SWEET SMOTHERINGS

Sweet toppings for all cakes

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BUTTER ICING

The most commonly used icing for cakes and cupcakes. My number 1 icing.

TO MAKE THE BUTTER ICING

  1. Cream the butter using an electric mixer, add half the icing sugar and mix until combined. Add the warm milk and then the remaining icing sugar, mixing until thick and fluffy.

FLAVOURING AND COLOURING

  1. Add any flavouring essence and colouring of your choice and mix until combined.

TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BUTTER ICING

  1. Substitute the warm milk with 30 ml cocoa powder mixed with 15 ml hot water.

AUTHOR’S TIP: If the icing is a little runny, simply add a bit more icing sugar.

Makes 500 g

ROYAL ICING

Use this icing for piping and lattice work on biscuits and cakes.

TO MAKE ROYAL ICING

  1. Whisk the egg whites to the stiff peak stage. Add a tablespoon of sifted icing sugar at a time, whisking continuously. Continue this process, adding the flavouring essence and colouring of your choice, until you have a thick glossy meringue-like icing. The icing should hold its shape.

AUTHOR’S TIP: You can thin down royal icing with a little water and drizzle it over cakes.

Makes 250 g

ITALIAN MERINGUE ICING

This icing is a lot more cost effective than butter icing. It’s the ideal icing to use when making cupcakes for a party: kids love it as it is sweet and fluffy. This is also the base recipe for macaroons (see page 163).

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE ICING

  1. Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Test the temperature of the syrup with a sugar thermometer. Bring to the boil and when the sugar syrup reaches 110 °C, whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl to the stiff peak stage. When the sugar syrup reaches 113 °C, remove the pan from the stove and slowly drizzle the syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg whites, whisking continuously until the meringue has thickened and the bowl has cooled.

FLAVOURING AND COLOURING

  1. Add any flavouring essence and colouring of your choice and mix until combined.

AUTHOR’S TIP: Make a batch of vanilla cupcakes. Flavour the batter with lemon zest, and spoon a dollop of lemon curd on the top of each cupcake (the curd will sink into the cupcake as it bakes). Bake them and, when cooled, pipe over meringue icing, then place them under the grill for 1 minute – voilà, lemon meringue cupcakes!

Makes 1 litre

CHOCOLATE GANACHE ICING

This is more of a sauce than an icing, but when it cools and begins to thicken it becomes a delicious fudgy, chocolaty icing. My number 2 icing.

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TO MAKE THE ICING

  1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until just below boiling point. Remove the cream from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until you have a smooth ganache. Set aside to cool.

AUTHOR’S TIP: For a thicker fluffier icing, simply beat it for a few minutes with an electric mixer once the mixture has cooled. Use this icing as a thick chocolate icing on cakes, cupcakes and tortes or heat it up and use it as a dipping sauce for fondue.

Makes enough to ice a standard cake

CREAM CHEESE ICING

This thick, creamy icing is usually served with carrot cake or red velvet cake. I like to use it as a macaroon filling too.

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  1. Lightly beat the cream cheese until softened and fluffy. Add the vanilla seeds and reduce the speed. Slowly add the icing sugar until you have a smooth yet thick icing.

AUTHOR’S TIP: This icing also goes well with a courgette cake (see page 79). I absolutely love cream cheese icing and could have it with almost anything sweet.

Makes enough to ice a standard cake

GLACÉ (DRIZZLE) ICING

This icing has a light, subtle flavour that goes really well with simple cakes.

  1. Add the water and lime zest to the sifted icing sugar and whisk until you have a smooth icing.

AUTHOR’S TIP: This icing is the perfect consistency to drizzle over cakes.

Makes enough to ice a standard loaf cake

COFFEE BUTTER ICING

This icing is delicious with any vanilla or chocolate sponge.

  1. Cream the butter using an electric mixer, add half the icing sugar and beat until combined. Add the warm coffee, then the remaining icing sugar and mix until thick and fluffy.

AUTHOR’S TIP: If your coffee is too hot, the icing will split.

Makes 500 g