Homemade fluffy chocolate fudge frosting is super simple to make using staple ingredients you probably have in your pantry. Two kinds of chocolate and butter make this super rich and easy to spread. I much prefer it over a tub of store-bought frosting, and you can whip it up in under 10 minutes total. The perfect complement to cake or just dipping with pretzels or graham crackers. 

Ingredients

There are 2 types of cocoa powder, dutch process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder. A Dutch-process cocoa powder has a noticeably darker hue and will result in a dark chocolate frosting. Dutch process cocoa also has a smoother, more mellow flavor that's often associated with earthy, woodsy notes. Dutch-process cocoa powder starts with cocoa beans that have been washed in an alkaline solution of potassium carbonate, which neutralizes their acidity. So, dutch-process cocoa powder is neutral. Because it is neutral, it does not react with baking soda.

Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, giving the frosting a richer flavor. Coffee is optional, you can use hot water or milk instead if you prefer. 

Corn syrup adds a glossiness to the frosting that makes it shiny. It also adds a little sweetness and keeps it from setting up too hard. 

Making Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1. Add the chocolate chips, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
3. Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy. The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.
5. The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations.
6. Cover it with plastic wrap and stored it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. 

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Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This homemade chocolate frosting recipe comes together quickly with just a few ingredients! The best chocolate fudge frosting has a classic fudgy texture with an ultra-rich, deep chocolatey flavor. You’ll eat it with or without cake! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 863kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ¼ cup coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Add the chocolate chips, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe bowl.
• Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
• Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy.

  The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.
• The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations. 
• Cover it with plastic wrap and stored it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Notes

1. As long as the frosting is covered or stored appropriately it is ok to be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. I recommend refrigerating it if you are not going to use it within 2-3 days as it does contain butter.
2. A Dutch-process cocoa powder has a noticeably darker hue and will result in a dark chocolate frosting. Dutch process cocoa also has a smoother, more mellow flavor that's often associated with earthy, woodsy notes.
3. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, giving the frosting a richer flavor. Coffee is optional, you can use hot water or milk instead if you prefer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1440IU | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Chocolate Fudge Frosting appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Ingredients For Stabilized Whipped Cream Using Gelatin

This is my favorite way to make stabilized whipped cream. The gelatin sets the whipped cream so that it holds its shape, even in hot weather (as long as you keep it in the shade and for not more than 2 hours). Follow my easy step-by-step instructions below.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Begin by sprinkling your gelatin over the water and let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom. This is important so that the gelatin has a chance to fully absorb the water. If you don't wait you can get grainy lumps in your whipped cream. 

Once the gelatin is bloomed, heat in the microwave for 5 seconds. It melts very quickly! If it's not fully melted, go another three seconds until it's melted. Don't overheat! You can tell the gelatin is melted when it's clear and you don't see any grains of gelatin anymore. 

Add the 1 teaspoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin and stir. This cools down the gelatin and helps it mix into the whipped cream better. If your gelatin starts to get solid then just reheat it for 5 seconds to make it liquid again. 

 Begin whipping your cream with the whisk attachment on medium, after it starts to get foamy,  you can add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until you start to see lines developing in the whipped cream but the peaks are still very soft. 

While mixing on low, start drizzling in your melted gelatin mixture. Keep mixing until your peaks are firm enough to hold their shape but do not over-mix or your whipped cream will start to curdle and turn into butter instead of whipped cream. This can happen VERY quickly after you add the gelatin so just watch the whipped cream and don't go checking your emails 😉 

This stabilized whipped cream will hold up at room temperature (up to 90F) although I don't recommend leaving it out for more than two hours because of the dairy. 

It will be ok in the fridge for up to three days! Cool huh? We used to use this recipe in pastry school on top of all our tarts so we could make them ahead of time and they would still be fresh the next day for service in the restaurant. 

Here are some other ways to stabilize whipped cream!

How to stabilize whipped cream with instant pudding mix

This is the other way I generally stabilize whipped cream if I don't want to use gelatin. The only thing I don't like is that it's not quite as smooth as using gelatin. 

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4. 1 tablespoon instant vanilla pudding mix

Begin whipping your cream until you reach soft peaks. Then add in your vanilla pudding, sugar and vanilla extract. Continue whipping your cream until you have firm peaks but they are not crumbly.

I love the taste of this stabilized whipped cream. The vanilla pudding mix adds a nice flavor! Fold 1 cup of this stabilized whipped cream into the pastry cream and you have an excellent diplomat filling that's perfect for my cream tart recipe. 

How to stabilize whipped cream using corn starch

You can use cornstarch to help thicken and stabilize your whipped cream. This is a very common and easy way of thickening and stabilizing your whipped cream to keep it from turning into a melty mess.

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3. 1 teaspoon cornstarch
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The cornstarch can leave a slightly gritty texture to the whipped cream though.

Stabilized whipped cream using cream of tartar

Cream of tartar can be used to stabilize whipped cream according to fine cooking  all though I've never tried it. I'm definitely interested to see if this works. 

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3. ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar and cream of tarter. Whip your cream to soft peaks and add in your sugar/cream of tartar and vanilla. Continue whisking to firm peaks. 

How to stabilize whipped cream with powdered milk

This is another cool way to stabilize whipped cream in a super duper easy way. If you have powdered milk around, you can use it as a stabilizer. The powdered milk adds just enough body to the cream to keep it from losing its shape. 

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 2 teaspoon powdered milk
3. 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Can you frost a cake with whipped cream?

The short answer is yes! You can frost a cake with stabilized whipped cream but you cannot cover it in fondant. Whipped cream has too much liquid in it and is not thick enough to support the weight of the fondant. I frosted my pink velvet cake in whipped cream and it was amazing!

But you CAN cover a cake frosted with whipped cream with mirror glaze if you freeze it first in fact, this is exactly what I did for my geode mirror glaze heart! 

I hope this answers all your questions about how to stabilize whipped cream! If you have any other issues you can always leave me a comment below. 

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Pink velvet cake with whipped cream frosting
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Stabilized whipped cream

How to make the best stabilized whipped cream using a little bit of gelatin! So easy and your whipped cream will hold its shape for days! Check out the blog post for more ways to make stabilized whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Total Time 6 minutes minutes

Servings 4 cups

Calories 104kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment

Ingredients

Stabilized Whipped Cream

• 12 oz heavy whipping cream cold
• 2 ounces powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon gelatin I use KNOX brand
• 1 ½ tablespoon cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Sprinkle your gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 
• Melt gelatin for 5 seconds in the microwave. If not fully melted do another 3 seconds. You can tell gelatin is melted when there are no granules of unmelted gelatin visible.

  After dissolving your gelatin, add in 1 teaspoon of heavy cream and mix. If your gelatin is too cold, heat again until it's melted (5 seconds).
• In a cold mixing bowl, whip your heavy for 15 seconds on medium speed until its foamy
• Add in your powdered sugar and vanilla and continue mixing on medium speed until you reach very soft peaks, barely holding their shape.
• Turn your mixer down to low and drizzle in your gelatin. Continue mixing on medium speed until your peaks are firm and holding their shape but don't over-mix to the point when your whipped cream starts to look chunky or begins turning into butter.

Video

Stabilized Whipped Cream from Sugar Geek Show on Vimeo.

Notes

Whipped cream whips better if your bowl is cold and the whipping cream is straight from the fridge. 

Don't over-mix your whipped cream. I like to finish whipping mine by hand so it stays nice and creamy

You cannot re-use leftover whipped cream or make it ahead of time. It needs to be used right away before the gelatin sets. 

