One of the most frequently asked questions is the one regarding the decoration of sweets and biscuits simply way, without using sugar paste. There is different icing for cakes you can find when searching “how to make icing for cake at home”. Cake icing gives many of us headaches, especially these trendy Instagram “#mirroglaze” cake icing recipes where the cake surface is so shiny and reflective we think it is almost impossible to make it if we are not professionals.
But you will see that with practice you will start making beautiful and delicious cakes in no time. When using cake frosting and icing to cover cakes or cookies; the buttercream icing should be more liquid, while for biscuits is denser. If you need to make it more liquid, add a teaspoon of boiling water.
Frosting or icing is typically a sweet mixture you use to cover or flavor the cake and improve its appearance. You can have very simple cake icing, and we recommend it if you are a beginner in this area. But with time you will start making more elaborate icing recipes from scratch.
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How to Make Cake Frosting
The icing for cakes is that extra touch for garnishing your desserts. Besides sugar, you can add a combination of other ingredients like water, eggs, milk, and butter, and you can even use different additives. The texture can vary from thick to thin, some are cooked and some are uncooked. What you will choose highly depends on the cake filling as you should make a cake where layers complement each other.
Although you will find that frosting and icing are used as synonyms, many define frosting to be thicker while the icing is considered thinner and typically white. The main demand for both is to be thick enough to cover the surface, and smooth enough to layout effortlessly. Bear in mind that cake frosting not only improves the appearance but also contributes to the cake’s flavor!
You can make cake frosting with or without butter. If you want to make it without butter, use cream cheese , (or these no cream cheese icing alternatives) as without any of those two, your cake will just be too sweet so you need to bring down the level of sweetness.
Vanilla Buttercream Cake Icing Recipes
Vanilla buttercream is a classic topping for cupcakes – it is delicate and visually appealing with its soft and almost romantic colors! Martha Stewart’s vanilla buttercream frosting recipe contains only five ingredients: butter, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Just add all the items in a bowl and whip it until light and fluffy, using a spoon or an electric mixer at low speed. When you are done, just spread the vanilla buttercream icing on the cake using an offset spatula or pipe frosting for a more decorative look. The vanilla icing gives each cake “that something”. It can save the taste in the dry cake and takes care of the necessary sweetness with fruit varieties.
A quick tip: Vanilla buttercream icing is perfect for sweet cookies. If you want to put the icing on the biscuit, you can reduce the amount of cream cheese to the amount of butter. It matches most of the cakes so you cannot go wrong with it.
In addition to creating a single design, you can also create many different chocolate decorations and place them both around and on top of the cake. Chocolate cake accessorize is among simple cake decorating ideas for birthdays and similar festivities.
Gluten Free Icing & Dessert Recipes
Gluten-free cakes are usually quite dry and often need frosting to make them moister. A gluten-free, dairy-free frosting substitute can be made with a variety of ingredients such as coconut milk, non-dairy milk, almond butter, maple syrup, and more. These substitutes for dairy products in gluten-free recipes will also be vegan or paleo-friendly if made correctly.
We’ve compiled the 5 Best Gluten Free Icing for Cakes and also included 2 bonus recipes for gluten-free icing for desserts.
German Chocolate Cake Frosting
Are you looking for a simple chocolate buttercream recipe for the finest chocolate glaze? It can be made from the mixture called ganache – chocolate and sweet cream which, depending on the density, is used as a glaze, topping, mousse or filling. Ganache for chocolate glaze is obtained by mixing chocolate and sweet cream in a ratio of 1: 1. Tear the chocolate into smaller pieces because that way the taste of the chocolate is preserved and the smoother structure is ensured. In addition to chocolate and cream, other ingredients can be added to the ganache, such as butter, which gives the glaze a shine, and aromas such as rum, vanilla, or orange.
If you want a more subtle flavor, make German chocolate cake frosting which uses low-in-cacao chocolate for the cake. Despite the name, this cake is not originated from Germany but was developed by famous English American baker Samuel German who worked for Baker’s Chocolate Company. You can melt the chocolate (along with the butter) in the microwave or steam and then add oil with a little water and mix everything well until you get a thick, shiny mass. And as soon as the German chocolate icing cools down a bit, it is ready to be poured over the cake. During the warm-up, be careful with rough movements, as this can press in the air and produce lumps in the chocolate mixture. Wait for the German chocolate cake frosting to cool to room temperature or a little higher (about 30 ° C) before pouring over the dessert, and also pay attention to the temperature of the cake that is being poured. It should not be too cold so that the icing does not squeeze on the cake before it is evenly distributed.
A quick tip: For ganache of ideal firmness and intense color, it is advisable to use quality chocolate with more than 60 percent cocoa.
Vegan Cake Icing Recipes
Traditional cake icing contains powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Chocolate versions also contain cocoa powder. But a few changes are enough depending on your type of diet and lifestyle to make cake icing you can eat without feeling remorse. Vegan options which are lactose-free use organic palm oil or vegan butter, and lactose-free milk, and you can find various vegan icing recipes on our site. For those who are on the Paleo diet, you can use coconut powdered sugar instead of the classic one. For the vegan option, use only a solid portion of coconut milk, and you can save the liquid for later use (smoothie or juice). Mix the hard, fatty part of the coconut milk with a little vanilla and a sweetener such as maple syrup or coconut sugar. To keep the vegan cake icing firm, place the cake in the refrigerator or a cool place before serving.
A quick tip: As a topping for this vegan cake, you can use phenomenal slightly sweetened cashew icing. What you need to do is soak cashews in hot water for at least an hour (or cold water for about 8 hours) and then blend with coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Have you ever imagined that using simple carrots you could obtain such a soft and tasty dessert? We bring you recipes for a classic carrot cake icing or the typical English coating that uses cream cheese frosting for carrot cake. Lemon buttercream frosting is a delicious cream perfect for giving cakes and cookies a delicate lemon scent. Find out simple lemon buttercream cake icing recipe on our site. We are happy to share the knowledge and experience we improved over the years spent in the kitchen. With us, whenever there is an occasion approaching, you will enjoy making creamy and delicious cakes for your loved ones.
For more buttercream icing recipes for cake decorating, check our blog where we bring you fresh and new cake icing recipes.