Messy Ruffles Cake Decorating Video Tutorial. Watch my video below to learn this easy, yet really beautiful cake decorating technique.
This cake was originally shared waaaay back in August 2012 when Rose Bakes was brand new. Recently I received a couple of new questions about it, so I thought it was worth sharing again.
I have not re-shot the pictures or video, but I did update them a little. I brightened the photos and shortened the video - while also polishing it a little. Enjoy!
In my opinion, this is one of those really easy, timeless designs that can work for almost any occassion. I've done buttercream ruffles for weddings, baby showers, birthdays and anniveraries. It's an easy design that comes togethe very quickly and looks so, so pretty.
Before and since making this cake I've made several "messy ruffles" cakes. This was my first messy ruffles cake.
And then this was my second rainbow messy ruffles cake. I've made countless others since then.
But after sharing those on Facebook and the blog, I had several requests for a how-to tutorial. With the help of my husband, we put one together. Here's the video:
I should note... we had practically zero experience with video and making a cake while filming it is challenging (to say the least). So this could easily be messiest "messy ruffles" cake ever.
But since this was only my second video tutorial ever (here's my first video.... eeek!!), I was still pretty nervous and I didn't do a great job. This was evidenced by the nasty comments on YouTube. Check out those first two cakes to see neater work!!
But all that aside, I'm confident that you'll get the idea for how to do these cakes by wathcing my video. And I'm also confident you'll be able to do a much neater job yourself!!
And if you do one and it's a little bit too messy or uneven... just let it crust for about 10 minutes and then you can gently press down on the uneven areas and get it looking a little neater!
So, to do this, here's what you'll need:
A cake...obviously! This cake is a 6" neapolitan cake (click for recipe!), but for those other cakes, I used my favorite vanilla cake recipe! It's filled, crumb-coated and chilled. I baked it in my favorite Magic Line pans, then let it cool before filling, frosting and chilling.
Frosting. I used cream cheese frosting in the video, but I often use Vanilla Buttercream. Chocolate Buttercream would be great too... it' just needs to be a good consistency for decorating!
A Turn Table. This Ateco Revolving Cake Stand is awesome, but for years I used this simple Wilton Cake turntable and it worked great too!
Frosting Bags. You can see my favorites here.
Wilton #104 Petal tip (or a comparable frosting tip). You could use another brand petal tip, or even a smaller or larger one to get different looks.
Then all you need is time. This small cake took me less than 15 minutes to decorate. Even a large cake comes together very quickly when doing the Messy Ruffles design.
Check out these other popular cake tutorials:
- How to Smooth Frost a Cake and How to Get Sharp Buttercream Edges {Video Tutorial}
- Messy Ruffles Cake Decorating Video Tutorial
- How to Use a Silicone Pearl Mold
- How to Sell Paint-Your-Cookie Sets (the ebook!)
- Can You Freeze a Fondant Decorated Cake?
- How to Organize Ribbons
Did you enjoy this Messy Ruffles Cake Decorating Video Tutorial? Do you have any questions about this cake? Please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer and help out!
Sturdy Woman
Ah ha so that is how you do the ruffles. You did a good job on your very first video. Always proud of you. Love ya Rose.
Shelly
Rose
LOL!!!! Thank you!!! You cracked me up when I saw who the comment was from! I love you ma'am!!
Kim
"Sturdy Woman"...your moniker ROCKS!!! Wish I thought of it...Lol...LOVE IT!
Applew
This is awesome! You did a wonderful job! I am totally inspired by you and I am going to attempt it today!
Rose
Thanks Applew!
Ceria Fernandez
What was the music in the background? Also, thanks for the video, I'm going to make this for someone tomorrow!!!
Rose
Great! The music is While the Trees Sleep by David Nevue.
Denise Jorge
Thanks so much for posting the video - I'm going to do this tonight for a big cake - hopefully it will come out ok on a square cake- as that is what I'm doing. But the video is awesome - thanks so much!!
Rose
You're welcome!! Thanks for visiting!
