Royal Icing Recipe and Tips (2024)

FAQs

How to get perfect royal icing consistency? ›

If after making these adjustments, you think your icing is too thin or too thick for your application, don't worry. The icing consistency can be adjusted at any stage of the decorating process simply by stirring in sifted powdered sugar to thicken, or water to thin.

If the icing surface becomes smooth in anywhere between 5-10 seconds, then your icing is ready to use. If it takes longer than approximately 10 seconds, the icing is too thick. Slowly add more water. If your icing surface smoothes over in less than 5-10 seconds, it is too runny.

THINGS YOU NEED TO PRACTICE PIPING WITH ROYAL ICING

Piping Tips – if using, today I'm not using any tips – for fine, delicate piping use small round tips #00, #0, #1,# 1.5, #2. Tips 00, 0, 1.5 are PME tips, they are a bit more expensive but are really worth it.

Undermix, and your royal icing looks translucent and is structurally weak. Overwhip, and you're giving too much volume to the egg proteins via air, causing the structure to weaken in a different way. Overmixed icing usually looks porous when dry, and sometimes will not even fully dry and be soft/brittle.

-Spread the icing over the top of the cake with the spatula so that it just tips over the sides. -Lean against the turntable to hold it firmly in place (without touching the cake), hold the metal ruler horizontally at a 45° angle and pull it towards you evenly across the surface of the icing to smooth it.

Yes, thickness or fluidity is important when decorating sugar cookies with royal icing, but it can be demystified by knowing that the two main consistencies used are a thicker piping consistency (think the consistency of toothpaste or really soft cream cheese) and a thinner flood consistency (think the consistency of ...

It sound like your icing needs to be thicker. Sift in a tablespoon more icing sugar and stir well. Test it in the bowl so make sure it will form a peak that holds. If it doesen't, sift in some more icing sugar, stir and test again until it does.

There are three main types of royal icing: stiff consistency, piping consistency, and flood consistency. They are used for different decorating techniques, although sometimes you can use different consistencies to achieve the same result.

Royal icing is made from confectioners sugar, water, egg white, and flavorings. This is the only icing that I use to decorate my cookies. The egg white is what allows it to dry hard, which is what makes royal icing so versatile.

There are different versions of royal icing out there, but this is an easy one that comes together quickly with basic ingredients. This recipe uses milk instead of water, which gives it more flavor and just a tad of creaminess.

How long to wait between royal icing layers? ›

The only surefire way to dry royal icing is simply time - letting royal icing cookies sit out at room temperature to fully harden. This typically takes a minimum of 6-8 hours. Though there is no substitute for time, there are a few tips and tricks to help speed up the process.

To prolong the life of your royal icing, you can store it in the fridge or freezer. Typically in today's modern world, royal icing made with meringue powder stores well in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 2 weeks.

As Royal Icing is exposed to the humid air, it absorbs some of that moisture, which can affect its structure and texture. Also, in a humid surrounding air becomes trapped within the icing, this trapped air can cause small bubbles or craters to form on the surface as the icing dries and hardens.

The icing will turn light and fluffy like marshmallow fluff if it has enough moisture. Be careful not to add too much water though because it is difficult to make the icing thicker again. Icing should hold a stiff or semi-stiff peak when it is done.

Some people like to outline their cookies with a stiff consistency and then slide with a more loose, consistent ease. I prefer to use the 20 second consistency to outline and slide. This saves me a lot of time, a lot of bags, and a lot of energy when it comes to coloring all those different colors of icing.

I'd experienced this issue when I thinned my icing with too much water for flooding. The good news on that front is that if you noticed that you'd done it before you start icing a cookie, you can stir in some sifted powdered sugar (or some reserved piping consistency icing if you want some) and recover.

Adding white coloring to your icing before coloring can help prevent color bleed. I know it seems counterintuitive! But hear me out and give it a try if you're concerned about potential color bleed. Always do all your coloring before thinning (or thickening) to your decorating consistencies.