How to make icing
How to make icing
How to Make Cake Icing
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While chefs typically refer to sugar-based cake spreads as icing, and thicker cream- or butter-based spreads as frosting, both terms are widely used by non-professionals to refer to either type. The recipes below will allow you to make both varieties at home, but whatever you decide to call the results, they will be delicious. Experiment with different combinations of icing and cake, or read the beginning of each method for recommended pairings.
If you are looking for an icing that will allow you to create intricate designs on cakes, see these instructions for «royal icing» instead.
How to make icing sugar
Learn how to make icing sugar at home with our really easy method. All you need is one piece of kitchen kit and our simple step-by-step advice.
Icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar, is made by finely grinding granulated sugar until it is a very fine powder. In commercial icing sugar, a small amount of anticaking agent, such as maize starch or tricalcium phosphate (E341), is also added to absorb moisture and help the grains stay separate and free-flowing, rather than sticking together in clumps.
The anticaking agent used will depend on which country you live in and what’s allowed under the laws governing the sale of food. Icing sugar comes either very white or with a light caramel colour – this version is made from unrefined sugar.
How to make icing sugar
If you have run out of icing sugar or can’t find any to buy, you can make your own by whizzing granulated or caster sugar in a food processor, powerful blender, standard blender, coffee or spice grinder, or more laboriously, in a mortar and pestle.
How fine you can get your sugar will depend on the efficiency of your equipment. A powerful blender will give a much better outcome than an ordinary one. It will also depend on what type of sugar you start with. Granulated sugar will give you a more even grind, but it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make quite as fine a powder as commercial sugar, so don’t expect it to be as smooth if you use it in icing, for example.
Easy icing sugar method
Top 5 icing sugar recipes
1. Easy buttercream icing
Use our recipe for quick buttercream icing to slather on your favourite cakes and bakes. This super-smooth frosting is the perfect final flourish for a celebratory sponge. Try our chocolate buttercream icing for a cocoa-tinged treat.
2. Raspberry iced mousse
Need something sweet in a flash? Try whipping up our effortless raspberry iced mousse. It takes just five minutes to make and uses a grand total of four ingredients. This is our ideal speedy summer dessert.
3. Lightest ever meringues
Use white or golden icing sugar to create our lightest ever meringues with an eye-catching stripy, swirly design. Whisk up these delicate beauties for a stunning dinner party dessert. Try different flavourings, such as chocolate, citrus or even Turkish delight.
4. Lemon drizzle slices
Our easy lemon drizzle slices make the perfect afternoon tea treat everyone will love, plus they’re really easy to portion out. Make them extra special with our feathered icing technique.
5. Iced blueberry & lime cheesecake
This make-ahead dessert is perfect to keep in the freezer until you need it. Our iced blueberry & lime cheesecake is a zingy combination of fruity flavours that won’t look out of place on any table.
Found this guide useful? Read even more expert cooking advice.
What are your favourite uses for icing sugar? Leave a comment below.
How To Make Frostings and Icings
It’s easy to make delicious homemade frosting for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. Or do we mean icing?
The words frosting and icing are often used interchangeably. And that’s fine. Certainly you can call ’em as you see ’em, but we think there’s a difference with an actual distinction.
What Is Frosting?
Frosting is thick and fluffy with a butter or cream base. You spread on with a knife or spatula, or pipe it through a pastry bag. Frosting is sturdy enough to hold up decorations on cakes and cupcakes. Frosting stays soft and fluffy, and is best suited for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies that won’t be stacked one one top of the other.
How to Make Frosting
We’re making a tangy cream cheese frosting. This recipe made enough frosting to spread on one dozen cupcakes. If you’d like to pipe a thick swirl on top your cupcakes, double the recipe.
Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Directions
And it’s as easy as that — your frosting is ready to use. If you need to refrigerate it before using, bring it back up to room temperature, return it to the mixer, and beat it for a minute or so for the best consistency. In between uses, keep frostings and icings covered with a damp cloth and some plastic wrap.
