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Lace & Fill · Family 3

Cornelli Lace with Wilton 3

One unbroken squiggle that turns a bare cake side into antique lace in twelve minutes.

Cornelli lace is a single continuous line that never crosses itself, piped in overlapping loops across a whole surface. It is the highest-value technique on the site per minute spent: a 20 cm cake side takes twelve minutes, needs no measuring, and hides dents in a crumb coat better than anything else. The only skill involved is keeping the line moving.

Tip
Wilton 3
Icing stage
Soft peak
Difficulty
Beginner
Teeth
0
Symmetry
20×
Cure
8 hours
Finished size
150 mm
Released
1 September 2026

By The Sugar Bench · Released 1 September 2026

Method

5 steps, pressure stated at each one

Hand position and bag pressure are stated for every step, because that is where most failures happen.

Cornelli Lace with Wilton 3 — Step 1: Mix at soft peak

Step 01 of 05

Mix at soft peak

Mix 200 g of buttercream to soft peak: the peak folds over on itself at the tip and does not hold. Colour to #C9A227 with a toothpick tip of Sugarflair Antique Gold, then rest covered for ten minutes.

HandCheck the peak by lifting the paddle and counting to three; if it is still standing at three, add a spoon of sifted icing sugar.
Bag pressureNone.
Cornelli Lace with Wilton 3 — Step 2: Load a small bag

Step 02 of 05

Load a small bag

Fit a 3 round tip to a 30 cm bag and fill with 100 g. A long bag drags on the wrist during cornelli work, and a heavy bag makes the loops come out different sizes.

HandHold the bag like a pen, thumb and forefinger just above the coupler, the rest of the bag resting in your palm.
Bag pressureNone while loading.
Cornelli Lace with Wilton 3 — Step 3: Pipe the first band

Step 03 of 05

Pipe the first band

Start at the bottom left of the surface, 6 mm in from the border. Pipe a 14 mm loop, then a second loop overlapping the first by a third, and continue to the right. Keep the tip 1 mm above the surface.

HandThe hand moves in small circles; the tip must never touch the cake or the line flattens and widens.
Bag pressureLight and absolutely constant - softening mid-band makes a visible thin patch.
Cornelli Lace with Wilton 3 — Step 4: Stack the bands

Step 04 of 05

Stack the bands

Start the next band 14 mm above the first, working upward. Fill the space between the bands by letting the loops of the upper band rest on the lower band's outer edges, not on its centre.

HandTurn the turntable a tenth of a turn as you go, so the band arrives in front of you rather than reaching sideways.
Bag pressureLight, one continuous squeeze per band - stopping mid-band leaves a corner that cannot be smoothed.
Cornelli Lace with Wilton 3 — Step 5: Close the surface

Step 05 of 05

Close the surface

Fill the last gaps with loops half the size of the others, then stop, lift the tip 20 mm and set the cake aside at 18 C for eight hours. Do not smooth or wipe the lace at any point.

HandLift straight up, never drag across finished lace.
Bag pressureZero before the lift.

Scroll sideways for each step →

Soft peak is correct here

This is the one technique on the site that wants soft icing. Cornelli is a 1.5 mm line; at medium peak the line breaks and the loops show corners where the icing caught. Mix at soft peak - the peak folds over immediately and does not hold - then rest the bowl for ten minutes so it flows without running. If the line spreads wider than 2 mm, it is too soft; add a spoon of sifted icing sugar.

Loops of 14 mm, never crossing

The rhythm is a loop, a loop, a loop, each about 14 mm across, each overlapping the previous one by a third. The critical rule is that the line never crosses itself or another line. Crossings read as a mistake at cake distance; overlaps read as lace. If you lose your place, stop, lift the tip and restart 20 mm further along rather than doubling back.

Direction: edge to centre, not centre to edge

Start cornelli at the outer edge of the surface and work inward, filling in with progressively smaller loops. Working outward pushes the loops against the border and forces crossings. On a cake side, work in horizontal bands from the bottom up so your cuff never rests on wet lace.

Gold lace over wine

The card art is #C9A227 gold at soft peak piped over a cake at #5A1B2E. Gold at soft peak looks pale when wet and deepens as it crusts, so mix it two shades stronger than you want the finish to be. Two hundred grams of gold cornelli covers about a 20 cm cake side; a 25 cm cake takes 300 g.

Setting and the coat that follows

Eight hours at 18 C. Cornelli is the only decoration on the site that can take a second layer of decoration on top of it without looking busy, because it is a line rather than a shape. A single gold cornelli panel with three piped roses on it is a complete cake.

Failures and fixes

Symptom Cause Fix
Line breaks into dotted segments Icing firmer than soft peak. Add a teaspoon of cream per 200 g and rest ten minutes; cornelli at medium peak will always break.
Visible crossings in the lace Loops made larger than 14 mm, or doubling back after losing position. Keep loops at 14 mm with a one-third overlap, and if you lose your place, stop and restart 20 mm away rather than crossing back.
Line spreads to 3 mm and blurs Icing too soft, or the tip touching the cake. Add sifted icing sugar until the line holds at 1.5 mm, and keep the tip 1 mm clear of the surface.

Before you bag up

  • Soft peak, rested ten minutes
  • Line width held at 1.5 mm
  • Loops 14 mm with one-third overlap
  • No crossing anywhere
  • Eight hours at 18 C before moving

This card describes a method, not a formulation tested for allergens, shelf life or food safety; the ingredients, hygiene and safety of anything you give to someone else are your responsibility. Nothing here is sponsored and there is no affiliation with any tip or ingredient manufacturer. See the terms page for the full note.

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