Whether it is creating an artistic looking cake for an

occasion or a dessert to finish a special meal with or

even indulge to satiate those cravings - any cake will
not seem complete without icing over it. Here are
some of the most well-liked kinds of icing that you
can use to finish your cakes.
Butter Cream
Buttercream is softer and more spreadable than most icing and is the
preferred choice for taste and flexibility. It can be used as a filling inside cakes
and also as a coating for decoration. It is made by creaming together sugar
and butter or other fats like lard or margarine. The quality of the fat used will
affect the taste, consistency and appearance of the cream frosting, as also the
temperature at which the butter is whipped. Add a burst of flavour with vanilla
extract. The cream melts easily in hot weather and so must be kept chilled to
keep its form.‍
‍
2. Whipped Cream

If lighter frosting is what you need then whipped cream is the answer. Often
called Chantilly cream or crème Chantilly, it is made by cold-whipping together
heavy cream and sugar till light and fluffy. You could also add or use
meringue powder for stability. Enhance your cake’s taste by adding flavours to
the cream.‍
‍
3. Royal Icing
Traditionally used to cover and decorate dense fruit cakes, Royal icing is a
pure white and fluid paste that solidifies into a hard outer shell on drying.
Made by beating together egg whites, icing sugar, and lime juice, it looks
smooth, hard and matte when dry. Some may use meringue powder instead
of egg whites because of the risk of salmonella when using raw egg whites.
Glycerine is often added to prevent the icing from setting too hard. It is easily
dyeable using edible food colourings.‍
‍
4. Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frosting is perfect for carrot cakes, cupcakes, red velvet cake,
as a filling for doughnuts and well just about any kind of pastry with all that
creamy and cheesy deliciousness. It comes together quickly by creaming
together part buttercream frosting and a good quality cream cheese. A bit
heavier than most types of cake icing, the texture and taste are best when
made with high-fat cream cheese.
‍
‍5. Meringue

This very light & frothy icing is made by beating together egg whites, cold
water, and granulated sugar. The technique of introducing air to the mixture
gives it a foamy consistency. The added sugar stiffens the foam. It can be
plain or flavoured and with nuts added to it. There are 3 popular varieties of
meringue – French, Italian and Swiss. The difference lies in the methods of
beating the eggs. Uncooked meringue can be used as pastry toppings, or it
can be baked until crisp and eaten likes cookies.
‍
‍6. Fondant
Fondant is a popular heavy frosting that can be easily sculpted and is used
mainly for celebration cakes. Basic fondant ingredients include water,
gelatine, glycerine, water, sugar (icing or castor sugar) and shortening. Some
use marshmallows in place of gelatine and glycerine. The ideal texture is a
fondant that can be stretched without tearing. It can be worked into different
shapes using carving and decorating tools.