You can make stabilized whipped cream by hand using a whisk and some elbow grease! Just follow the same steps, it will just take a bit longer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 21mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 18mg

The post Stabilized Whipped Cream appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

​​The trick to this raspberry buttercream frosting is getting the raspberry puree to the right consistency. The longer the berries are reduced, the thicker they will become and the more flavor will be concentrated. When raspberries are fresh, juicy, and warmed by the sun, there’s nothing like it, but frozen raspberries are a wonderful alternative that gives the same vibrant raspberry flavor.

Ingredients

Raspberries: If you have fresh berries available then this is a great way to use them and save that seasonal flavor. If not, frozen berries are just as good because they are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash-frozen. The freezing process starts to break down the berries, so as they thaw they will release their juices and break down quicker in the cooking process. Freeze-dried raspberries won’t work as well in this buttercream, because the butter will prevent the raspberries from rehydrating and releasing their flavor (and they are expensive).

Pasteurized Egg whites: Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk) so they are safe to eat without cooking. They usually come in a box carton in the egg aisle. If you don’t have pasteurized egg whites then you can use my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe instead. 

Butter: Using good quality, real butter is best, but you can substitute it with margarine, vegan butter, or vegetable shortening. I can’t guarantee the taste will be the same, but you can use whatever is your preference! You can also mix the raspberry puree into any of my buttercream recipes, like Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream, and even cream cheese frosting.

Making Raspberry Filling

1. Add your raspberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Heat your raspberry puree until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.
3. In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don’t just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you’ll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.
4. Add the ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix with a rubber spatula for one more minute to thicken the mixture.
5. Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute until thickened.
6. If you do not want seeds in your raspberry filling, press the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
7. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof container and cover it with plastic wrap (so that it’s touching the surface) and allow it to cool to room temperature or place it into the refrigerator to cool before using it.

Making Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

1. Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined.
2. Bump up the speed to medium-high and mix for 3-5 minutes until white and glossy.
3. Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt while the mixer is on medium speed.
4. Whip on high speed until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes. When it tastes like ice cream and no longer tastes buttery, it’s done!
5. Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone or until your desired consistency.
6. Add about ½ cup of the strained raspberry purée to the buttercream and continue to mix until combined. 
7. Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the raspberry pink color if you choose. 
8. If the buttercream is splitting, it's probably too cold. Microwave about a cup of the buttercream and mix it back in, or use an immersion blender to emulsify the buttercream.
9. Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.

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Raspberry Buttercream

This easy raspberry buttercream recipe made from real raspberries is sweet, bursting with fresh raspberry flavor, and has the slightest hint of lemon. It's similar to Swiss meringue buttercream, so it's perfect for stacking cakes, is great under fondant, and is so easy to make!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Raspberry Filling

• 16 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
• 5 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 ounces cool water
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch

Raspberry Buttercream

• 4 ounces pasteurized egg whites
• 16 ounces powdered sugar can add more if you want sweeter frosting
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces unsalted butter slightly warm
• 4 ounces raspberry puree
• 1-2 drops pink food coloring optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Raspberry Filling

• Add your raspberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Heat your raspberry puree until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.
• In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don’t just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you’ll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.
• Add the ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix with a rubber spatula for one more minute to thicken the mixture.
• Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute until thickened.
• If you do not want seeds in your raspberry filling, press the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
• Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof container and cover it with plastic wrap (so that it’s touching the surface) and allow it to cool to room temperature or place it into the refrigerator to cool before using it.

Making Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

• Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined. 
• Bump up the speed to medium-high and mix for 3-5 minutes until white and glossy.
• Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt while the mixer is on medium speed.
• Whip on high speed until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes. When it tastes like ice cream and no longer tastes buttery, it’s done!
• Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone or until your desired consistency.
• Add about ½ cup of the strained raspberry purée to the buttercream and continue to mix until combined. 
• Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the raspberry pink color if you choose. 
• If the buttercream is splitting, it's probably too cold. Microwave about a cup of the buttercream and mix it back in, or use an immersion blender to emulsify the buttercream.
• Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.

The post Raspberry Buttercream appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I’ve made a lot of versions of cream cheese frosting over the years, but this recipe is one of my favorite, pipeable frostings. Traditional cream cheese frosting is often easy to over-mix. The granulated sugar doesn't melt the cream cheese like powdered sugar does though, so this recipe stays more structured and is harder to over-mix.

Ingredients

Granulated Sugar: I love using granulated sugar because the grit of the sugar crystals helps fluff up the butter and cream cheese, giving the frosting a thick texture. Because of the moisture content of the cream cheese, the sugar dissolves, leaving the frosting smooth. 

Butter: The addition of butter in this frosting gives it structure, as well as tones down the strong tangy flavor of the cream cheese. This makes it a mildly tangy and sweet frosting perfect to frost a cake or a cupcake. 

Cream Cheese: The nice this about a cream cheese frosting recipe is it does not contain eggs, so they are great options for people with an egg sensitivity that still want a delicious frosting with a creamy consistency.

Making Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

1. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature. If one is cold, you will end up with lumpy cream cheese frosting. If they feel cold to the touch, microwave them for ten seconds.
2. In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the room-temperature block of cream cheese and mix it on low speed until smooth. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.
3. With the mixer on low speed to medium speed, begin adding chunks of butter to the whipped cream cheese and mix until incorporated.
4. Slowly pour in the sugar while the mixer is mixing.
5. Then add the salt and vanilla. 
6. Make sure you scrape the bowl to get all of the cream cheese from the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then mix on high speed for another 30 seconds to one minute to make sure all the butter chunks are smoothed out and the sugar is dissolved. 
7. Use the frosting immediately to frost a cake or cupcakes.
8. If you plan on storing it for later, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months, then allow it to come back to room temperature and mix it briefly with an electric mixer.

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Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

This delicious cream cheese frosting recipe is thick, fluffy, and pipeable. Easy cream cheese frosting is made with granulated sugar and whips together quickly! This is the best cream cheese frosting and it consists of 5 simple ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Calories 666kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment Or a large bowl and electric hand mixer

Ingredients

• 2 cups cream cheese room temperature or slightly warm
• 1 cup unsalted butter same temperature as the cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature. If one is cold, you will end up with lumpy cream cheese frosting. If they feel cold to the touch, microwave them for ten seconds.
• In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the room-temperature block of cream cheese and mix it on low speed until smooth. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.
• With the mixer on low speed to medium speed, begin adding chunks of butter to the whipped cream cheese and mix until incorporated.
• Slowly pour in the sugar while the mixer is mixing.
• Then add the salt and vanilla. 
• Make sure you scrape the bowl to get all of the cream cheese from the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then mix on high speed for another 30 seconds to one minute to make sure all the butter chunks are smoothed out and the sugar is dissolved. 
• Use the frosting immediately to frost a cake or cupcakes. 
• If you plan on storing it for later, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months, then allow it to come back to room temperature and mix it briefly with an electric mixer.

Notes

• This is not a crusting recipe, but check out my crusting cream cheese if you're interested!
• You could use some coconut extract, almond extract, lemon zest, or orange zest, or add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to make chocolate cream cheese frosting.
• You can leave out a cake frosted in cream cheese for up to 4 hours. 
• This cream cheese icing has a high moisture content and it will begin to dissolve the fondant when it comes in contact with the outside of your cake frosted with cream cheese.
• The addition of butter in this frosting gives it structure, as well as tones down the strong tangy flavor of the cream cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 666kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 111mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1962IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Most ganache recipes don't explain why things go wrong, and it can be really intimidating when you fail to mix just two ingredients together. The secret is, that not all chocolate is the same! Different brands of chocolate can change your ratio and sometimes lead to broken, oily, or hard ganache. Follow my tips for how to fix ganache when these problems occur, and understand the science behind it!

