Hi

So I am going to do some piping on the side of my cake this weekend.

Here is a pic of a cake which shows what I mean
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1299617

This person used royal icing - do I need to add piping gel to that to make it 'stretch' and therefore easier to make the shapes.

Or should I use buttercream in a soft consistency?

When should I use piping gel?

THANKS

I think this one is buttercream piping

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1760485

And another nice example

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1707301

Hopefully this is enough for you to understand what I am trying to achieve. Any hints or pointers toward a recipe would be great.

You don't need to use piping gel. It's handy if you're making a water effect because of its transparancy, but other than that, you can thin your icing with water or more liquid.