Dual color piping bags

[Soliloquy]

I'd like to try the new dual color piping bags for piping two-toned icing, but I haven't seen them available at my local stores yet. I know the old trick of filling the piping bag with two colors of frosting, but the bags make it more exact looking. Has anyone tried them yet, and can you offer any tips (not just for buying, but for using as well...) Do I need dual-chambered tips as well?

(Gah, just realized this should have been in the decorating forum. Sorry mods.)

 

[Mylexia91]

I've tried once but afraid it went horribly wrong, so it's probably before for me to not give any tips, hah! However, you don't need dual-chambered tips, as the tip of the piping bags usually have a gap so that you can put your nozzle in, then the icing comes together as it's on its way out.

Something that you could possibly try before you get a dual colour piping bag is painting a line of food colouring down the inside of a normal piping bag, then filling it with another coloured icing so that as it comes out, it has a lovely tinge to it!

 

[Tina Nord]

I have never seen them before. I wonder if my sister in law has one. She is a cake decorator and such a wonderful artist. Her cakes are so beautiful that you don't want to eat them.

 

[Trellum]

I tried them once, they aren't all that great, at least they weren't for me. I'm not sure I'll be using them anytime soon, but I'm guessing it's all about practice... in this case a lot of it

 

[-Daniel-]

Never tried them. I've done the trick of putting the two colours in the same bag, but I've never been able to get the mix to look how I want.

I've had best results when putting a small amount of each colour in their own individual piping bags, and then placing both of these bags into another bag with the nozzle. It's worked out fairly well for me.

 

[Apocalypso]

That's the method I've seen too - two separate bags, with no tips, but with equal size cuts, nested into one large bag.

I just saw this on Cupcake Jemma's latest video (chocolate orange cupcakes), jump ahead to 6:28 on this video and you can see what it looks like.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I sort of kinda put two bags into one pastry bag. Since disposable bags can be expensive, and my reusable bags are a pain to clean, I roll the icing up in plastic wrap. Kind of make a sausage out of it. Then twist the ends up really tight. Insert those into the pastry bag. Pull the twisted end through the tip, then snip it off. I’ve put up to three different colors in to a pastry bag.

Whenever I have a cake or cupcake project, I roll my entire batch of icing up into plastic wrap. It makes refilling the pastry bag a snap. It’s also much neater and cleaner. The icing doesn’t ooze out of the top of the bag because it’s locked in plastic. Clean up is a breeze. And it’s cheaper than using three or more disposable pastry bags for multiple colors. I use nozzle couplers, so I can change tips as needed. This way I use just one pastry bag regardless of the number of colors and the number of tips I use for the cake.

 

[ninamari]

I sort of kinda put two bags into one pastry bag. Since disposable bags can be expensive, and my reusable bags are a pain to clean, I roll the icing up in plastic wrap. Kind of make a sausage out of it. Then twist the ends up really tight. Insert those into the pastry bag. Pull the twisted end through the tip, then snip it off. I’ve put up to three different colors in to a pastry bag.

Whenever I have a cake or cupcake project, I roll my entire batch of icing up into plastic wrap. It makes refilling the pastry bag a snap. It’s also much neater and cleaner. The icing doesn’t ooze out of the top of the bag because it’s locked in plastic. Clean up is a breeze. And it’s cheaper than using three or more disposable pastry bags for multiple colors. I use nozzle couplers, so I can change tips as needed. This way I use just one pastry bag regardless of the number of colors and the number of tips I use for the cake.

That's a neat idea! When you do this again, could you take pictures? I'm trying to envision it in my head. Filling the pastry bags is definitely a messy endeavor for me, so I'm up for anything that would make it easier

 

[Angie CupcakeQueen]

I don’t use them but I’ve seen them at the Walmart and Meijer here where I live. I don’t use them though. I usually use two 12 in. piping bags inside of a 16 in. piping bag.
The pictures are of some different cupcakes I made using this method.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

That's a neat idea! When you do this again, could you take pictures? I'm trying to envision it in my head. Filling the pastry bags is definitely a messy endeavor for me, so I'm up for anything that would make it easier

Decorating is my least favorite part of the baking process. I love the baking part of it. So I love all tricks to make decorating more efficient and neat. I hate the mess that icing can make. This method really tames that beast.

• For the colors I want to blend I actually roll them together.
• For colors that I’m going to use individually I rolled up separately.
• If using more than one icing roll in an pastry bag, make them smaller.
• Leave plenty of room on sides and ends to roll up securely
• Knot one end.

Spread icing in the center of the plastic wrap sheet. Leave enough space on each end and on the sides to roll up. Tie a knot on one end. That will be the top. The knot will keep the icing from oozing out of the top

Pull the unknotted end through the tip. Then cut off the excess plastic

When you want to change colors of refill, just pull the icing roll out of the pastry bag. Look how neat and clean refilling is with this method!

I use couplers to make inserting a new icing roll easier. Plus I can easily change my tips.

I think placing the two colors in one icing roll gives a nicer blended look. It eliminates that 50/50 split of one color on one side, and the second color on the opposite side.

 

[-Daniel-]

Angie & Norcal - both you're piping looks great! I'm gonna try both methods

 

[ninamari]

Thank you for sharing NorCal, that’s just brilliant!!