Royal Icing: Expert Tips to Improve Your Cake Decorating

The title ‘royal’ was given to the royal icing after it was used on Queen Victoria’s wedding cake in 1840. Francatelli, the Queen’s famous French chef, published a book in 1864 describing how to make ice in a wedding cake with a mixture of egg whites. , the sugar and the lemon juice shaken together. He wrote ‘use this frosting to mask the entire surface of the cake with a layer about a quarter inch thick’.

But, long before the above date, this type of frosting was in use. A cook, she wrote in 1789, was spreading it on cakes with the help of a board or a large pen! And then he placed it in front of ‘a great fire’ to dry.

So we can see that royal icing has been popular for many years. The simple ingredients, egg white, and icing sugar create a stunning frosting, making it the perfect choice for wedding cakes. Dried egg whites can be used instead of fresh. Not only does this avoid having a surplus of egg yolks, but the frosting is whiter than frosting made with fresh whites.

Start by rinsing bowls, wooden spoons, and beaters with boiling water. This simple but very important job is done to dissolve any grease that may have remained on the surface of the tools. Fat and royal icing don’t mix well!

Sift the icing sugar. It is a good idea to have a small sieve especially for this job. Separate the whites from the yolks. Discard whites that contain even a small amount of yolk, as once again the fat in the yolk will prevent the whites from airing out.

If you have a food mixer, use it to blend three or more whites. Smaller amounts are best made with an electric hand mixer or a large wooden spoon (again kept especially for that purpose). Start beating the whites until they are quite stiff. How long this takes varies depending on the tool used and the amount of egg whites.

Now start adding the sifted icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until the frosting forms into peaks. To store, place in an airtight container and cover with cling film, then place in the refrigerator.

The consistency of the frosting should be adjusted depending on how it is used. For example, to make “flat ice” on a wedding cake, the frosting must be the consistency of whipped cream. If it is too stiff, add a few drops of water, too soft, then add icing sugar.

To prevent the royal icing from becoming too hard, a teaspoon of glycerin can be added to every pound of icing sugar used. When softening the frosting on a cake, use frosting that is two or three days old. Freshly made frosting can cause air bubbles to appear on the surface of the cake. Usually three thin layers of frosting are needed, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next.

The frosting used to decorate the trim must be well beaten and freshly made, otherwise it will not hold its shape. Do not use frosting that contains glycerin. Royal drip frosting (color flow) can be softened with a few drops of water or egg white.

Use royal icing instead of icing (icing sugar and water) to cover the cakes. Softened with egg white, it is denser and whiter than Glace frosting and provides better coverage.

Royal icing is also used to make Rock Sugar, which, as the name suggests, is a way to make realistic edible rocks. Made by adding royal icing in hot sugar syrup, royal icing literally erupts and hardens into a volcanic substance.

So as you can see from the descriptions above, this is a very versatile frosting. And most importantly, most people love the taste!