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

Chocolate: Whether you're using dark, milk, or white chocolate it's important to use good quality chocolate. The better the quality, the better tasting your ganache will be. You also want to make sure that cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients on the back, instead of hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Cocoa butter means that it is "real" chocolate instead of candy melts, and won't be as waxy. Some bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips at the grocery store do not contain cocoa butter, so make sure to check the back. Some brands I like are Ghirardelli, Lindt, Guittard, or Callebaut.

Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream gives ganache the right consistency that's perfectly creamy and thick.

Vanilla and Salt are optional for ganache, but it adds a little something extra that enhances the flavor of the chocolate.

Corn syrup and butter are sometimes added to the ganache to make it extra creamy and shiny.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

1. Measure out the chocolate with a food scale and chop it into fine pieces so that it melts more easily. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream on the stovetop in a small saucepan until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning and don’t walk away or your cream could boil over. 
3. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push the chocolate down so it’s all under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture of chocolate and cream sit for 5 minutes. 
4. Add the vanilla and salt, then whisk the cream and chocolate together until it’s smooth. Start with small circles in the center until the chocolate and cream start creating an emulsion.
5. If you have lumps or un-melted chocolate you can use an immersion blender to make your ganache super creamy and lump-free. 
6. Use the warm ganache for piping and drizzling, or pour it into a bowl. Pro-tip: Cool your ganache faster by pouring it into a baking sheet pan.
7. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the top and set it aside to rest at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight.
8. Store leftover ganache at room temperature for up to 48 hours, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or seal it in an airtight container and freeze for 6 months.

Using Chocolate Ganache In 6 Ways

1. Fill the layers of a cake with the set ganache.
2. Frost the outside of a cake with set ganache at peanut butter consistency.
3. Place the ganache into a piping bag and create a drip to decorate a cake with warm soft ganache.
4. Dip cupcakes or strawberries in a bowl of soft ganache.
5. Pipe dollops of ganache on top of a cake or cupcakes.
6. Roll ganache into balls and decorate with various toppings for truffles.

Chocolate Ganache Ratios

Depending on which chocolate ganache recipe you are following, you might use more or less chocolate and cream. The "ratios" refer to the ratio of chocolate and cream that you use. The first number refers to the amount of chocolate, the second is the amount of cream. Different ratios will create a softer or firmer ganache.

IMPORTANT TIP: The brand of chocolate that you use matters, as each chocolate has a different amount of cocoa and cocoa butter inside. I'm using Guittard chocolate for these ratios, but it may vary if you're using a different brand. If you have another favorite chocolate, start with these ratios and add more cream or chocolate as needed until you get your perfect consistency.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip Ratio - 1:1

• A 1:1 ratio is one part chocolate and one part cream (equal parts chocolate and cream) are typically used for very soft frostings, a chocolate drip, or for a glaze. For example, this would be 8 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
• This soft ganache can also be whipped to make a whipped ganache frosting. 

Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 2:1

• A 2:1 ratio is two parts dark or semisweet chocolate and 1 part cream, so twice as much chocolate as cream. When it firms up at room temperature for a few hours, it's typically used for making truffles or a stiff chocolate ganache frosting. This would be 16 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream, or 32 ounces of chocolate and 16 ounces of cream.
• Pro-tip: Flavor your ganache by steeping herbs or spices in the cream. Tea makes for some excellent flavors in ganache like my rose chocolate truffle recipe. 

Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 2.5:1

• Milk chocolate has a 2.5 to 1 ratio meaning you multiply the amount of cream by 2.5, so 20 ounces of milk chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
• Milk chocolate is great for making ganache but because it contains more sugar and milk solids, it is not as stable as dark chocolate. You will need to use a bit more chocolate for this ganache to set firm.

White Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 3:1

• White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa to help it set, only cocoa butter so you need to use a lot more chocolate to get it to set properly. I use a 3:1 ratio but I know some people go as high as 4:1.
• Did you know that white chocolate ganache doesn’t sweat and is ideal to use in really hot environments like Florida, the Caribbean, and Texas?

Chocolate Ganache Temperatures

Warm Ganache: The temperature of your chocolate ganache also matters. When your chocolate ganache is first made and still warm, it is very liquid. This is the ideal format for glazing, making drip cakes, or using on top of ice cream. 

Cooled Ganache: Letting chocolate ganache sit at room temperature for a few hours allows the chocolate to cool down and become semi-solid once again. This sort of half-set stage is what I call the peanut butter consistency stage and is ideal for frosting, using it as a cake filling, or rolling into truffles. If your chocolate ganache is too cold, it can become too solid and difficult to spread. You can always microwave it for a few seconds to get it back to that peanut butter consistency.

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The Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Traditional chocolate ganache is made by heating up cream and pouring it over chocolate, waiting for it to melt, adding flavoring, and stirring it together until smooth. Depending on the temperature, chocolate ganache can become a glaze, a drip, frosting or even truffles.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 cups

Calories 1140kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Firm Setting Ganache 2:1

• 16 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any other extract

Soft Ganache Frosting 1:1

• 8 ounces 60% high quality chocolate Such as callebaut - about $8/lb
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soft White Chocolate Ganache 3:1

• 18 ounces white chocolate
• 6 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon salt

Soft Milk Chocolate Ganache 2.5:1

• 13 ounces milk chocolate
• 5 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• IMPORTANT NOTES:

  Ganache ratios change depending on how you’re going to use them, and the type of chocolate you're using.

  I'm using Guittard chocolate for these ratios, if you’re using a different brand and it’s not as thick or thin as you want it, you may have to add more cream or chocolate. The darker the chocolate and the more cocoa %, the firmer it will set.

  Using a scale is recommended for accuracy and to ensure your ganache turns out.
• Measure out the chocolate with a food scale and chop it into fine pieces so that it melts more easily. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Making Chocolate Ganache

• Heat the cream on the stovetop in a small saucepan until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning and don’t walk away or your cream could boil over. 
• Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push the chocolate down so it’s all under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture of chocolate and cream sit for 5 minutes. 
• Add the vanilla and salt, then whisk the cream and chocolate together until it’s smooth. Start with small circles in the center until the chocolate and cream start creating an emulsion.
• If you have lumps or un-melted chocolate you can use an immersion blender to make your ganache super creamy and lump-free. 
• Use the warm ganache for piping and drizzling, or pour it into a baking sheet pan.
• Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the top and set it aside to rest at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight.
• When the ganache reaches "peanut butter consistency" it is ready to use for frosting cakes, piping, or forming into truffles.
• Store leftover ganache at room temperature for up to 48 hours, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or seal it in an airtight container and freeze for 6 months.

Video

Notes

The brand of chocolate you use, matters! Whether you're using dark, milk, or white chocolate it's important to use good-quality chocolate. The better the quality, the better tasting your ganache will be. You also want to make sure that cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients on the back, instead of hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Cocoa butter means that it is "real" chocolate instead of candy melts, and won't be as waxy. Some bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips at the grocery store do not contain cocoa butter, so make sure to check the back. Some brands I like are Ghirardelli, Lindt, Guittard, or Callebaut.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip Ratio – 1:1

• A 1:1 ratio is one part chocolate and one part cream (equal parts chocolate and cream) are typically used for very soft frostings, a chocolate drip, or for a glaze. For example, this would be 8 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
• This soft ganache can also be whipped to make a whipped ganache frosting. 

Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 2:1

• A 2:1 ratio is two parts dark or semisweet chocolate and 1 part cream, so twice as much chocolate as cream. When it firms up at room temperature for a few hours, it's typically used for making truffles or a stiff chocolate ganache frosting. This would be 16 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream, or 32 ounces of chocolate and 16 ounces of cream.
• Pro-tip: Flavor your ganache by steeping herbs or spices in the cream. Tea makes for some excellent flavors in ganache like my rose chocolate truffle recipe. 

Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 2.5:1

• Milk chocolate has a 2.5 to 1 ratio meaning you multiply the amount of cream by 2.5, so 20 oz milk chocolate 8 ounces of cream.
• Milk chocolate is great for making ganache but because it contains more sugar and milk solids, it is not as stable as dark chocolate. You will need to use a bit more chocolate for this ganache to set firm.

White Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 3:1

• White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa to help it set, only cocoa butter so you need to use a lot more chocolate to get it to set properly. I use a 3:1 ratio but I know some people go as high as 4:1.
• Did you know that white chocolate ganache doesn’t sweat and is ideal to use in really hot environments like Florida, the Caribbean and Texas?

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz | Calories: 1140kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 85g | Saturated Fat: 50g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1129mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 1185IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 9.6mg

The post The Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Crusting cream cheese frosting is made with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and extract and pairs with just about any cake flavor you can imagine. Think about it. Cream cheese basically equals cheesecake. Cheesecake goes with ALL THE THINGS. Crusting cream cheese frosting is most often paired with old-fashioned red velvet cake, carrot cake, chocolate cake and even lemon cake!

Basically, you can't go wrong with using crusting cream cheese frosting for everything including cupcakes and sugar cookies.

The best part about this cream cheese frosting is that it is a crusting recipe. That might sound a little odd to you but basically that means that the sugar content in this frosting is high enough that the granules of sugar turn into tiny little crystals and form a thin and crispy outer layer to the cake.

Why is this awesome? (trust me, it's AWESOME!)

If you've ever worked with cream cheese frosting before you know it has a horrible tendency to be a little wet, a little soft and a whole lot unstable in warm weather.

This crusting cream cheese frosting crusts so that it's very stable and can be used as a filling for cakes, frosting for the outside, cupcakes and even on cookies. I would still stay away from using this frosting under fondant though, cream cheese and fondant just do not get along and you end up with a melting layer of gooey sugar under the fondant.

How To Make Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting

To actually make the crusting cream cheese frosting you can get it done in about 10 minutes flat.

• Cream your room temperature butter with the paddle attachment until it's nice and smooth with no lumps (on low).
• Add in your room temperature cream cheese and cream until smooth with the butter.
• Start adding in your powdered sugar (sifted) one cup at a time while mixing on low. Don't add the next cup until the first is incorporated fully.
• Once your powdered sugar is incorporated and the frosting is smooth you're done! This is a THICK cream cheese frosting so that it is stable and won't' melt all over your cake.

I admit that crusting cream cheese frosting really eluded me for a long time. Don't get me wrong, I loved eating it on cupcakes and a nice slice of carrot cake from one of my favorite bakery but when I would try to make it myself to use with my client cakes, I never really felt it would work. It was either too soft or tasteless.

Most of the time when I see a cream cheese recipe, it has added liquid to it like milk or cream. I feel like this really causes the frosting to be too soft. Ok for cupcakes but not great for cakes. So why add it?

You'll notice that this recipe has more butter to cream cheese ratio than a typical cream cheese recipe. Butter helps with stability, flavor, and creaminess. There's just enough cream cheese to add a nice flavor to the frosting but not so much that it breaks down the frosting and makes it too wet.

Tips For Successful Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Did you forget to bring your cream cheese to room temperature? I'll tell you a secret, I never ever do. I simply take the cream cheese out of the packet, cut it up into cubes and microwave for 10 seconds. By the time I get my butter and sugar measured, the cream cheese is at room temperature
2. Speaking of butter, I usually have butter at room temperature at all times but if you have forgotten, you can microwave your butter in 10-second increments until you can press a fingerprint in the surface of the butter and the cube still holds it's shaped. You don't want the butter too soft or it will be hard to incorporate with the cream cheese successfully.
3. Sift your powdered sugar for a super smooth buttercream but I admit, I hardly ever do this
4. Need your buttercream to be whiter? Add in some white food coloring!
5. You can switch out the vanilla extract for any extract to compliment the cake (think orange for citrus or almond for spice cake)
6. Do you really have to use unsalted butter for cream cheese frosting? The short answer is yes. If you use salted butter you MIGHT feel like the frosting literally tastes salty. By using unsalted butter you can control the level of saltiness in your buttercream. If all you have is unsalted butter, don't fret. Just use what you have and leave out the extra salt listed in the recipe.

Recipe

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Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

A delicious cream cheese buttercream that is sturdy enough to pipe or frost and fill your cakes. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 lbs

Calories 1989kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 12 oz cream cheese room temp
• 12 oz unsalted butter room temp
• 48 oz powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon clear vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instructions

• Cream the softened butter with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add in your softened cream cheese and continue creaming on low until fully incorporated and smooth. 
• Slowly add in powdered sugar one cup at a time, letting fully incorporate before adding the next cup. Add in vanilla and salt. Mix at low for 5-6 minutes until smooth.
• For a whiter buttercream, add white food coloring. Store leftover buttercream in the fridge for up to a week or freeze up to 6 months. 

Notes

This buttercream cannot be left out for more than 4 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 1989kcal | Carbohydrates: 305g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 87g | Saturated Fat: 53g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 788mg | Potassium: 122mg | Sugar: 298g | Vitamin A: 2905IU | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Making Swiss meringue buttercream frosting (also known as SMBC) is not hard, but it can be time-consuming. SMBC has a meringue base and is made by cooking egg whites and sugar, then whipping them to make a thick meringue, and whipping in butter. This recipe is the big sister of my mock-Swiss Easy buttercream frosting recipe, which skips the need to cook the egg whites by using pasteurized eggs.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients

Fresh egg whites will whip into a more stable meringue than carton egg whites. It's a bit more work to separate the eggs yourself, but you can then use the leftover egg yolks for lemon curd, Boston cream pie, or creme brulee. Heating egg whites to 110°F is recommended for safe consumption, however, I recently learned that most raw eggs in the US are already pasteurized, so they're technically safe to eat.

Vanilla is the main flavor of swiss buttercream, so it's important to use good-quality vanilla. Vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even a vanilla bean would work perfectly. Nielsen Massey makes really great vanilla bean products and focuses on sustainable environmental practices.

How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream Step-by-Step

1. Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer.
2. Place the metal bowl of your stand mixer on top of the pot of water to create a bain-marie (or double boiler). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.
3. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the mixing bowl. Pro-tip: Wipe your bowl out with white vinegar before making the meringue. A very clean metal bowl will work best for this as the meringue is easier to whip up in metal rather than plastic.
4. Cook the egg white mixture until it reaches 110ºF (43ºC) and constantly whisk the sides of the bowl to distribute the heat evenly. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer, when you can no longer feel any sugar granules in the egg whites with your finger, it's done.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. You can use a hand mixer and a large bowl to mix your meringue, it will just take a lot longer to mix.
6. Whip the egg and sugar mixture on medium-high speed for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you reach glossy, stiff peaks. 
7. Pour your meringue out into a shallow dish and refrigerate it for about 10 minutes to cool the meringue to room temperature. You can also put your entire bowl of meringue into the fridge, but it will take longer to cool. If you don’t cool the meringue it will melt your butter and then you’ll have buttercream soup.
8. Once your meringue is cooled, put it back in your stand mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. 
9. Add the room-temperature butter, vanilla, and mix until it’s all combined. 
10. Whip the buttercream on medium/high speed until it is white, fluffy, and doesn't taste buttery, this can take 8-10 minutes. Pro-Tip: To counteract the yellow in your buttercream, add a drop or two of violet food color gel to make it whiter.
11. Switch to a paddle attachment and mix it on low speed for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles. This isn't required, but if you want really creamy frosting, you do not want to skip it!
12. This recipe is enough to frost and fill a two-layer 8" x 2" cake, or frost about 24 cupcakes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

FAQ

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Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC)

Swiss meringue buttercream comes together with just 5 ingredients and is amazingly delicious. The smooth and silky texture melts in your mouth but is stable enough to use for wedding cakes and birthday cakes. Add some fresh fruit puree, lemon extract, or chocolate to customize your SMBC and pair it with your favorite chocolate cake, vanilla cupcakes, or Funfetti cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

cooling 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 141kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 stand mixer with the whisk and paddle attachments

Ingredients

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh egg whites about 8
• 16 ounces granulated sugar
• 24 ounces unsalted butter room temperature. You can use salted butter, but it will affect the taste and you need to leave out additional salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer.
• Place the metal bowl of your stand mixer on top of the pot of water to create a bain-marie (or double boiler). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.
• Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the mixing bowl. Pro-tip: Wipe your bowl out with white vinegar before making the meringue. A very clean metal bowl will work best for this as the meringue is easier to whip up in metal rather than plastic.
• Cook the egg white mixture until it reaches 110ºF (43ºC) and constantly whisk the sides of the bowl to distribute the heat evenly. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer, when you can no longer feel any sugar granules in the egg whites with your finger, it's done.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. You can use a hand mixer and a large bowl to mix your meringue, it will just take a lot longer to mix.
• Whip the egg and sugar mixture on medium-high speed for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you reach glossy, stiff peaks. 
• Pour your meringue out into a shallow dish and refrigerate it for about 10 minutes to cool the meringue to room temperature. You can also put your entire bowl of meringue into the fridge, but it will take longer to cool. If you don’t cool the meringue it will melt your butter and then you’ll have buttercream soup.
• Once your meringue is cooled, put it back in your stand mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. 
• Add the room-temperature butter, vanilla, and mix until it’s all combined. 
• Whip the buttercream on medium/high speed until it is white, fluffy, and doesn't taste buttery, this can take 8-10 minutes. Pro-Tip: To counteract the yellow in your buttercream, add a drop or two of violet food color gel to make it whiter.
• Switch to a paddle attachment and mix it on low speed for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles. This isn't required, but if you want really creamy frosting, you do not want to skip it!
• This recipe is enough to frost and fill a two-layer 8" x 2" cake, or frost about 24 cupcakes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Video

Notes

1. Bring all your unsalted butter to room temperature.
2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Chill your cakes or whatever you are decorating with your buttercream before you begin frosting and filling. 
5. Making this buttercream is not hard, but it can be time-consuming. This buttercream requires heating egg whites with sugar over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves, and then whipping the egg whites into a meringue (and then whipping it into butter). If you want an easier recipe that skips heating the egg whites, check out my mock SMBC recipe for easy buttercream.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 11mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Calcium: 4mg

The post Swiss Meringue Buttercream appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I have tested so many frostings to combat the summer heat, and American buttercream is the most stable. Many of my go-to recipes use egg whites, so if you are vegan or unable to eat eggs, American buttercream is a great option. It goes great with Funfetti cake, chocolate cake, or really any recipe.

American Buttercream Ingredients

Butter is, of course, a key ingredient for "butter"-cream, so using high-quality butter is important. I like using Plugra or Irish butter, but Darigold is also a great option when butter is expensive! You can also use dairy-free butter if you need dairy-free buttercream. If you need stable buttercream for hot and humid climates, replace half of the butter with shortening. High-ratio shortening works best, but Crisco will work too.

Heavy cream is important to help thin out your frosting and make it fluffy, but you can also use water, milk, or non-dairy creamer.

How to Make American Buttercream

1. First, bring your butter to room temperature. If your butter is not at room temperature, you will get lumps of butter. 
2. Place the room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer) with the whisk attachment and mix together on medium speed until smooth. Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl often. Pro-Tip: If you need more stable buttercream, replace half of the butter with high-ratio shortening.
3. Add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time while mixing on low speed until smooth.
4. Add in your salt, clear vanilla extract, and cream. If your buttercream looks too dry, you can add more cream until you reach the right consistency.
5. Whip on high speed for 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy.
6. Optional: If it looks curdled and separated, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into the mixing buttercream to bring it all together.
7. Optional: To remove bubbles, mix on low with a paddle attachment for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth.
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until you're ready to use it. This frosting can stay out for a few hours but should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer if you don't need it for a few days. Bring it to room temperature and mix on low before each use.
9. This is enough buttercream to frost and fill three 8"x2" layers, or 24 cupcakes.

What are the different types of buttercream?

• American buttercream (ABC) is made with powdered sugar, butter, and liquid. It's very sweet, creamy, and the most stable in warm temperatures due to the high amount of sugar.
• Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is made by combining meringue with whipped butter and extracts. This buttercream is light, soft, and not very sweet. My Easy buttercream is an easy mock-Swiss buttercream recipe.
• Italian meringue buttercream (IMBC) is made by pouring boiled sugar into whipping meringue. This produces a very stable and light buttercream frosting that's not very sweet, but it is a little bit trickier to make. 
• French buttercream is made with egg yolks or whole eggs in a meringue base. It's similar to a custard or pastry cream, is not as sweet, and has a richer flavor compared to some of the other buttercreams.
• German buttercream is made by combining pastry cream, butter, and powdered sugar. It's very rich, silky, and not too sweet.
• Flour buttercream or boiled milk frosting like Ermine frosting is an old-fashioned type of buttercream. It's made by cooking flour and sugar with milk to make a sweet vanilla bean paste, then whipping that with butter and extracts.

FAQ

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American Buttercream

This classic American buttercream recipe is the frosting that most people think of when they hear the word, "buttercream.” It’s sweet, creamy, very stable in hot temperatures, and the easiest buttercream to make. Perfect for frosting your cakes or cupcakes, piping flowers on a wedding cake, and using under fondant.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 1226kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment

Ingredients

American Buttercream Ingredients

• 24 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
• 40 ounces powdered sugar
• 5 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon butter extract optional for flavor

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

American Buttercream Instructions

• First, bring your butter to room temperature. If your butter is not at room temperature, you will get lumps of butter. 
• Place the room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer) with the whisk attachment and mix together on medium speed until smooth. Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl often. Pro-Tip: If you need more stable buttercream, replace half of the butter with high-ratio shortening.
• Add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time while mixing on low speed until smooth.
• Add in your salt, clear vanilla extract, and cream.
• Whip on high speed for 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy.
• Optional: If it looks curdled and separated, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into the mixing buttercream to bring it all together.
• Optional: To remove bubbles, mix on low with a paddle attachment for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until you're ready to use it. This frosting can stay out for a few hours but should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer if you don't need it for a few days. Bring it to room temperature and mix on low before each use.
• This is enough buttercream to frost and fill three 8"x2" layers, or 24 cupcakes.

