Royal Icing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) — Honey Blonde (2024)

FAQs

What is the 15 second rule when using royal icing? ›

It's called 15-second royal icing because if you run a butterknife through the royal icing in your mixing bowl, the icing should blend back together in 15 seconds. This royal icing consistency holds its own, but softens or floods lightly so that any peaks made in the icing smooth out.

To check the consistency, all you need to do is drag the tip of a butter knife through the surface of your icing, letting the knife go approximately an inch deep, and slowly count to 10. If the surface of the icing smoothes over in approximately 10 seconds then your icing is ready to use.

Freshest is always best of course, but you can keep your icing for a week or even up to two. The longer it sits though, the more time it has to separate. The water and icing sugar separate; after about a week you'll have to really mix it up again to use it, and it may be difficult to make sure it's perfectly smooth.

Colors will darken a bit as they dry. BAKER'S TIP – If possible I recommend preparing your icing the day before (when you bake your cookies) so the colors have a full day to develop. I also like to keep a little extra white icing extra just incase my colors became to dark I can then add white and lighten them back up.

Overmixing the icing

If you overmix or mix the icing on a high setting, you'll whip too much air into the mix, leaving you with a frosting that looks more like a crunchy sponge than a smooth finish.

The consistency of flooding icing should be similar to honey. You want flooding icing to be a little runny, not watery, and just thick enough to smooth out, but not so thin that it'll run off your cookie.

Air Bubbles and Color Bleed

Icing that is too thin can also lead to air bubbles, uneven texture, fragility (a big problem with royal icing transfers) and even color bleed. It helps to keep the icing on the thick side so that you don't encounter these problems.

Just allow the royal icing to completely dry between layers. I usually allot at least two hours under a gentle fan to make sure the first layer is dry before piping and adding an additional layer. You can also just let the cookies dry and set overnight before adding more decorations to them.

Add powdered sugar

To thicken your royal icing, add more sifted powdered sugar—a couple of tablespoons at a time—until the icing reaches your desired consistency.

Conclusions: This experiment generally confirms what has been written about adding corn syrup to royal icing: it gives a bit more sheen, especially when the icing is fan-dried, and makes the icing slightly softer, particularly if added in quantities greater than 1 tablespoon corn syrup to 2 pounds icing sugar.

Can I leave royal icing out overnight? ›

Royal icing can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 weeks. What is this? TIP : I store my royal icing in the fridge in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap tightly covering the top, with the lid. I store it in the fridge as it doesn't separate as much.

Before using royal icing, keep it covered tightly at room temperature (cling wrap works wonders, just make sure it's touching the surface). Once used and dried, royal icing will remain intact for up to one month preserving all of your beautiful decorations.

The secret ingredient in royal icing is meringue powder. This egg white substitute helps the icing achieve its glossy consistency. You can buy meringue powder at many grocery or craft stores, or on Amazon.

-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.

The best colorings for royal icing are Gel Colors. Why? Gel colors contain bright, food-safe pigments and only a little liquid. This lack of liquid means you can add more color to your royal icing without changing the texture or the taste.

It takes royal icing six to eight hours to completely dry. Once you flood, spread, or pipe it onto your cookies, let them stand at room temperature. However, royal icing will start to dry mid-use if you're not careful.

You've added too much water to the royal icing. The best way to fix this is to start adding a little extra powdered sugar. If you need a large amount, also add some extra egg white to keep the ratio egg whites:powdered sugar the same. Just add a little extra water.

The good news on that front is that if you noticed that you'd done it, you can stir in some sifted powdered sugar (or some reserved piping consistency icing if you want some) and recover.

A touch of glycerine in royal icing adds shine and prevents your icing setting hard and dry. This makes it far easier to apply to cakes, and guarantees a nice smooth cut when slicing. Add 1 tsp of glycerine for every 500g of icing sugar for a softer set and 2 tsp per 500g for a nice glossy finish.

Adding corn syrup to candies helps to prevent the crystallization of the sugars while also adding a shine. Enter, adding corn syrup to royal icing! Not only does it add the shine, but it also will help to give the royal icing a nice soft bite.

What makes royal icing go hard? ›

The "hardness" of the icing will be determined by the amount of egg white in the mixture and this can vary between 1 and 3 egg whites per 500g icing sugar (5 cups confectioners' sugar), plus 1 tsp lemon juice (to make the icing brighter and slightly offset the sweetness).

Using more meringue powder, of course, also increased the occurrence of brittle icing. (So if you live somewhere humid and/or have major color bleed problems, consider experimenting by adding 1 or 2 tablespoons more meringue powder to the recipe you currently use.

Don't overbeat: Do not overbeat the royal icing base. This will incorporate too much air, which will create bubbles. Vigorous stirring will also create air bubbles. Cover with a damp towel: Cover the decorating tip with a warm, damp towel to prevent the royal icing from drying when not using.

