I Tried PiiPER, a New Maximalist Baking Brand

Spend a few minutes scrolling through cake content online and one thing becomes pretty clear: Minimalism is out. From viral dot cakes covered in multicolored nonpareils to over-the-top mega creations, cakes are getting brighter, bolder and a lot more fun.

If scratch-baking seems a little intimidating, a new baking brand could come to the rescue. Rather than sticking with the familiar tubs of frosting and rainbow sprinkles that have dominated grocery-store baking aisles for decades, PiiPER is launching buttercream frostings and a lineup of decorating products that includes edible glitter dust, metallic color sprays, decorative flakes and writing gels. The brand debuted at Target and Walmart in August and has since expanded to more than 6,000 stores nationwide.

I’ve worked with more frostings and decorating products than I can count in the course of my career, so I was curious whether PiiPER offers more than very pretty packaging. I tried a few products from the new line to find out.

What Is PiiPER?

PiiPER was created around the idea that home baking doesn’t need to be perfect or boring. Co-founder Matthew Biggins says the idea was partly inspired by watching his teenage daughter bake and noticing that the products on store shelves didn’t reflect the creativity she brought to it. The debut collection is decidedly more playful, both in its packaging and its product lineup.

There are currently two core buttercream flavors, Vanilla Vibes and Brownie Batter, both priced at $5.99 at launch. The decorating side gets considerably flashier: Gold Rush and Chrome Edible Glitter Dust, Real Silver Edible Flakes, and Gold Rush and Chrome Color Sprays all debuted alongside the frosting. The metallic products are especially well suited to the kind of maximalist decorating that’s become ubiquitous online. These finishes that might once have required a specialty cake-decorating store are now packaged for the grocery aisle.

What I thought of PiiPER:

PiiPER sent me three products to try: Vanilla Vibes Buttercream Frosting, Neptune Blue Color Spray and Gold Rush Edible Glitter Dust.

Of the three, the frosting was the biggest surprise. Grocery-store frostings tend to be fairly soft, but PiiPER’s buttercream had a noticeably stiffer consistency. That made it especially useful for decorating, and it held its shape well when piped, producing clean, defined lines instead of immediately softening or slumping. Flavor-wise, it was pleasantly vanilla-forward, with a stronger vanilla scent than I expected from a ready-made frosting.

The Color Spray was the most immediately fun product to use. It made it easy to add a bold wash of color without mixing separate batches of frosting or breaking out food coloring. There is one important caveat, though: Overspray is inevitable. The can instructs users to cover the entire surrounding area with disposable material, and I’d take that warning seriously. The color can stain porous surfaces like wood very easily, so this is one decorating project where a little prep beforehand can save you a lot of cleanup later.

I also tried the Gold Rush Edible Glitter Dust, which gave my cake a gorgeous shimmery metallic finish. The glitter itself worked beautifully, with a light and airy texture that rains down like a dusting of powdered sugar. The opening occasionally released more dust than I wanted but it was easy enough to transfer some to a small sugar duster.

What new products is PiiPER releasing?

The initial launch isn’t the end of PiiPER’s frosting lineup. The brand is also planning seasonal varieties, starting with three limited-time flavors: Pumpkin Chai, Candy Corn and Caramel Apple. All three will hit shelves this fall, just in time for all your autumn baking needs.

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