Notes

1. Butter is, of course, a key ingredient for "butter"-cream, so using high-quality butter is important. I like using Plugra or Irish butter, but Darigold is also a great option when butter is expensive! You can also use dairy-free butter if you need dairy-free buttercream.
2. Heavy cream is important to help thin out your frosting and make it fluffy, but you can also use water, heavy cream, or non-dairy creamer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 1226kcal | Carbohydrates: 142g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 48g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 42mg | Sugar: 139g | Vitamin A: 2386IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post American Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This frosting is like a mock-Swiss meringue buttercream. Instead of cooking egg whites and granulated sugar, we're skipping that step and using powdered sugar and pasteurized egg whites. It's super creamy and fluffy, is perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes, and can be left at room temperature for up to 24 hours. 

Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients

This delicious frosting comes together with just 6 simple ingredients. No surprise here, there is a lot of butter in this "butter" cream recipe, so it's best to use high-quality butter. Unsalted butter is best for baking so that you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Just a pinch of salt will go a long way.

Many meringue-based frostings use eggs as a key ingredient. Pasteurized egg whites are heat treated and are safe to eat without cooking and normally come in a carton. If you only have fresh eggs, I suggest making my chocolate Swiss meringue recipe.

Making Chocolate Buttercream

1. Place the pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the bowl of your stand mixer. You MUST use pasteurized egg whites for this recipe, not raw. Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk) so they are safe to eat.
2. Attach the whisk attachment and mix on high for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
3. Add the vanilla, salt, and softened butter in small chunks. Whip on high until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. Once it tastes like ice cream and not butter, it’s done. You can also use a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer by hand, just mix for longer to get the right consistency.
4. To avoid curdled and separated buttercream, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into the whipping buttercream to bring it all together and make extra creamy frosting.
5. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for about 10 minutes to remove the air bubbles and create very smooth buttercream. This is optional but will make it extra creamy. This buttercream is stable at room temperature for 24 hours, will last refrigerated for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to 6 months. 

Using Chocolate Buttercream

• This recipe is great for frosting cupcakes. 2F and 1M piping tips are my favorite.
• This makes about 6 cups of frosting and is enough frosting to frost and fill two 8" x 2" cakes or three 6" x 2" cakes.
• This chocolate buttercream isn't very stable in high temperatures. I like to replace some of the butter with shortening to make it more stable, or use this recipe as a filling for my cakes, and frost the outside with chocolate ganache.

Tips For Success

• Is this your first time decorating a cake? Watch my free video tutorial on how to decorate a cake for the first time.
• Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients for the best results. Baking is a science!
• A stand mixer works best, but you can also use a hand-held electric mixer. If you use a hand-mixer then you may need to mix for longer to achieve the same consistency.
• Room temperature ingredients are important so that your ingredients mix together properly.

FAQ

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Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This chocolate frosting is an easy recipe that comes together in 20 minutes and tastes like chocolate ice cream! It's based on my easy mock-Swiss meringue vanilla buttercream and is perfect for frosting wedding cakes, filling birthday cakes, using under fondant, and swirling on cupcakes.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Calories 874kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 stand mixer with the whisk and paddle attachments

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites (¾ cup)
• 24 ounces powdered sugar (2 ½ cups)
• 3 ounces cocoa powder (⅓ cup)
• 24 ounces unsalted butter (2 ½ cups) softened
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Place the pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on high for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
• Add the vanilla, salt, and softened butter in small chunks and whip on high until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. Once it no longer tastes like butter, it’s done.
• If your buttercream looks curdled, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until it is barely melted. Pour it back into the whipping buttercream to bring it all together and make extra creamy frosting.
• Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for about 10 minutes to remove the air bubbles and create very smooth buttercream. This is optional but will make it extra creamy.

  This buttercream can be left at room temperature for 24 hours, refrigerated for up to two weeks, or frozen up to 6 months. 

Video

Notes

• You MUST use pasteurized egg whites for this recipe, if you don't have pasteurized egg whites then you can use my chocolate Swiss-meringue recipe instead. Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk) so they are safe to eat, raw egg whites are not. You can also pasteurize your own egg whites. 
• You can also use a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer by hand, just mix for longer to get the right consistency.
• After refrigerating or freezing, always re-whip your buttercream before use. I melt one cup of the buttercream and mix it back in while whipping on high to make it creamy again. 
• Instead of using cocoa powder, you can melt down about 4 ounces of real chocolate, cool it to about 80°F, and add it to your finished buttercream.
• If you want a more rich chocolate flavor, you can add more cocoa powder! You can also increase the powdered sugar for a sweeter frosting, but I wouldn't recommend adding less sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 874kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 2054IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

The post The BEST Chocolate Buttercream Frosting appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

I admit, for an embarrassingly long time, I did not know how to make classic cream cheese frosting. Every time I made it, it would get grainy and separate. I learned that the trick to making it super smooth is to use an electric hand mixer and have room-temperature ingredients.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

Use high-quality cream cheese (full-fat) for the richest flavor.

Use high-quality butter as well for that extra creamy flavor and consistency. The better the cream cheese and the butter you use, the better the cream cheese frosting will taste!

Sift your powdered sugar for super-smooth cream cheese frosting. I know, I hate sifting sugar too. But if you don't sift your sugar and you end up with lumps, there really isn't a way to get those lumps out.

Vanilla extract is the classic flavoring for cream cheese frosting, but I love how orange extract or lemon extract pairs with the tanginess of cream cheese.

Warming the Ingredients

• Cold does not like to mix with warm. So if you've got room temperature butter and cold cream cheese, you'll end up with a lumpy separated mess.
• Don't worry, it's easy to soften cream cheese pretty quickly. Cut your cream cheese into four cubes and place it onto a heat-safe plate. Microwave for 10 seconds and voila, softened cream cheese. 
• You can soften the butter the same way but only nuke for 10 seconds. Softened butter should be soft enough that you can leave an imprint on the surface of the butter.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

*THE SECRET TO MAKING SMOOTH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING* - Use an electric hand mixer or the whip attachment on your stand mixer, and mix on LOW speed. The whip creams together the frosting so much better than the paddle attachment so you get perfect fluffy, yet smooth, cream cheese frosting.

1. Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl and set it aside.
2. Add the softened butter to a large bowl and mix on low with an electric mixer until smooth and lump-free.
3. Next, add the softened cream cheese in small cubes and combine on low until smooth and completely homogenous.
4. Add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time. If you want to make your frosting thicker, add in an extra cup of powdered sugar.
5. Lastly, add in your extract and salt. A traditional vanilla flavor from vanilla extract goes well with cream cheese, but I love using orange extract or lemon extract for a unique taste.
6. This is enough frosting to frost and fill three 8″x2″ layers or 24 cupcakes. I used a piping bag with a 1M piping tip for these cupcakes.

Storage Tips

• Cakes with homemade cream cheese frosting must be refrigerated but can be left at room temperature for up to 4 hours without any risk.
• Leftover frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for a month or more.
• Bring frozen cream cheese frosting to room temperature and then re-whip before using it to bring it back to a smooth consistency.