Frosting too thick? You can easily thin frostings to the desired consistency by adding milk, juice, water, or other liquids.
Now you know how to make frosting, let’s see a few different ways to pipe with it, and make your cupcakes look professional.
What Is Icing?
Icing is thinner and more delicate than frosting. It is usually glossy, and it’s made with a sugar base. Although icing can be thick enough to pipe on with a pastry bag, it can also be thin enough to flood an area with a thin coating of color. Think of it like this: You’d use thick icing to outline a design on a flower, and thin icing to color it in. (See the example in the photo of Sugar Cookie Icing below.)
Icing can dry to a hard, shiny, unsmudgeable finish, especially if it’s royal icing, which is made with egg whites or meringue powder. Icing made with corn syrup will also dry to a hard, shiny finish.
A very thin icing can also be used as a glaze, which is thin enough to drizzle over pastries, coffee cakes, and Bundt cakes.
How to Make Icing
Making icing is essentially the same process as making frosting. except without the butter and cream. So you end up with a glossy, glazier look. To enhance that smooth glossy finish, warm the icing slightly in a microwave, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently so that a crust does not form on the top.
This recipe for sugar cookie icing combines confectioners’ sugar and milk with light corn syrup and almond extract. You can add food coloring to create pretty iced cookies. Watch the video to see how it’s done.
Adding Flavors and Colors
Adding flavors and colors takes frostings and icings to the next level. Flavorings such as vanilla, lemon, orange, or almond extracts are available in grocery stores. You can also substitute fruit juices like lemon and orange for the liquid in a recipe; they’re generally not as intensely flavored as extracts.
Food-safe colors come in liquid and paste form. Liquid food coloring is commonly available in grocery stores, but for brighter, more intense colors, use paste food coloring — available at craft and kitchenware stores. When adding color, first mix the color into about 1 tablespoon of icing, and then blend that into the rest of the icing.
Once you have your colorful icing or frosting ready, it’s time to get creative.
Browse our entire collection of frosting and icing recipes.
How to Make Icing
Icing gives any cake an extra boost. It provides an attractive, professional-looking finish and adds a delicious creamy sweetness to your baking. If you want to make your cakes the best they can be you need to learn how to make icing.
Icing Varieties
There are many varieties of cake icing, some involve whipping up egg whites, some old fashioned icing recipes even require you to boil up a pan of sugar. But many of these icing recipes are too time consuming for today’s busy home cook. How To will show you two simple cake icing recipes that won’t take all day to prepare.
Plain Icing
The simplest icing of them all, plain icing can be made in about two minutes flat.
Ingredients:
Method:
For chocolate icing just add 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa to the icing sugar before adding the milk.
Frosting
Frosting, also known as “buttercream” icing, is a creamy, fluffy cake topping that is popular for its extravagant deliciousness and its striking visual appeal.
Ingredients:
Method:
For chocolate frosting add half a cup of cocoa and a little extra milk to the recipe.
Icing Tips
When softening butter for your icing recipe don’t melt or liquefy it – you won’t get the fluffy texture frosting is famous for.
If you are unsure how much milk to add at any stage, remember that it is much easier to thin out the icing mix with a little extra milk after the fact, than it is to thicken it up if you’ve made it too loose. Err on the side of caution.
Icing Artistry
Once you’ve learnt how to make icing you can set your creativity free. For home baking with a difference add a few drops of food colouring to your icing mix. If you use frosting, create peaks, troughs, swirls, even someone’s name as you apply the mixture to the cake. The options are endless…
To learn how to make another type of icing called “royal icing” check out this video.
Comments
thank you so much for the helpful tips. am a beginner but had trouble with icing but now i know i can.
How to Make Soft Ice
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Soft ice, also known as nugget ice, has a cult following thanks to its chewy, soft texture. To make it at home, freeze club soda or carbonated water in an ice tray. Then, crush the cubes using your method of choice, like in a blender or with a muddler. Drink up!
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Tip: Instead of club soda, you can also use carbonated water. Choose a flavored one, like lemon sparkling water, to add a fruity twist.