Different Types of Icing

Different Types of Icing

              Before you make your next cake, browse this collection of icing recipes. They're spoon-licking good! From chocolate ganache to buttercream, cream cheese icing and more

Buttercream

             Buttercream is made by creaming butter until pale with icing sugar, vanilla and milk. This soft, buttery icing can be spread over a cake or piped into patterns. It can also be flavoured with colour or chocolate and is perfect for small cakes, like cupcakes. Buttercream hardens on refrigeration, and does not keep for more than a few days. Remember to keep this icing cool as it icing melts easily.

Buttercream

● 125 gm unsalted butter, softened

● 11/2 cups (240 g) icing sugar, sifted

 ● 2 tablespoons milk

                  Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until white possible. Gradually beat half the icing milk, then remaining icing sugar. Flavour and colour desired.

Fondant

                        This stiff and shiny icing can be kneaded and rolled out cover fruit chocolate mud cakes, often over of marzipan. Since its firmness helps keep cakes fresh, often used for big cakes, wedding cakes and cakes  that require traveling.

                 Fondant can be made at home although it's usually purchased in a ready-to-use block. It comes in white and ivory shades, but can be tinted to any colour.

Covering a cake with fondant

               Brush the cake lightly and evenly with jam Roll fondant to desired thickness, then lift onto cake using a rolling pin Smooth the surface with hands dusted with icing sugar, ease paste or fondant around side and base of cake. Trim excess fondant with a sharp knife.

Meringue

                     This typically American-style frosting is made from egg whites, caster sugar and water. It is whipped and then spread with a palette knife onto the cake to create an edible looking icing that looks particularly striking when decorated with fresh flowers. Be warned though, you must act quickly when icing your cake as it sets within moments of coming off the heat.

Did you know? Meringue does not hold up well in humidity.

American-style meringue frosting

 ● 2 egg whites

● 425 g caster sugar 

● 100 mL water

                            Using a hand-held electric beater, whisk egg whites in the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until very stiff In a separate pan, dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is thick and syrupy and has reached the 'thread' stage - when the last few drops that fall from a metal spoon come off in one long syrupy thread.

           Pour the syrup over the egg whites, whisking all the time. Return the bowl to above the saucepan of simmering water and continue to whisk for 10-15 minutes or until the icing is white, very thick and meringue-like.

Ganache

                This rich chocolate icing is made from either white of dark chocolate and cream Ganache can look shiny or matte and is also used as a filling or piped into decorations White chocolate ganache can be tinted. Avoid pairing ganache with a light cake such as a delicate sponge as this thick icing needs a cake that it won't overpower, such as a mud cake or an almond bundt cake.

Ganache

● 300 mL cream

● 600 g chocolate

               Boil cream, then remove from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until the ganache is smooth Allow the icing to cool completely before using, and if it's too hard gently heat in the microwave to return to a spreadable consistency.

Cream cheese icing

             The combination of cream cheese, butter and icing sugar makes a delicious fluffy, cream-coloured icing Cream cheese icing traditionally decorates carrot cakes and cupcakes. It can be smoothed to a relatively even finish, or fluffed up for a more casual cake.

Cream cheese icing

● 30 g butter, softened

● 80 g cream cheese, softened

● 1 1/2 cups (240 g) icing sugar, sifted

                Beat butter and cheese in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and airy. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until the icing is fluffy.

Royal icing

            Often confused with fondant, royal icing is a white meringue-like mixture made from egg whites, acetic acid and icing sugar. Royal icing is easily made at home, and has multiple uses Becoming rock-hard once set, it is ideal for attaching decorations to cakes and is a popular icing for piping.

Royal icing

● 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted

● 1 egg white

● 4 drops acetic acid

                  Lightly beat egg white in a small bowl Add icing sugar one tablespoonful at a time, beating well after each addition When icing reaches the desired consistency, add acetic acid and beat well.

How to make royal icing

                   Get creative in the kitchen and decorate your cakes, biscuits and bakes with this multi-purpose icing. This simple recipe will ensure success every time

What you'll need

● 240 g pure icing sugar, sifted twice

● 1 egg white

● 1/2  teaspoon lemon juice

How to make it

                    Using an electric mixer beat the egg white gradually adding the icing sugar a tablespoon at a time Continue to beat the icing until it is thick enough to hold its shape. Add the lemon juice, beat well and cover the surface of the icing with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

Tips

● For a softer icing, add a few drops of glycerine to the final icing, mixing well to combine.

● Avoid using icing sugar mixture as it contains a small amount of com flour which keeps it soft. This makes it unsuitable for piped work as it will spread and won't set properly.