Icing is a topping or covering on top of food such as pastries and cakes. It is also known as frosting in the United States and is a sweet and creamy cover prepared from sugar, a liquid such as water or milk, commonly thickened with ingredients like butter, egg whites, cream cheese, or flavourings. It is used to top or adorn baked goods, such as cakes or cookies. Icing may also be used as a topping for beverages such as cappuccino and frappuccino. It can be made in different flavours incorporating different colours. Icing can also be shaped into decorative designs such as flowers, heart, etc.
History of Icing
Icing has been in vogue since long time in Europe. During the mid-17th century cakes with icing were made. Typically, the initial icing recipes were normally a boiled unit of the premium quality sugar, egg whites and occasionally flavourings. This icing was spread on the cake. The cake was then placed back in the oven for a while. Upon removing, the icing cooled rapidly to turn into a hard and lustrous covering. The first ever acknowledged recipe for icing was by Elizabeth Raffald in the year 1769 as mentioned in the Experienced English Housekeeper, according to the Food Timeline website. Further in the year 1915 Mrs. Fred W. Gurney produced the foremost butter-cream recipe from whereupon Fannie Farmer pursued some more recipes in 1918 and 1923.
Culinary Uses of the Icing
Icing is used mostly in baked recipes. The basic icing recipe is a glacé icing made from icing sugar and water. It can be incorporated with flavouring and colour as per wish for instance lemon juice and yellow colour. Icing can be made richer by whisking fat into icing sugar. This can be done by thawing fat and sugar together, adding egg whites and other ingredients such as glycerine. Icings can also be made by blending sugar and cream cheeses or with the use of ground almonds.
Icing can be formed into shapes such as flowers and leaves using a pastry bag. Such decorations commonly grace birthday and wedding cakes. Chef's color dye (food coloring) is commonly added to icing mixtures to achieve the desired color. Sprinkles, coloring mist, edible images or other decorations are often used on top of icing.
Popular Icing Recipes
Cuisines Using Ingredient
Icing is a regular feature used in European cuisines. Icing recipes vary among different countries of Europe. The popular ones are Spanish Icing recipes, Italian Icing recipes, English Icing recipes and Swiss Icing recipes.
Preferable preparation Methods For Icing
Icing can be coated on to a cake with the help of a kitchen tool or utensil such as a knife or spatula, or it can be coated on by pouring, dipping or gently sloping the icing out and cover it over the cake. The method of application is mostly dependent on the variety and consistency of icing made use of. Icing may be applied amid layers in a cake as a filling or it may be made use of for totally or partly covering the exterior of a cake or other baked product.
There are many varieties of icing and it happens to be individual choice as regards liking. Butter-cream icing is deep and dense, prepared out of butter or margarine and powdered sugar as well as flavourings and liquid.
Nutritive Value of Icing
Icing recipes mostly incorporate sugar, egg whites and flavouring. Egg whites are rich in protein, while sugar is a great carbohydrate. Flavouring ingredients may include lemon, strawberry, pineapple etc that are mostly good sources of vitamin C. In some recipes butter is also incorporated. However while for making of icing, butter and fat substitutes are seldom recommended as they affect the consistency and texture of the icing. So also for sugar and egg whites. This although is a good energy booster for children. So the icing is always needed for a children’s cake.
Icing Storing Tips