Piping a name or message on a cake is a fun way to personalize a celebratory dessert—but it can be an intimidating prospect, even for seasoned bakers. Nothing mars a perfect ice cream cake or sugar cookie like a misspelled name, a smudged word, or crooked lines, and it’s not exactly easy to erase mistakes made in frosting.
Cooking Skills
An Easy Way to Write on Cake
Spelled “birthday” wrong? Messed up your cursive letters? With this method, you have infinite do-overs.
By Published Sept. 21, 2022
Luckily, there’s a workaround for the piping-cautious: using melted chocolate instead. Chocolate can be piped onto parchment paper and then transferred to the cake once it’s hardened—which means you have as many tries as you need to get your piping just right.
What’s more, you don’t need any special equipment: not even a piping bag. Ready to decorate your cake the no-stress way? Read on for our easy method.
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
How to Write on Cake
1. With printer, print desired message on sheet of paper. Simple, blocky fonts are easiest to transfer without breakage.
2. Place printed message in baking sheet and cover with parchment paper.
3. Melt 1 ounce chocolate (any type) in microwave. To tint chocolate, stir food coloring into melted white chocolate.
4. Add melted chocolate to parchment cone, filling just one-third full to avoid risk of chocolate oozing from top.
5. Practice writing on edge of parchment to get a feel for how fast chocolate comes out of cone; cut wider opening if necessary.
6. Trace over letters with melted chocolate and transfer baking sheet to refrigerator.
7. When chocolate sets, use offset spatula to transfer letters to cake.
How to Make a Homemade Parchment Piping Cone
The stiff opening of a parchment cone works better for delicate lettering than a pastry bag or zipper-lock bag. Here’s how to make one.
1. Fold 12-inch square of parchment paper in half on diagonal. Using knife, cut in half on fold into 2 triangles.
2. With long side of triangle facing you, fold bottom right‑hand point up and under, giving it a half twist until it meets triangle’s top point.
3. Holding those points together, wrap left-hand point around outside of cone until all 3 points are perfectly aligned. Tape or staple points together.
4. Use scissors to snip very small hole in point of cone.
Can’t get enough of cake and cookie decorating? Check out more tips here.
10,000+ foolproof recipes and why they work Taste Tests of supermarket ingredients Equipment Reviews save you money and time Videos including full episodes and clips Live Q&A with Test Kitchen experts
Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.