I am out to fix what I think is one of the biggest myths of all time, something I hear from the mouths of friends all the time ” homemade icing is hard to make”. No, it is not!
In fact, if you can boil water you can make icing. Well, at least the recipe for the icing I grew up with. It truly is the simplest icing recipe ever!
This recipe iced pretty much every cake and cookie in my home growing up. The only thing that changed was the color or the sprinkles on it.
Simplest Icing Ever: If You Can Boil Water You Can Make This Icing
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Ingredients for simple homemade icing
You will also need something to whip the icing up with. I have used an inexpensive handheld mixer for years. They worked great for icing but …..not so well for sugar cookie dough. So after burning out the engine in a few handheld mixer models I cashed in some Amazon gift cards and bought I splurged on a top-quality hand mixer and I LOVE it. I have used it for a few years now and it is still going strong. It breezes through a triple or quadruple batch of cookie dough like a walk in the park! Worth every penny.
(psst….you can earn gift cards for Amazon purchases too through several different point companies but my favorite two are Swagbucks & InstaGC)
Instructions for homemade icing
Back to making the icing. Here is my biggest tip for successful icing making; make sure you take your butter out to soften several hours before. Do not try softening it in the microwave; that never works. You end up with slightly melted butter and that will not make good icing at all.
Cut the butter up into small pieces and beat it with your mixer. Next, add in about 1/3 of the powdered sugar (amounts in the recipe below) with one tablespoon of milk. Starting with your mixer on low, beat the mixture well. As the powdered sugar mixes in, you can turn up your mixing speed.
When that is beaten, repeat that twice more so that you have added all the powdered sugar and 3 tbsp of milk.
At this point, icing gets a bit personal, as in you have to decide how soft you like it for spreading purposes. I usually add in at least one more tablespoon of milk making it 4 tablespoons of milk total.
However, if you are using an icing bag to make cupcakes with icing piled high you might want to stop at 3. Or if you are icing cookies with a knife you might want to add one more tablespoon to make the icing easier to spread, especially if little ones are helping you.
Adding the perfect amount of milk is really the only tricky part in making the icing, and the secret to doing this successfully is to add just 1 tablespoon at a time and check the icing after you blend that tablespoon of milk in to see if it is at the consistency you want yet.
If you want colored icing I like to add the coloring in last and then beat it one more time until the color is all mixed in.
Want a simple basic cookbook to guide you in the kitchen? Check out the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
Prefer chocolate icing? Try my chocolate truffle icing. It is just as simple to make!
Simplest Icing Ever: If You Can Boil Water You Can Make This Icing
Snail Pace Transformations
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Several hours before you intend to make icing take the butter out of the fridge to soften.
Unwrap butter and place it in a bowl
Beat butter
Add icing sugar slowly (about 1/2 a cup at a time) and beat it into butter
Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time beating after every tablespoon until you get the thickness you want.
FAQs
Directions
- In a heavy saucepan combine sugar, water and cream of tartar. Slowly bring mixture to a boil, stirring sides of the saucepan with a brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals. ...
- Beat egg whites with pinch of salt until glossy and peaked. Slowly pour in syrup as you continue to beat the whites.
Cons: Boiled frosting needs to be used immediately and can't be stored. It's a softer icing that doesn't pipe well. Since it's so light, it would not hold up well as a filling for stacked cakes. It cannot be used under fondant.
Does boiled frosting need to be refrigerated? ›
This frosting is also sometimes referred to as 7-minute frosting. This boiled frosting recipe makes enough to cover the tops and sides of two 9-inch layer cakes. The frosting is best when used freshly after it is made, but it can be refrigerated for a day if you need to store your cake.
What's the difference between boiled icing and buttercream frosting? ›
Boiled frosting, also known as boiled icing, is often used for layered cakes (including red velvet cakes) as filling or frosting. It is slightly sticky, much like melted marshmallows, but is heartier than buttercream frosting. It is made with eggs and a boiled sugary mixture (usually sugar, corn syrup and water).
What kind of sugar is primarily used in preparing boiled icing? ›
Confectioners' or Powdered Sugar
It is often used in icings, confections and whipping cream.
What are the six basic types of icing? ›
- Butter Cream. Buttercream is softer and more spreadable than most icing and is the preferred choice for taste and flexibility. ...
- Whipped Cream. If lighter frosting is what you need then whipped cream is the answer. ...
- Royal Icing. ...
- Cream Cheese Frosting. ...
- Meringue. ...
- Fondant.
Frosting is the thickest of these confections and is ideal for spreading or piping on cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries.
Why is my boiled icing grainy? ›
Too much sugar or not enough liquid can cause the buttercream to break or become too gritty. Using room temperature or softened butter, can also help create a smoother texture. Different types of sugar, such as cane sugar, beet sugar, or brown sugar, can affect the texture of your buttercream frosting as well.
What is the most difficult frosting to make? ›
Italian Meringue Buttercream
This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.
What does cream of tartar do to icing? ›
Some recipes, like frosting, icing, caramel sauce, and syrups require cooking sugar down to a liquid form. During this process, the sugar can sometimes recrystallize, resulting in a grainy texture. Fortunately, cream of tartar can prevent this from happening by binding to the sugar crystals and keeping them tiny.
Does powdered sugar icing need to be refrigerated? No, even if you use milk in your icing. The small amount of milk is stabilized by the large amount of sugar and is considered safe at room temperature for two to three days.
Does homemade icing need to be refrigerated? ›
Most types of frosting, including buttercream frosting, don't technically have to be refrigerated right away, so storing extra frosting at room temperature is a great option if you plan on using it within the next day or so.
Which frosting is best for beginners? ›
As for frosting, choose your own adventure: If you're more of a beginner, consider using Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (American-style buttercream), Super-Simple Chocolate Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting (which is super forgiving).
What frosting do professionals use for cakes? ›
Swiss meringue buttercream is probably the most standard buttercream for pastry professionals. It is incredibly smooth, making it an extremely popular choice for icing cakes. Compared to American buttercream, it has a much stronger butter flavor, but is considerably less sweet.
Which is better butter or cream cheese frosting? ›
In terms of pairings, buttercream frosting is unquestionably more versatile than cream cheese icing. This is due to the fact that while cream cheese frosting may be overly tangy in some recipes, buttercream has a neutral flavor.
What are the steps for boiling? ›
The Best Way to Boil Water
- Fill a pot about halfway full with cold water.
- Place the pot on your stove and set the burner to high heat.
- Cover the pot with a lid and wait for the water to reach a rolling boil.
- Lower the heat to medium to continue boiling, or medium-low for simmering.
Method. Using a wooden spoon, combine icing sugar1 1/2 cups Soft Icing Mixture, sifted, butter and milk1 tbsp milk, or water in medium bowl until smooth.
