How to Make Grass Icing

Flawless cake decorating requires a precise hand, an artistic eye, lots of practice and savvy technique. To create desserts that burst forth with a profusion of realistic springtime "grass," you'll need to call upon all these skills -- as well as a few helpful pointers.

Things You'll Need

• Frosting bag
• "Grass" frosting tip
• Parchment or wax paper (optional)

Instructions

1. Tint medium-consistency buttercream frosting to your liking using a green frosting tint. Avoid using a grocery-store food coloring, as it can thin your frosting and make your grass less-than-grassy. Craft stores commonly carry these frosting tints.

2. Fill a frosting bag with the green icing.

3. Fit a "grass" tip to the frosting bag. Craft stores often carry them and can recommend the best in their selection.

4. Hold the frosting bag at a 90-degree angle to the cake. The tip should be very close to the cake (about 1/8 inch from the surface) but not touch it.

5. Squeeze gently and evenly while you slowly and smoothly lift up the bag.

6. Stop the lifting and squeezing motions for a moment when the "grass" reaches the length you prefer.

7. Lift the bag away to disconnect it from the newly frosted blades of grass.

8. Repeat this motion, keeping the clusters of "grass" tight together, until you've covered the section of cake you're decorating with your delicious "lawn."

Tips & Warnings

• Your "grass" will look more natural if you occasionally pull very slightly to the left or right as you lift.

• Practice your technique on a piece of parchment paper. You can practice indefinitely if you scoop up the "practice grass" and put the frosting back in your bag each time.

• If you're short on time, color shredded coconut with green icing tint and press that into the cake instead.

References

• Wilton: Grass Decorating Technique