What size tip would you use to ice a standard cupcake to get the pretty swirl effect?

Sorry I am new at this!

I use a 1m tip.

I like the big tips too...like 1M. But sometimes I just use star tip 21 if I don't want it too big. I go around the cupcake, like you would a real cake..so that the icing is totally flat.( with the tip on). Then I make the big spiral and go on and up.

I like the bigger tips also. I bought the 12 piece cupcake decorating set from Wilton. It came with the 1M, Star Tip 22, Round Tip 12 and the bismark tip.

Love all of them!
HTH

I need to do some swirls this weekend, but I'm not exactly sure how to do them. I get the outside to inside thing, but is it one continuous swirl or a stacked swirl which is two separate ones? On the Wilton site they show how to do a swirl with tip 1M, but they show it as two separate ones. I've attached a link. I really love the Fourth of July cupcakes Fiddlesticks posted in the post your favorite cupcake thread. Fiddlesticks was that one continuous swirl? It looks like it but I can't tell.

http://www.wilton.com/technique/1M-Swirl

I do one continuous swirl. I looked at Fiddlesticks cupcakes, very cute by the way, and they look to be one continuous swirl. The 1M tip works the best for me to get this look. I posted some cupcake pics today and I used a 1M tip.

Good Luck
Hope that helps.

I do 12 dozen cupcakes per week for a local caterer and I do them all the same way: one continuous swirl with the 1M or 2D tip. The caterer called it the "Dairy Queen swirl"

Thanks ladies! I hope mine turn out well this weekend!