gets too warm in our hands, the edges of the rosettes will start to look sloppy and droopy. Using a smaller amount of frosting and refilling the piping bag as necessary keeps the frosting at the right temperature and consistency, plus it is easier to control the piping.
Rosettes work on more than just layer cakes: The same rosette piping technique works beautifully on sheet cakes, cupcakes, and cut-out sugar cookies, making this decorating method perfect for birthday cakes, party desserts, and individual treats.

FAQ

What is the best piping tip for rosettes?

The most common piping tip for rosettes is the Wilton 1M, but really any type of open or closed star tip, or drop flower tip will work! Other common tips include:
Wilton 2D
Ateco 824
Ateco 34
You can also uses smaller star tips for mini layer cakes, cupcakes, or for alternate size rosettes for sheet cakes.

What type of frosting works best for rosette cakes?

Buttercream frosting works best for this type of decorated cake. American buttercream, Italian meringue buttercream, Swiss meringue Buttercream all work.
Even ermine frosting or cream cheese frosting will work, provided they are not too soft. You can also pipe rosettes with chocolate ganache and whipped ganache frosting.
You want a medium consistency buttercream that is firm enough to hold it shape when piped and not spread, but soft enough that the edges remain smooth and pretty. Chilling the frosting for 15-20 minutes before piping and not overfilling the piping bag with frosting can help.

Can I used canned frosting to pipe rosettes on my cake?

While homemade frosting works best for this type of cake, there are a few tips if you decide to use a store bought frosting instead:
Whip the pre-made frosting for a few minutes prior to piping. Start on high until it increases in size, about 2-3 minutes. Then, whip on the lowest speed for 3-5 minutes to help remove any air bubbles. Adding ¼ to ½ cup of powdered sugar while whipping the frosting will thicken it up to a piping consistency even more.
Chill the whipped frosting 15-20 minutes before piping to help firm it up to the correct consistency.

How do I make an ombre rosette cake?

Using different shades of the same color frosting for each layer of rosettes will create a nice ombre effect on the cake. Using gel food coloring helps keep the colors vibrant without altering the consistency of the frosting.

How do I fix a mistake on a rosette cake?

If you make a mistake or the rosette does not look right, gently scrape it off with a spatula and re-pipe it right away. Fresh buttercream is much easier to correct than dried frosting.

Make Ahead and Storing

Like most buttercream cakes, they can made ahead and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days (provided there is no filling or garnishes that needs to be refrigerated) or in an extra large plastic cake container in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The cake can also be frozen up to a month. Defrost and let come to room temperature before serving.

More Cake Recipes

If you’re looking for more cake decorating techniques, try painting a cake with buttercream or making a fault-line cake!

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