Those of us who are into cake decorating, think of the beautiful icing designs when we think of cake creations. Icing is the finishing touch on cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. There are several different types of icing used in cake decorating. The choice of icing while cake decorating, will have a great deal to do with how the decorated cake will look.
1. Buttercream Icing: Buttercream is the icing that is used the most in cake decorating. This is the same type of frosting that we can buy ready made in the grocery store. This icing is easy to use and easy to make. The ingredients are confectioners sugar, and butter or shortening.
What you use to thin the frosting will differ with the icing texture you need to work with, to determine whether to use eggs or milk. Take care when thinning the frosting, remember, a little milk goes a long way. If you find the frosting is too thin, you can add a bit of confectioners sugar to thicken it. To assure an even finish on your frosting, dip the icing spatula in cold water to make the surface smooth. This will give a smoother finish for writing.
Buttercream is used to create flowers and other decorations made with a pastry bag. The icing needs to be the right consistency to make flower petals or writing. When you make roses out of icing, you can freeze them and add them to the cake later. This will make them easier to handle.
Buttercream can be stored in the refrigerator without getting hard. Make sure it is back to room temperature before you attempt to use it.
2. Foam Icing: This is a meringue such as is used on lemon pie or Baked Alaska. This frosting is made of egg whites beaten into stiff peaks. It is possible to add flavoring and color to the meringue. You will not be able to use this icing for intricate cake decorating, and you won't be able to use an icing bag with this icing. This icing is used when you want the cake to look fluffy, with little ornate decoration.
3. Fondant: This icing is very popular with those who decorate wedding cakes, and cakes for very special occasions. The ingredients are simply powdered sugar, water, cream of tartar, or glucose.
Fondant is thick and doughy, with a silky, smooth, texture. Fondant will give the cake a flawless surface, and soft, rounded edges. Working with fondant is an art and will take practice to get it right. Fondant has a translucent quality, and will work best when placed on the cake over a thin layer of buttercream frosting.
4. Fudge Icing: Fudge icing is made from chocolate, peanut butter, almond, or mint. This icing is quite thick and contains both shortening and butter.
5. Glazes: This frosting is thin and watery, and will harden into a shell after it is placed on the cake. This frosting is mostly used on pastries. Glazes help to keep the pastry moist.
Vanilla Glaze
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Melt butter. Stir in powdered sugar, hot water and vanilla, beating until smooth and slightly thickened. Drizzle over cooled cake. Makes about 2 1/4 cups glaze.
6. Flat Icing: This icing is similar to a glaze, but it is a bit thicker. Flat icing is a combination of confectioner's sugar and water and is used to drizzle onto pastries.
7. Royal Icing: This is also a flat icing, and hardens after it is set. Royal icing is a wonderful choice to make flowers, sculptures, and garnishes for cake decorating. Royal Icing is simply a mixture of powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar, lemon juice, and raw egg whites or meringue powder.
You can use any combination of the basic seven icings listed, to create a personal masterpiece. You will need to practice before you become good at cake decorating. You will get the hang of it sooner than you think, and even the mistakes will taste great.
For much more information about cake decorating, I recommend, the guide: Secrets of Cake Decorating.
Cake decorating ideas and piping tips - How to decorate a cake
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Wilton 2104-6667 12 Piece Cupcake Decorating Set
$4.57
Create all kinds of fun cupcake designs perfect for celebrations or everyday treats! Includes star tips 1M (rosettes, stars, and drop flowers), star tip 22 (zigzags, pull-out stars), round tip 12 (outlines, dots, messages), and Bismarck tip 230 for exciting filled cupcakes, plus 8 disposable bags, and an instruction booklet. 12 pieces total! Made in USA/Imported....
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Wilton Disposable 12 Inch Decorating Bags, Pack Of 24
$3.58
Disposable Decorating Bags. Great for cake decorating and candy making! Bags can even be used to melt candies in the microwave. Features: easy to handle, strong yet flexible, clear for easy color identification, decorator tips (not included) can be used with or without couplers (not included), make filling candy molds so much easier. (24) 12" bags. Package measurements: 7.8x 4.5x 1.25 inches. Made...
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12-oz. Squeeze Bottles 3 pk. - Clear
$0.95
Kitchen Supply Company's 12âoz. clear bottles make food prep easy and fun. Tapered nozzle on bottle can be snipped to create thick or thin ribbons of sauce for decorating desserts, frosting a cake or fast dispensing of salad dressing or condiments. Clear bottle shows level of contents. Top screws on firmly so it won't fly off no matter how hard you squeeze. Topârack dishwasher safe....
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