ICINGS AKA Frosting

Are defined as sweet coatings for cakes and

other baked goods.

Three main functions of an icing :

1. To contribute flavor and richness.
2. To improve appearance.
3. To improve keeping qualities by forming
a protective coating around cakes.
 Icing Guidelines
ØHigh quality ingredients.
Enhance product, not distract from it.
ØSmooth consistency.
Not lumpy or grainy.
ØUse moderation when adding flavors.
Light and delicate.
Compliment flavor and texture of cake.
ØColor should be used in moderation.
Pastels

YES NO
 In your
experience with
store bought
cakes, do you
generally like the
cake better or
the icing better?

Why?
 8 Major Categories of Icings
Butter cream Foam

Fudge

Fondant Glaze

Royal Icing
Whipped topping
Flat icing
 BUTTERCREAM

A light , smooth, fluffy mixture

of sugar and fat. They
sometimes contain eggs to
increase their lightness and
richness.
3 Most popular types of
Butter Cream

1. SIMPLE
2. SWISS
3. ITALIAN
 SIMPLE/AMERICAN

Made by creaming butter and powdered

sugar together until light and smooth.

Cream, eggs and flavorings may be added.

 Swiss

Made by whipping softened butter

into a Swiss Meringue.
1 Egg Whites
2 Sugar
3 Butter
 ITALIAN

Made by whipping softened butter

into an Italian Meringue.
1 Egg Whites
2 Sugar
3 Butter
Other Types of Butter Creams
 FRENCH/MOUSSELINE
BUTTERCREAM

Made by whipping hot 1 Yolks

sugar syrup into beaten
egg yolks, then whipping
2 Sugar
in soft butter and 3 Butter
flavoring.
*An Italian meringue can then be folded in for
added lightness.
 German
Made by whipping softened butter
into pastry cream.

Equal Parts Butter and Pastry Cream

Ø Fondant Type Buttercream is made
by creaming softened fondant into
butter (equal parts)
Ø Cream Cheese Icing is made with
Butter, cream cheese and powdered
sugar.
Ø Decorator’s Buttercream is made by
creaming powdered sugar and
shortening
 BUTTER vs SHORTENING
ADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES OF
OF BUTTER SHORTENING

n Stabilizes buttercream
n FLAVOR
n Very easy to work with
n COLOR (sweetex)

What are some solutions to this dilemma ?

 Flavoring Buttercreams
Ø Chocolate—Must be tempered in, use 2­3 oz
per pound

Ø Pastes—May need to be warmed to soften, flavor to

taste

Ø Extracts—Flavor to taste. Imitation vanilla may be

preferable because it is clear.

Ø Liqueurs—Will leave strong alcohol taste.

Make sure to taste your buttercream!

The main difficulty with working with butter
cream is TEMPERATURE, it must be
room temperature.

If buttercream is too soft, stabilize it with

shortening or cool it down.

If buttercream is too hard, soften 1/3 of it

and whip with remaining 2/3.
 FOAM ICING
AKA Boiled Icing or Marshmallow, it is an
Itailian meringue with vanilla.

Foam icing is very light and fluffy but also

very sweet.
Not very stable—should be used
immediately and served the same day.
 Uses for Boiled Icing

Baked Alaska, Lemon Meringue

 FUDGE
Ø Fudgeicings are heavy and rich. They are
made with a warmed mixture of sugar,
butter and water/milk.

Ø Applied warm and allowed to dry on the

product. The icing dries to produce a thin
crust on the outside while remaining moist
on the inside.
Uses for Fudge
Icing

Brownies
Cakes
Pastries
Candies
 FONDANT

Fondant is a sugar syrup that has been

cooled with incorporated air to a smooth,
white, creamy consistency. It is used for
glazing pastries and some cakes.
Why is fondant usually purchased
for use in the bakeshop?

Fondant is usually purchased prepared,

either in moist or dry form, because it is
difficult to make.
 How to use fondant

Warm over a double boiler until 110 degrees.

DO NOT OVER HEAT!
If heated above 130, it loses shine
Thin to desired consistency with:
n Water
n Simple syrup
n Egg whites­­­Best shine
n Corn syrup
n Glucose
 What is ROLLED FONDANT?
Batter made with water, gelatin, powdered
sugar, glucose and glycerin.

It is soft and pliable and used to cover

whole cakes and pastries.
 GLAZE

A glaze is a thin
coating which is
poured or dripped
onto a cake or
pastry. Its purpose
is to provide flavor,
moisture and shine.
 Types of Glaze
Apricot glaze, fondant, simple syrup, fruit
glazes, flat icings, ganache.

Uses for Glazes

Ø To keep the product from drying out.

Ø Preserve color.

Ø Maintain fresh look of cakes and pastries.

v ALL GLAZES MUST BE APPLIED WARM.

 Royal Icing
This icing dries hard
and brittle and is
uses exclusively for
decorating. It is
made with powdered
sugar and egg
whites.

Uses: Filigree work,

flowers, gingerbread
houses, dummy
cakes
 WHIPPED TOPPING
Most whipped toppings are non­dairy.
Uses: Mostly for cakes and pies.

Whipped toppings are made from soy

bean oil. They are easier to work
with than real whipped cream and
hold up much longer.
Whipped Topping VS. Whipped Cream
 What are the difficulties encountered
when icing a cake with whipped cream?
n Most mistakes are made by overworking the
whipped cream when icing a cake.

How can these difficulties be

overcome?

n Do not over whip. Keep whipped cream in the

cooler as long as possible.
 FLAT ICINGS
Made from powdered sugar and water.
It is a cheap version of fondant, without the
shine.

USES: Mostly for quick made pastries,

danish, cinnamon buns.
Your cousin is getting married
in an outdoor ceremony this
summer and would like you
to make the cake.

She insists that it be a butter cake with

strawberry buttercream.
How would you tackle this challenge?
 Don’t
Forget the
Self Test!