You can prepare this royal icing 2-3 days ahead of time. I recommend transferring it to a smaller bowl or container and tightly sealing for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. When you're ready to use it, let it come to room temperature, then mix it up with a whisk a few times as it may have separated.

Let's talk about butter bleeds. This is when your icing has dried on your biscuit and the icing turns yellow.

After layers are assembled, go around the outside of the cake with your #12 piping tip and pipe a line of frosting into the space between the layers. Fill up all the airspace! Crumb coat the cake and let rest, or refrigerate overnight. A large icing tip gives you a consistent, even coat of frosting over the cake.

Humidity can cause the royal icing to be runny and not allow it to dry in a timely manner. It can cause the colors of the royal icing to bleed together hours after it has dried. If one little drop of grease or oil gets in the icing it can cause the icing to dry with spots or it can cause it not to set well or dry hard.

You can substitute an equal amount of honey for light corn syrup in many recipes. Like maple syrup, honey is not the best choice for making candies or caramel because it may crystallize. However, it is a good option for making frostings, baked goods, jams, and jellies. Be sure to opt for raw honey whenever possible.

Frosting gets dull-looking when the surface dries. To make it shiny again, blowdry the icing right before serving. Use the low setting (for both fan and heat) so you don't melt the frosting off the cake.

Spoon a portion of your royal icing to a small bowl or container. Add one or two drops of gel color and stir until the color is even and streak-free. Keep mixing in a drop or two at a time until you get a color you're satisfied with.

Can you put royal icing straight onto a cake? ›

Covering a cake with royal icing or buttercream

Buttercream can be spread directly on to the cake; if you are using royal icing, first cover the cake with apricot glaze (see above). 1) Stir royal icing or buttercream just before using, to make sure it is easy to spread.

Add the egg whites to the sugar, vanilla, and Cream of TarTar. Mix on low-medium speed until the icing is smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. It is good for up to one week if kept in the fridge.

Wrap it and seal it in an airtight container so it doesn't lose moisture. Iced: The icing will lock moisture in, but if you're making a buttercream or cream cheese icing, it will only have a couple of days before it will need to be refrigerated or frozen. Ideally, make an iced cake the day to keep it fresh.

Store royal icing made with meringue powder in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Before using, beat well in a mixing bowl at low speed. If you don't have plans to use the icing within 2 weeks, another option is to pipe out your decorations and let them harden.

Always refrigerate any cake with a frosting that contains eggs or egg whites, or one that has whipped-cream frosting or any type of filling — be it whipped cream, custard, fruit or mousse. You won't hurt a cake by refrigerating it, but the cold does dry it out.

Fill a small container with about a half teaspoon of luster dust. Mix the dust with grain alcohol or very strong vodka (at least 150 proof). I use alcohol when I make gold royal icing because it evaporates very quickly, which means that the liquid won't dissolve the icing as you are applying the paint.

Use Less Food Gel to Color the Icing

The more gel I added the more I asked myself, “Why does royal icing bleed?” Once the gel is added to the icing, the colors begin to darken. It continues to darken even after you pipe it onto your cookies. So it makes sense to use less gel and therefore you will have less bleeding.

If your icing is too wet/runny then it will require a longer drying time and even when “dry” it may still remain wet and cause bleeding onto other colors. TIPS: -USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MERINGUE POWDER: this may vary depending on where you live and the humidity levels.

Make sure the royal icing is completely set and dried before you begin. It is best to let the cookies set out overnight after icing, and paint them the next day. Allow 4-5 hours for the paint to dry completely.

It should take between 15-20 seconds for the icing to smooth itself out. This is known as 15 or 20-second count royal icing. Depending on how much icing you apply to your cookie or the pressure that you put on your piping bag, the consistency of your icing may need to be adjusted.

How many seconds is medium royal icing? ›

Medium Icing: 15 seconds to settle mainly flat. Flood Icing: 10 seconds to settle flat. Runny Icing: 4 seconds to completely disappear.

The frosting should form a somewhat stiff peak that has a little curl on the end. It's stiff enough to hold up that curl, but soft enough to create that little curl. That little curl is a great visual cue to know that your frosting is just the right consistency.

On the other hand, cream of tartar on its own is often included in royal icing recipes, as one of its key functions is to stabilize whipped egg whites. (It's also used to stabilize whipped cream and to prevent sugar syrups from crystallizing.)

The main reason that royal icing doesn't harden is too much water. Using 10 second (or longer) icing consistency will help to make sure it is thick enough.

The best colorings for royal icing are Gel Colors. Why? Gel colors contain bright, food-safe pigments and only a little liquid. This lack of liquid means you can add more color to your royal icing without changing the texture or the taste.