How to Make Icing From Scratch

Icing pastries is an interesting way of not only decorating them, but making them taste even more delicious. Icing which is commonly known as 'frosting', is a way of coating delights in different ways, using various ingredients to make it either a soft topped pastry, or one that hardens after it sets. Find out how you can experiment with the different kinds of frosting, that you can use to top off your baked goodies when its fresh out of the oven.

Types of Frosting

There isn't only one way of making frosting; it can be whipped up into many forms that can be used as icing for pastries. To make frosting from scratch is a simple way of putting together some basic ingredients to produce lovely creamy icing that can go with any kind of goodies.

Fondant
It comes in two kinds - rolled fondant/fondant icing and poured fondant. It is also used as a filling in cakes, candy and cupcakes. It is made from sugar and water, with added flavoring, like lemon, vanilla or chocolate. It is usually used for decorating wedding cakes, or for any other extravagant occasion. Rolled fondant/fondant icing uses gelatin and glycerin, to produce a dough like batter, which is made into pie crust form and placed as a covering for cakes.

Fluffy Frosting
This type of frosting is made from egg whites and is served fresh, with a soft marshmallow finish to it when one bites into it.

Royal Icing
This icing has an egg white base, which hardens after it sets. It can be used for cookies, muffins, cakes and cupcakes to give it that hard topped finish.

Glace Frosting
This is made by using sugar, butter and milk/water, by beating the three together with added flavorings. Even replacing the milk/water with pulps, juices or adding essence/granules of coffee or mocha into the milk/water, is a nice way of changing the way it tastes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
All it takes is butter and cream cheese, which is mixed together to form a frosting that can be used for cakes, cupcakes or cookies.

Buttercream Frosting
It is made by using quite a bit of butter, which gives it that buttery texture and taste. Colors can be added to this frosting to make it look interesting and creative on muffins, cupcakes, cakes or cookies.

Ganache Frosting
This is a sinful combination of heavy double cream, poured over bittersweet chocolate. It is then mixed together to form a thick consistent mixture, where some people even add liqueurs to give it a different rich flavor. It can used be to coat or fill any pastry.

Make Icing From Scratch for Cupcakes

It is easy to make icing, and doesn't take up a lot of time in the kitchen. Follow these simple steps, to get started on your luscious frosting.

What you'll need: Icing spatula, bowl, spoon, measuring instruments and icing bag set.

Ingredients you'll need: Two teaspoons of glycerin, two egg whites, two teaspoons of lemon juice and 400 gs of icing sugar.

Method:

• Take the icing sugar and pass it through a sieve, to avoid lump formation.
• Take a bowl and beat the two egg whites with minimal force.
• Gradually add the icing sugar to the egg white mix, one tablespoon at a time, and then beat it as you add the icing.
• The lemon and glycerin are then added to the mixture.
• Cover the mixture in the bowl with a damp cotton cloth, and wrap the it in cling wrap (not too tight).
• When you ice the cupcakes, place the icing on top of each one using the icing bag set or icing spatula, and keep it overnight to set.
• The next day you can slide out from the fridge the tray of frosted cupcakes and add sprinkles or chocolate shavings, before you devour it.

How to make icing for cakes from scratch, doesn't need a special recipe, because the same one above can be used for cakes. The only thing is that you'll have to add the icing and set it overnight and repeat the process till you've covered the whole cake.

Now that you know about making icing from scratch, you can get busy in the kitchen to whip up something scrumptious, to go with your pastries using this method of decorating them. Don't be baffled about what ingredient goes where; just have fun trying out something new in the kitchen. Who knows... you may just surprise yourself and others!