Jill
Hi! I tried doing this rose cake twice but d roses on d sides keeps falling and slipping down .... I even adjusted my bc frosting ...first i think it was too stiff so i adjusted it to a soft consistency, but d results were the same... Can u share ur recipe for bc frosting or whatever frosting you use to make d rose cake... Ty
Rose
If you go up and read in the post, there are links to both my vanilla buttercream and my cream cheese buttercream - I've used both for this cake. Do you put a fresh crumb coat underneath the ruffles? If you try to pipe them onto crusted frosting, they may not stick and that would cause them to fall off.
Jill
Hi! I used d freshly made bc frosting to crumb coat before i pipe d roses... Thanks for your response.
Jill
Have u tried using boiled icing for this n d rose cake? Im thinking of trying d boiled icing since its sticky.... I need to try it for these rose n ruffles
Silva Klein
this is really cool! you did a very good job. please let me know where the short and long ends of the tip when you are piping the side and top of the cake. thank you very much and hope to hear from you coz i love to do this.
Rose
The fat side is closest to the cake with the narrow tip pointing out.
Becky
Rose, I love this ruffle cake, especially the rainbow one you did. I want to do a Square one for my son's 1 year bday party and baby dedication ceremony doing a gradient of blue colors. How did you do the rainbow one? Did you just do ribbon lines all the way around in each color?
Thanks!
Becky
Rose
Yes - that's exactly how I did it!
Barbara Herring
You make that look so easy! And the music makes it wonderful!!
Tammy
I found your website via pinterest and just thought I would let you know..
I enjoyed your site. The video's were inspiring and nicely done.
Pay no attention to all the nay sayers out there. It was very nice,
and easy to follow and that's what's important.
Keep the video's coming as I'm sure I will need all the help I can get. lol
:0)
Tammy
Rose
Thank you so much Tammy... and welcome to Rose Bakes. I hope you'll come back and visit often!
Deloris Berry Messina
Rose, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, your work is GREAT!!!!!!
Big hugs from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Roseanna
Rose, I love this. Is it possible to get an ombré effect?
Thank you, Roseanna
Rose Atwater
Hmmm... I bet you could and it would be pretty!
Roseanna
Do You have any idea how? I am thinking of just switching the different shades of the same color as well go. You know send IMBC, I think.
Lori Lake
I'm going to try this today! 🙂 Thanks!!
Rose Atwater
Awesome!
Mary Beth
Your cake is absolutely beautiful, Rose. I have never mastered the art of cake decorating but I would love to try this. Thanks so much for sharing at Project Inspired.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
Gorgeous! This is the first messy ruffles cake I've seen. Love it!
Rose
Thank you!
Erlene Amat
So pretty! I love the look of all the ruffles.
Amy
Beautiful! Great job and it looks yummy. I'm one of those people who like a little cake with my frosting! Lol.
Rena
Hi,
Going to attempt the rainbow one for my grand daughters b-day. Which tip did you use? Thanks. Pretty Cake!
Donna Woolf
If I made an 8 inch cake, would it take 2 recipes of the cream cheese buttercream to do the ruffled design? I always seem to need more than what a “standard” recipe makes, and I hate to make it twice.
Rose
It's SO hard to say, but I *think* you could do an 8" with one batch. I do so many cakes that I always just make huge batches and I always have a use for the extra.
April Pickney
I like the messy ruffles cake look! Thanks for sharing. It's always nice to learn another new and quick design.
Love it Rose!
Cindee Hurley
Beautiful Rose!!!!!!
Brenda
Hello,
I love your site!
Do you ever have any trouble with the ruffles falling off the cake?
What is the secret to keeping them on the sides?
Thanks so much
Rose
I've done more cakes than I can count and it only happened one time. I don't knowy why it happened then, but my best tip is to pip fresh frosting on fresh frosting. Don't let your crumb coat "crust" before you start piping the ruffles. Also apply a good amount of pressure so that the buttercream really connects.
Sandra L Garth
This is so pretty!
Rose
Thank you!
Diane
Do you put the fat end of the tip to the cake or away?
Rose
Fat end against the cake.
Donna @ Modern on Monticello
You make it look so easy but I'm sure I would make a mess of it. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty