I had a bride ask me this weekend if I knew how to do it, and I said "No, but I will figure it out!"  Someone help me figure it out, lol!

You need a BIG BIG round tip.  The biggest Ateco tip #808 might not be big enough. Maybe just use a large opening in a bag without any tip?  

Otherwise it's a regular swirl piling up rather than filling in from the edge.,

The DQ machine uses a 1.25" opening with about the same amount of pressure as an icing bag.

Awesome, Ill give it a swirl!

ok well cutting a 1.25" opening in my bag didn't work.  Ill have to go get that Ateco tip and try again!

Does it have to buttercream? Can you make the "ice cream" cake and then cover with fondant?

i am having a hard thinking of how to describe it, but using the cut bag should have worked.

Instead of a swirling motion you start in the middle and squeeze until its the size you want, ease the pressure and repeat.

ALike you're piping out a big blob of frosting, then do another one right on top. Its a great excuse to head over to DQ and treat yourself - research and all that!

It's all about pressure, start with  firm pressure, then let up, then the same firm pressure. Once the two 'blobs' are piped, stop piping and then pull the tip away. You will  have to curl the tip by hand.

The only movement you actually do with the bag is moving straight up away from the cupcake, no swirling.

As a DQ worker I can add that one trick is to ease off the pressure towards the end and if at all possible with the cupcake in hand pull down and slightly twist your wrist..  Even us workers cannot get it perfect 80% of the time, gotta love food photographers, they make it look so easy!  Best of luck!

I just read somewhere online that DQ's swirl is copyrighted , LOL!  It must be true since I read it on the internet!  I tried to make those blobs but they just looked like blobs not the beautifully smooth DQ swirls, maybe I should just use the copyrighted excuse! LOL....... I don't like to copy other peoples work anyway