Exactly as the word says = to secure icing flowers or decorations.  Piped dots of icing are used to "attach" the decoration to an iced cake. Use Royal Icing as it dries hard and is more permanent than a softer Butter cream. Think of how you would use glue and use your Icing to “Attach” exactly the same.

Basket Weave: 

A much loved and beautiful piping technique that features interwoven vertical and horizontal lines - think of a wicker basket and you have the pattern.

Border:  
An unbroken ribbon of icing to decorate the top, sides and bottom edges of a cake.

 

Butter cream: 
This is a very rich icing made by using butter and icing sugar that is beaten until smooth. 

Candy Clay:

Comes in many different formulas (recipes) but the most common is a combination of chocolate and corn syrup (used to keep the chocolate pliable). It can then be modelled to make many different designs.  The most common are larger pieces like bows and ribbons or flowers.

Corneille Lace: 

An elaborate and very beautiful technique used in piping.

Decorating Bags: 
Triangular shaped bags made from cloth, plastic and sometimes parchment paper, which are fitted with decorating tips (Nozzles) and filled with icing and piped to make your design.

 

Decorating Tips (Nozzles):

Comes in different sizes and used in conjunction with the decorating bag to make different designs.

Dotted Swiss:  

Another very pretty piping technique that makes tiny dots in patterns that resemble a dotted Swiss fabric.

Dragees: 

Edible sugar balls (round) coated with silver or gold and used for decorative purposes.

Elongated: 

The term “elongated” is often seen in designs ~ i.e. elongated leaves, Stems etc., so when you see this you need to taper an icing decoration by relaxing bag pressure and moving before stopping the technique.

Figure Piping: 

An extremely clever decorating technique used to form figures out of icing.

Filling: 

Just as the term says – you fill a layer cake with frosting or preserves and cream to hold it together.

Fondant:
May also be known as Sugar Paste, fondant is icing sugar dough that can be handled like bread or pie dough and rolled into wonderful smooth sheets and draped elegantly over cakes to provide a flawless finish.

Ganache: 

An extremely sweet and rich chocolate, which is used as icing or filling. It is made of chocolate and heavy cream, and will soften in hot humid weather so be careful when and how you use it..

Glycerine: 

A syrupy liquid made from fats and oils and used to retain moisture and add sweetness to foods plus it prevents sugar crystallization in foods. Stir into icing to restore consistency or use to soften fondant or royal icing it is colourless and odourless. 

Gum paste: 
This is edible dough with clay like appearance, which is used to create edible flowers and figures. It can also be rolled very thin to make intricate ribbons and lacework.

Icing Pearls:

Using a round-holed icing tube a number 3 to 5 fitted to a piping bag ~ coat the inside of the bag with clear piping gel before loading with icing. Fill one side of the bag with white icing, the other side with what-ever colour you wish. With each squeeze and release motion glistening "pearls" of icing are formed.

Iridescent Powder: 

To give cakes and decorations a pearlescent finish.

Lattice Work: 

A stunning piping technique

Levelling:  

Is achieved by carefully cutting off the top or crown of a cake to provide a flat surface for frosting or decorating.

Marzipan:

An exquisite tasting paste made of ground almonds, sugar and egg whites. This paste is then used to make edible flowers or fruits to decorate a cake.  Marzipan can also be rolled in sheets, like fondant and used as a smooth base for Royal Icing.  It also makes delicious little candies, when rolled into tiny balls and dipped in chocolate.

Pillars: 

Separators used in a tiered cake, such as a wedding cake. These are mostly made of plastic or wood in differing lengths to achieve a desired look.

Piping:

Decorative details created using a piping bag and various sized and shaped metal tips.

Piping gel:

You can tint, flavour with concentrated oils of differing flavours to make various designs. With this gel you can even make a design transfers.

Pulled Sugar: 

Another technique in which boiled sugar is pulled and manipulated to produce flowers and bows.

Rolled Butter Cream:

Is stretchy so its “rolled out” The cake is first covered with a very thin layer of butter cream frosting, and the rolled butter cream laid on top. The rolled butter cream is sweet and extremely pliable – it is also used to make roses.

Rolled Fondant:

Originally known as “plastic icing" in England, this is a thick, malleable dough made of powdered sugar, corn syrup, gelatine, glycerine added flavour and tinted.Typically, rolled out draped and smoothed to conform to the shape of a cake for a flawless matte finish, making it a popular covering for wedding cakes.Rolled fondant can also be modelled, formed, twisted, imprinted, cut out to form eyelet lace and used to make scrolls and flowers. It can be used to cover cake boards. It acts as a smooth base for flowers and royal icing details.Fondant can be made from a recipe or bought from a cake decorating store.

Royal Icing: 
A Rich and very sweet white icing made by whisking fresh egg whites with icing sugar.  Royal icing produces a well-defined icing edge and is ideal for piping intricate writing, scrollwork and lacework on a cake.  When it dries it is very hard.