What is the difference between icing and royal icing

We use marzipan on our Back to basics course. Also known as rolled fondant, roll out icing, Regal Ice or any of the other many brands available , covering paste and in South Africa it is known as plastic icing! This is the roll out icing you can use to cover cakes. You can also use it to top cupcakes and cookies. This comes in a rainbow of colours as well as classic white or you can create your own shades using concentrated paste or gel colours. We would not recommend using liquid colours changes the consistency or dust colours almost impossible to get an even mix.

Knead the icing to make it pliable and easy to roll out and dust surfaces with cornflour to prevent sticking. To learn how to achieve a really smooth, professional finish we have lots of courses including One Day Professional Cake Decorating. A very elastic and strong icing that can be coloured in the same way as Sugar Paste; it is perfect for making butterflies, flowers, stars etc because you can roll it finely and it holds its shape once dry.

The best way to dry your flower paste creations is on a foam sheet which allows air to easily circulate and dry evenly, preventing distortion. We recommend dusting the foam with a little cornflour to prevent sticking. Again you could make your own flower paste, but proprietary brands are far easier and give wonderful results.

This is a very strong but also very elastic paste; it is much more stretchy than flower paste. It is also a much whiter paste. I think of it as the 'Rolls Royce' of icings! Because it is so elastic you can roll it incredibly thinly quite literally as thin as a sheet of paper if wished.

I use Mexican paste when I am working with Patchwork cutters, it also works well in the smaller, more intricate moulds. When making clothes for models Mexican paste is the ideal choice. However, there is a distinction between the two. In broad terms, frosting is thick and fluffy, and is used to coat the outside and often the inner layers of a cake. Icing is thinner and glossier than frosting, and can be used as a glaze or for detailed decorating.

The most popular kinds of frosting are traditional or American buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, and and Italian meringue buttercream frosting.

Traditional or American buttercream frosting is the classic birthday cake frosting. It's made with a mixture of fluffy creamed butter , confectioners' sugar, a small amount of liquid usually milk and flavoring such as vanilla , coffee or raspberry. Cream cheese frosting is made the same way as traditional buttercream, but with some of the butter swapped out for tangy cream cheese. If you have added too much sugar, you can thin it with milk, cream or even water.

It is easy to adjust buttercream icing until it reaches your desired consistency. Buttercream icing is best for covering the cakes, cupcakes, cookies etc.

It is the primary glue between the fondant and cake. Royal icing, on the other hand, is used for piping intricate designs, creating letters and for gluing fondant or gum paste decorations to the surface of a cake, or for making flowers. It is ill-suited for covering cakes because it can crack on large or curvy areas.

Buttercream icing is not as finicky as royal icing. While the former has a good proportion of fats in it, Royal icing becomes soft when it comes in contact with grease or any kind of fat and loses its original candy like structure. Also, because of fats in it, buttercream icing provides a more luxuriant, rich flavor to the cakes that many prefer taste-wise over royal icing.

Storing royal icing is way easier than buttercream icing. Royal icing does not need refrigeration to remain fresh. In fact, it can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for two weeks.

If it is used to make flowers and other decorative designs, it can last for a month on normal room temperature. Buttercream has a sweet, creamy and buttery taste. It also has a soft and smooth texture and consistency that is ideal for covering cakes. It is also used as the main glue between a layer of fondant icing and cake. It is also important to note that buttercream has a short shelf life since it is made from dairy.

Once it is applied to a cake, it can remain in the room temperature environment for about two or three days. Unused buttercream can be kept for about two weeks if it is stored in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator. Other ingredients such as lemon, lime, and cream of tartar can also be added.