Basics – I Hope There's Dessert

Basic Royal Icing

Mark Buryk — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 19:56:09 +0000

This is your classic royal icing. It’s made the traditional way, using egg whites. It’s easy and fast to make, and it stiffens rock hard for detailed piping on cookies and perfect for gluing those gingerbread houses together.

The Story

Not much of a story here.

I’m just going to let it be known that Royal Icing isn’t used enough. It’s the perfect icing to pipe little detailed designs on any cookie (not just gingerbread), and even things that aren’t cookies- like brownies. I have a train mold that I make brownies in, and this is the best icing to use to outline the train features.

Ingredients

3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) egg whites*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

*In most recipes, you’ll see a number of eggs (3 eggs, 2 egg whites, etc.), and you’ll see the size of the egg (large, medium, jumbo, etc.). Generally large is what I use, and is what you’ll see a lot of the places in recipes elsewhere. And while, yes, the size of the egg is going to change the consistency of your dessert, if it’s in a cake or something, you may not drastically notice if you use one or two jumbo eggs instead of large. This is a little different. Because we are banking on the egg whites holding this frosting together, you’ll notice a big difference if you use 3 medium eggs, 3 large eggs, or 3 jumbo eggs. Also, egg sizes vary by brand- so not all “large” eggs are created equally. That’s why I’ve put the actual measurement of the eggs here. I used 3 jumbo eggs to get about 3 ounces / 1/3 cup of egg whites.

The Detailed Guide

Put your egg whites and vanilla into a mixing bowl attached with a whisk attachment. Mix on low until mixture is starting to foam a tad.

Then, still on low mixing, add the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time. Make sure to scrap the sides throughout this process. Once the confectioner’s sugar is incorporated (and it won’t spray everywhere if you were to turn up the speed), crank up the speed to high and mix about 5 to 7 minutes. You will notice a change from being a drippy but thick glaze, to being a smooth and glossy frosting that almost makes ribbons when you turn off the mixer.

This is ready to use immediately and can be kept in the fridge for a day or so, so long as you cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Remember, exposure to air will make this icing rock hard rather quickly.

Once you get a nice foam, you’re ready to add the confectioner’s sugar.

See how it’s still like a glaze? We have a little more mixing to do.

It’s finished when it’s thick and almost ribbon-like. We are ready here!

Yes that gingerbread man is wearing a tie and underwear. He’s off to work! Duh

Chugga chugga chugga chugga CHOO CHOOOOOO!

Shut up and just GIVE ME THE RECIPE!!

Ingredients

3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Make It

Put your egg whites and vanilla into a mixing bowl attached with a whisk attachment. Mix on low until mixture is starting to foam a tad.

Then, still on low mixing, add the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, scrapping the sides. Once incorporated, crank up the speed to high and mix about 5 to 7 minutes. It will change from being a drippy but thick glaze, to being a smooth and glossy frosting that almost makes ribbons when you turn off the mixer.

Done.

Basic Buttercream

Mark Buryk — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 04:38:40 +0000

This is your standard buttercream. Light and fluffy. Not too sweet. Perfect for cupcakes, cakes, and everything in between. Edit it as you like.

The Story

I’m a big fan of constantly changing my icing. Depending on the cake, you should vary the icing. Maybe a cream cheese icing goes better with a certain type of cake, while a buttercream goes better on another. Or you want a super light icing on one cake, and then you want a dense and rich icing on the next. Each cake should have a different icing.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a basic icing recipe stowed away for easy access when needed.

So that’s why I made this. This is a standard, basic buttercream. It’s light and fluffy, it’s not too sweet, and it’s perfect for almost every and any occasion. It’s also easy to make your own. Want coconut icing? Add some coconut extract to it. Want orange icing? Zest a little orange rind into it. It can become anything so, so easily.

Plus it’s quick and easy to make. Stop using pre-made and store-bought icing that is made with ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Everyone loves a homemade icing, and this is sure to please.

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

The Detailed Guide

MAKE SURE YOUR BUTTER IS SOFT

Take your butter out of the fridge and leave it on the counter until it is soft. Generally, I take it out the night before or before I run to the store to get any ingredients I may need for the cake I’m making this icing for. If you are more last minute or forgot, you can always stick it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is soft but NOT MELTED.

Making the Icing

Put your softened butter into a mixer and mix on medium speed for maybe a 30 seconds. Then, add in the vegetable shortening. Again, mix this at a medium speed for 30 seconds or so. You may notice a slightly lighter color to your butter. That’s good!

Add in the vanilla.

Then, alternate additions of confectioner’s sugar and milk (1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp milk, 1 cup sugar), mixing in between additions on low/medium. Scrap the sides as you go, and be careful about adding the confectioner’s sugar in the bowl and then turning the mixer on. Confectioner’s sugar has a tendency of flying out of the bowl.

Finally, slowly increase the speed of the mixer from medium to high, and then keep it at high for 1 minute. Depending on the mixer, it may be a 5 to a 7 speed which will be ideal for this. This high speed mixing is going to whip to the icing and get lots of tiny air bubbles into it. The paddle (not whisk) attachment on a mixer is just fine for this. You will notice a visible difference in both the consistency (it will be much, much fluffier) and color (it will be much, much lighter) than before mixing it.

And that’s it.

This should be plenty for a batch of cupcakes or a cake.

Just the butter.

Butter and vegetable oil now mixed and creamed.

Ready for heavy whipping. Still too dense.

Post-whipping. See how fluffy it is?! Perfection.

Shut up and just GIVE ME THE RECIPE!!

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

Make It

Mix softened butter in a mixer on medium for about 30 seconds. Add in vegetable shortening and mix for the same. Add in the vanilla.

Then, alternate additions of confectioner’s sugar and milk (1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp milk, 1 cup sugar), mixing in between additions on low/medium. Scrap the sides as you go.

Finally, slowly increase the speed of the mixer from medium to high, and then keep it at high for 1 minute. You will notice a visible difference in both the consistency (it will be much, much fluffier) and color (it will be much, much lighter) than before mixing it.

Done.