FAQ

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Recipe

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Cream Cheese Frosting

How to make cream cheese frosting that is smooth, tangy, and very easy to make with simple ingredients. This is a sweet frosting compared to some traditional cream cheese frosting recipes, but not as sweet as most buttercream frostings. You can always adjust it to add more or less sugar depending on your preference.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Calories 92kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 electric hand mixer

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 16 ounces cream cheese (2 cups) softened and slightly warm
• 8 ounces unsalted butter (1 cup) softened and slightly warm
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange or lemon extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 36 ounces powdered sugar (8 cups) sifted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Warming the Ingredients

• Cold does not like to mix with warm. So if you've got room temperature butter and cold cream cheese, you'll end up with a lumpy and separated mess.
• Soften the cream cheese by cutting it into four cubes and microwaving it for about 15 seconds.
• Soften the butter by leaving it out for a few hours or cutting it into cubes and microwaving it for 10 seconds. Softened butter should be soft enough that you can leave an imprint on the surface of the butter with your finger.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

• *THE SECRET TO MAKING SMOOTH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING* - Use an electric hand mixer or the whip attachment on your stand mixer, and mix on LOW speed.
• Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl and set it aside.
• Add the softened butter to a large bowl and mix on low with an electric mixer until smooth and lump-free.
• Next, add the softened cream cheese in small cubes and combine on low until smooth and completely homogenous.
• Add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time. If you want to make your frosting thicker, add in an extra cup of powdered sugar.
• Lastly, add in your extract and salt. A traditional vanilla flavor from vanilla extract goes well with cream cheese, but I love using orange extract or lemon extract for a unique taste.
• This is enough frosting to frost and fill three 8″x2″ layers or 24 cupcakes. I used a piping bag with a 1M piping tip for these cupcakes.
• Cakes with homemade cream cheese frosting must be refrigerated but can be left at room temperature for up to 4 hours without any risk.

  Leftover frosting can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or frozen for a month or more.

Video

Notes

• Use high-quality cream cheese (full-fat) and the best butter. The better the cream cheese and the butter you use, the better tasting the cream cheese frosting will taste!
• Cream cheese frosting cannot be used under fondant, because it will melt the sugar in the fondant.
• This recipe will not crust, but if you're looking for a more stable frosting suitable for piping flowers or for use in stacked cakes, try my crusting cream cheese frosting recipe.
• You can add ½ cup of cocoa powder to make this recipe chocolate.
• You can tint cream cheese frosting using food color gels. Too many added liquids can break your frosting and make it too soft to use.

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz | Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 10mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Calcium: 7mg

The post Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Water ganache is ganache made with water instead of cream. The taste is still just as good but with no added dairy. You might make water ganache for a few reasons. Maybe you ran out of cream, maybe you have cottage laws in your area that prevent you from using fresh dairy. Maybe you're looking to make a vegan version of ganache. Whatever your reasons are, water ganache acts just the same as regular white chocolate ganache and is great for making those pretty drip cakes.

A long time ago, back when I was still Artisan Cake Company, I blogged about a very straight-forward recipe called water ganache for my heart of gold drip cake. I mostly made it just to show that ganache can be made with any type of liquid, not just water.

Even though people saw with their own eyes that you can make ganache with water, I would still get that question, "doesn't water seize the chocolate?"

So I decided to make a video demonstrating how cream actually acts very much like water in that it is mostly water with a very small amount of fat. If you were to add a little bit of cream to some melted chocolate it would seize up just as if you added a little water to the melted chocolate. The way you make it into "ganache" is by adding more water so that the liquid to chocolate ratio is correct.

How to make your drip cake gold

You can paint over ganache with metallic luster dust mixed with everclear or lemon extract or you can color your ganache with candy coloring made especially for adding color to chocolate. I like to add some yellow, orange and a touch of black to my chocolate to make a dirty brown color that resembles the tones of gold so if I miss a spot while painting, you can't really tell. Make sure you let your drip set in the fridge until firm before painting.

I like to use everclear because it is a high proof alcohol and evaporates very quickly, leaving behind a very high shine. Make sure when you are combining your alcohol with the metallic dust, you only add enough liquid to make a thick, paint-like consistency. If you add too much liquid you will not get good coverage. Also make sure the type of dust you are using is a high-shine. I like the super gold from truly mad plastics which is non-toxi and has the best shine in my opinion.

If you are looking for fully edible metallics check out the gold from rainbow dust metallics or edible artist decorative paints metallics.

Pink strawberry drip cake

I recently experimented with making strawberry buttercream using dehydrated strawberries for flavoring and really like the finish it gave my strawberry cake. I thought what better way to finish this off than with a pretty pink drip. I hardly ever color anything with just one color. To get this nice natural strawberry pink, I used pink chameleon colors from artisan accents with a touch of yellow. Doesn't it remind you of melting strawberry ice cream? Yum!

How to make a white chocolate ganache drip

The traditional way of making a ganache is to heat the cream until it is about to boil and then pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The cream softens the chocolate which you can then whisk and combine together to make ganache. This works really well with milk or dark chocolate but not as well with white chocolate ganache. The reason is that white chocolate isn't actually chocolate. It's just cream, sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla and in some cases other ingredients that act as stabilizers.

So if you where to use the same ratio of cream/white chocolate then your ganache would never set and would be very soupy. Some people say that a 4:1 ratio (four times as much white chocolate as cream) works but I prefer even less liquid for a drip.

• To make your white chocolate ganache all you have to do is measure out 6 oz of white chocolate (I prefer Guittard white chocolate wafers but wilton candy melts will also work great. Just avoid using white chocolate chips because they do not melt very well) and 1.5 oz of heavy whipping cream.
• Melt your white chocolate in a glass bowl either over a double boiler or in a microwave until softened. For me it was about a minute.
• Add in your heavy cream (room temp or warmed slightly in the microwave) and stir to combine and all chocolate is melted
• At this point you can color your ganache
• Wait until your ganache has cooled to about 95 degrees before you try to pipe it over your chilled cake or the drips might run too far down your cake.

How do you do a white chocolate ganache drip on a cake?

Some people like to use a spoon to put the ganache onto the cake but I find that I have more control if I use a piping bag or a bottle. You could even use a plastic bag with the tip cut off if you really had to. The key to making the ganache drip look really good to alternate big drips with little drips. This makes a really pretty pattern and looks very natural.

Once you get drips all the way around the cake, you can fill in the center with more ganache and then smooth it out with a spatula, completing that seamless drip look.

Easy drip cake ganache recipe using water

The process for making ganache with water instead of cream is basically the same. The only difference is you want to use slightly less water than cream. For my recipe, I use 6oz of Guittard white chocolate wafers and 1 oz of warm water and then stir until combined. I still let it cool to 90 degrees before piping. This is technically a 6:1 ratio so when it sets, it is very firm.

You could also use this ratio to make a white chocolate ganache for the outside of the cake.

You can color your water ganache the same way we colored the ganache made with cream. Store ganache in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to a year. Cakes that have ganache on them do not need to be refrigerated.

How to make a dairy-free water ganache

White chocolate (even melties) contain dairy. If you want your ganache to be 100% dairy-free then you would need to use dairy-free white chocolate. 

You can watch this video tutorial on how to make the different types of ganache for drip cakes including how to paint the drip gold.

Recipe

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Water Ganache Recipe

How to make water ganache using water instead of cream. Easy to do and tastes great! Can be used for making drip cakes or let it cool to peanut butter consistency and ice your cakes. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

cooling time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 7 oz

Calories 130kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

White Chocolate Water Ganache

• 6 oz white chocolate I prefer guittard white chocolate wafers
• 1 oz warm water

Dark Chocolate Water Ganache

• 6 oz chocolate I use guittard semi-sweet chocolate
• 1.5 oz warm water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instructions

• Melt your white chocolate in a glass bowl over a double boiler or in the microwave. Do not over-heat
• Stir in your water until combined and smooth. Add in colorings as desired. 
• Let cool to 90 degrees before piping onto the cake or if using to frost your cake, let thicken to peanut butter consistency before using. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 69mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post Water Ganache Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Royal icing is extremely versatile considering it's only made from egg whites, cream of tartar, powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla. You can thin it down for piping, glazing or flooding. I'm going to show you everything you need to know about how to make royal icing for cookies. 

