Archive Issue - Monthly Tidbits Article
June 2008

The Icing on the Cake Part III
by Jill Jackson

I am a firm believer in continuing education. That is why I will continue and conclude my series on frostings this week, hoping that it was helpful and enlightening. Regular readers, here is the final installment and a discussion of fudge icing, flat icing, glaze and boiled icing. If you are catching this series a bit late, you may read all about it at www.dessertalert.com.

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and make some rich, fudge-type icing? Then get your chocolate or caramel out, grab some milk, and some powdered sugar and away we go! This method requires a stovetop to melt your chocolate or caramel and milk together. Make sure you do this on low heat as to not burn your primary ingredients. When you remove it from the heat, then you may add your sugar, mix and voila! Fudge-type icing! It is spreadable, delectable and decadent!

Flat icing is much like pourable icing, which we discussed last week. This is also pourable, and uses confectioner’s sugar as well as milk, water and even orange juice or maple syrup! It is mixed until smooth and free of lumps and then usually poured over sweet bread and pastries, much like your cinnamon buns at the local bakery. Who can resist that?

This brings me to the subject of glazes. Much like a flat icing, this thinner icing is poured on baked goods to add shine and prevent them from drying out. If you have had tarts and danishes, petit fours or donuts, chances are you’ve eaten the most common of glazes, including apricot glaze, chocolate glaze and sugar glaze. Need a bit of stability? Gelatin is used sometimes to thicken this favorite (*Hint: If you recall, gelatin was used to stabilize rolled fondant as well).

Do you remember we said seven types of icing? Well, get ready for the grand finale! Boiled icing combines sugar syrup with egg whites. This mixture must be whipped to full volume and be glossy in appearance(*Hint: Use immediately! While the others have some shelf life and can be preserved, this does not bode well over time.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my mini-series and it was filled with action, adventure, some romance and a whole lot of flavor! Next time you bite into a cake or pastry, see if you can name that icing—that’s my definition of homework!