This article was co-authored by Maha Mohamed. Maha Mohamed is a Custom Dessert Artist and the Owner of Sweet Treats SJ. Maha has over ten years of experience creating custom treats for special occasions. She specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate-covered treats.
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No cake or cupcake is complete without a layer of sweet icing on top. Choose an icing with the right flavor and consistency to pair perfectly with the baked confection you have made. This article contains instructions on how to make 5 types of icing: boiled white icing, fudge icing, buttercream icing, cream cheese icing, and simple powdered sugar icing.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 5 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup of butter, room temperature
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk
Steps
Cooked Vanilla Icing
Set a mixing bowl in a saucepan of simmering water. Choose a saucepan large enough to fit a mixing bowl inside, fill it with a few inches of water, and set it on the stove over medium heat. When the water is simmering, place the mixing bowl inside.[1]- Make sure that the water level isn't so high that you risk getting water in the mixing bowl.
- The water should not be boiling; if it begins to get too hot, reduce the heat.
Cook the icing. Put the egg whites, sugar, and corn syrup in the bowl. Stir them until they're completely combined, and continue stirring as the sugar dissolves and the mixture heats up. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the icing; when it reaches 160 degrees, it's ready to be beaten.- Keep a close watch on the temperature of the icing, as it could easily overcook.
- If the icing seems quite slow to warm, increase the burner temperature. It should reach 160 degrees within 2 or so minutes.
Beat the icing. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the icing until it turns fluffy and glossy. Add the vanilla and continue beating for a total of five minutes. Remove the icing from heat and use it to frost your cake.Advertisement
Fudge Icing
- Boil the sugar, cocoa powder and milk. Place the ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. When they come to a boil, remove them from heat.[2]
- Add the butter, vanilla and salt. Stir them in with the boiled chocolate mixture, then place the saucepan back on the burner over medium heat. Stir the icing and cook until the butter is melted and the ingredients are completely combined. Remove the icing from heat.
Beat the icing with a spoon. As the icing cools, beat it with a spoon until it becomes thick and glossy. When it becomes difficult to move the spoon through the fudge icing, it's ready to use.- This icing has a loose consistency, so pour it over your cake or cupcakes rather than using a knife to frost them.
- If the mixture seems too loose, return it to heat for a few minutes to allow it to thicken.
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Buttercream Icing
- Whip the butter. The first step is to change the consistency of the butter so that it becomes light, fluffy, and easy to mix with the other ingredients. Place the room temperature butter — do not use melted butter — in a mixing bowl and beat it with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer for several minutes.[3]
- Add the sugar. Continue beating the butter as you add the sugar gradually. Mix until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter.
- Mix in the cream and salt. Finish the icing by beating in the cream and salt until the icing is light, fluffy and fully mixed. Use it to ice your cake or cupcakes immediately, or refrigerate for later use.
- This icing can be easily altered to make a chocolate buttercream by adding a few tablespoons of cocoa.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice, almond extract, or another flavoring to match the cake flavor you made.
- Create a colorful buttercream icing by mixing in a few drops of food coloring.
- You can also add whatever flavor you like! For example, adding strawberry jam can make your buttercream flavor pop.
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Cream Cheese Icing
- Beat the cream cheese and butter. Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or work by hand to beat the two ingredients together until you have a light, fluffy mixture.[4]
- Add the powdered sugar and milk. Continue beating the mixture as you add the powdered sugar and milk. Beat for several minutes, until the ingredients are well combined and the icing has the right consistency.
- If you need to thicken the icing, add more powdered sugar.
- To thin out the icing, add a spoonful of milk.
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Powdered Sugar Icing
Stir the ingredients together. Place the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a bowl. Use a spoon or a whisk to stir the ingredients until they are completely combined. Pour the icing over the cake, cupcakes or cookies you baked.
Customize the icing. This simple icing can be customized to create a lot of different flavors. Substitute the milk with the following ingredients if you want to try different flavors:- Lemon juice
- Orange juice
- Maple syrup
- Bourbon
- Raspberry jam
- Chocolate syrup
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Community Q&A
- QuestionHow would I incorporate watermelon into the powdered sugar icing?
Community AnswerYou can incorporate watermelon into the powdered sugar icing by adding a bit of watermelon juice or extract to it. Start with small amounts and add slowly to avoid thinning the icing too much. - QuestionWhat can I use if I don't have powdered sugar?
Community AnswerBrown sugar can work, but you will have to use a bit more than the quantity of sugar listed on the recipe. The texture may also be a bit different, but still delicious! - QuestionCan I put water in the icing?
Community AnswerYes. You can mix powdered sugar and water to make a thin topping icing, and also add food coloring.
Video
Tips
- You can use any extract you want. It will change the essence and mood of the icing. Nutmeg, Vanilla, Lemon, or Strawberry are all great choices.Thanks
- The smallest drop of liquid can change the consistency of icings based on powdered sugar, so add just a little at a time.Thanks
References
About this article
To make vanilla icing, first add 1 cup (125 grams) of confectioners’ sugar to a bowl. Then, add 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 milliliters) of milk, depending on how thick you want the icing to be. Finally, pour in 1/2 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of vanilla extract, and whisk everything together until the ingredients are fully combined. If you want to make your icing thinner, add more milk. To make it thicker, add more confectioners’ sugar. When you’re finished, use your icing right away, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you want to learn how to make fudge icing, keep reading the article!
Reader Success Stories
"What a help this was! I have a banana-coconut cake in the oven and used up my last stick of butter for it. DH (fussy boy) will only eat cake with icing, and your powdered sugar icing will do the job nicely. Thank you!"..." more
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