How To Use Royal Icing

The thing that confuses most people about royal icing is that you depending on what you want to do, you'll have to adjust your royal icing consistency (how thick or thin it is). I know that sounds tricky but it's really not! In this video I show you exactly what you're looking for so that you'll be able to adjust your own icing on your first try.

All you need to make royal icing cookies is some bowls, spoons, piping tips, piping bags, a toothpick or cookie scribe for getting rid of bubbles, teaspoons and some water for thinning.

Why Does Royal Icing Have Cream Of Tartar?

Royal icing has cream of tartar added to help the recipe be more stable and nice and white. It's not totally necessary but you'll be happier with the final outcome if you use it. You can find cream of tartar in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

Thick Royal Icing

Thick royal icing is how your royal icing will look after you first mix it. SUPER stiff and pretty much unusable for anything but gluing together a gingerbread house or other 3D cookies. This is what most people get when they follow a royal icing recipe and then they don't understand why it's not thin and smooth. Let's talk about that.

After you make your batch of royal icing, typically you would then divide it according to what you're going to do. In general you'll use about 1 cup at a time (I just eyeball it). A little icing goes a long way.

Royal Icing For Outlining

This royal icing is best for making your outlines on your cookies. You still want it to be stiff but not so stiff you can't push it through a piping bag. Start with 1 cup of your stiff royal icing and add ½ teaspoon - ¾ teaspoon of water (see video) until you reach the glob consistency.

Royal Icing Glaze (Top Coating)

To get a smooth coat of royal icing, you'll want to add 1 ½ teaspoon - 2 teaspoon of water to your thick royal icing. Once you add a little water (a teaspoon or so) then your royal icing will be MUCH smoother. This is also called 15 second icing because when you spoon it back onto itself, it takes about 15 seconds for it to get flat (see video). At this stage you can spoon your royal icing onto a cookie, smooth it out and that's it. I like this consistency the most for quick glazing and I don't worry so much about outlining. This is the perfect consistency for beginners and kids.

Royal Icing for Flooding

Flooding royal icing is just means that the icing is so smooth and thin, you can flood an area with the royal icing and it will smooth itself. For this you will need to outline your cookie first so that the icing does not fall off the cookie. To make the flooding icing you'll add about 2tsp-3tsp of water to your thick royal icing until you get ribbons that become flat after about 10 seconds (see video).

I really like using flooding icing for making rainbow cookies, doing the wet on wet technique or just making fun designs. If you don't have piping bags and tips you can just use ziplock bags with the corners cut off and toss the whole thing when you're done for easy clean-up.

How Do You Get Rid Of Bubbles In Royal Icing?

You might notice a few bubbles in the surface of your royal icing. This can just come from the mixing process or maybe you whipped too much air into your royal icing when you where adding water. If that bothers you, you can use a toothpick or a cookie scribe to get rid of them. Just make quick little circle motions over the bubble until it pops. Do this right after you put the icing on the cookie otherwise it will start to set right away and then the bubbles will be stuck.

How Do I Fix Gaps In My Royal Icing?

If you have areas on your cookie where the icing did not go, you can use your toothpick or cookie scribe to gently push the royal icing to where you need it to be. You'll often see the pros doing this in those fun timelapse videos. Royal icing is very forgiving, you just need to put it in it's place... literally.

Why Do I Have Lumps In My Royal Icing?

You might have lumps or clumps in your icing if you didn't sift it first. If you don't have a sifter, you'll have to work around them but it can really affect how smooth your final cookie is. The other thing is you need to keep your royal icing covered with plastic wrap so you don't get dried crusties in your mix while you're working.

How Do I Color Royal Icing?

Coloring royal icing is super simple. You can use any food coloring you like but you don't need much. Start with one drop per cup and go from there. Make sure when you're adding your color you mix with a spoon and try not to add any air into your icing.

How Do I Fix Royal Icing That Is Too Thick?

If your royal icing is too thick, then continue adding water in ¼ teaspoon increments and testing for the glob or ribbon stage. Adding too much water will make it really thin.

How Do I Fix Royal Icing That Is Too Runny?

You can add sifted powdered sugar into your thin royal icing until it's as thick as you need it. It's much harder to fix thin royal icing though so it's best to try not to add too much water so you don't have that problem.

Watch the video below on how to make royal icing in the three different consistencies! If you have a question for me, leave it in the comments.

Should I Use Fresh Egg Whites or Meringue In My Royal Icing?

The short answer is, use whatever you feel comfortable with. It's not dangerous to eat raw egg whites in royal icing because of the chemistry between the eggs and the sugar. In this recipe we're actually using pasteurized egg whites which are heat treated. If you prefer to use meringue powder in place of egg whites, that is ok too. Two teaspoon of meringue powder plus two Tablespoons of water is equal to one egg white. One egg white weighs one ounce.

Recipe

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Royal Icing Recipe

Royal icing is exactly what you need for your hoilday baking needs including but not limited to gingerbread houses, and piping, flooding, and glazing Christmas cookies. Using egg whites, this royal icing dries hard and smooth. This recipe makes enough to cover 80 medium sized cookies!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 cups

Calories 905kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

• 32 ounces powdered sugar sifted
• 5 ounces pasteurized egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract substitute any flavor you desire

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Royal Icing Instructions

• First, combine your egg whites, sifted powdered sugar, and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attached. 
• Mix the ingredients on low to get them combined, and then bump up the speed to high (speed 5 on KitchenAid, speed 4 on the Bosch) for 1-2 minutes.
• Add in your vanilla extract and whip it until it’s white. There is no need to mix it for longer than 5 minutes. 
• Then, place the royal icing into a bowl or container with a lid. Your THICK royal icing is now ready to be thinned down to the consistency you desire!

Video

Notes

• How to Add Color to your Royal Icing: 
  • Start with one drop of food coloring per cup and then go from there. 
  • Make sure when you’re adding your color that you mix it with a spoon and try not to add any air into your icing.
• How to Outline Cookies with Royal Icing:
  • Start with 1 cup of the stiff royal icing you have prepared and then add ½ teaspoon – ¾ teaspoon of water until you reach a glob consistency (you can watch the video in my recipe for more guidance). 
• How to Flood Cookies with Royal Icing: 
  • For flooding your cookies with royal icing, you will need to outline your cookie first so that the icing does not fall off the cookie.
  • To make the flooding icing, you’ll add about 2tsp-3tsp of water to your thick royal icing until you get ribbons that become flat after about 10 seconds (for more guidance, you can watch the video in my recipe).
• How to Make Royal Icing Glaze
  • To get a smooth coat of royal icing, you’ll want to add 1 ½ teaspoon – 2 teaspoon of water to your thick royal icing.
  • Once you add a little water (about 1 teaspoon) to your icing, then your royal icing will be MUCH smoother.
  • This is also called 15-second icing because when you spoon it back onto itself, it takes about 15 seconds for it to get flat (see video below for more guidance).
    • At this stage, you can spoon your royal icing onto a cookie, smooth it out, and that’s it! I like this consistency the most for quick glazing and I don’t worry so much about outlining. This is the perfect consistency for beginners and kids!

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 50g | Calories: 905kcal | Carbohydrates: 227g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 61mg | Sugar: 221g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Iron: 0.7mg

The post Royal Icing appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.