Icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or powdered sugar, is the most important ingredient you should have for making cake icing or icing. As the name implies, refined sugar has a very fine texture like flour and easily mixes with other ingredients. Want to make cake decorations but run out of powdered sugar? Do not worry! In fact, icing can still be made using refined sugar substitutes such as granulated sugar, brown sugar, and even wheat flour! Want to know the complete recipe? Read on for the article below!
Ingredients
Icing with Sugar
- 220 grams of sugar
- 1 tbsp. or 14 grams cornstarch (optional)
For: 440 grams of powdered sugar
Icing with Flour
- 5 tbsp. or 74 grams of wheat flour
- 237 ml. milk
- 220 grams of butter or cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 220 grams of sugar
- 2 tsp. or 10 ml. vanilla extract
Icing with Brown Sugar
- 220 grams of brown sugar
- 220 grams of refined sugar
- 118 ml. cream or evaporated milk
- 113 grams of butter
- 1 tsp. or 6 grams of baking powder
- 1 tsp. or 5 ml. vanilla extract
Icing with Meringue
- 330 grams of refined sugar
- 6 egg whites
- A pinch of salt
Step
Method 1 of 4: Making Icing with Sugar
Step 1. Choose the type of granulated sugar you want
If you have white sugar in your kitchen, use it. But if not, you can also use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar. Make sure you only use 220 grams of sugar for one recipe.
- In fact, ground refined sugar has the most similar texture to refined sugar.
- Do not grind more than 220 grams of sugar in one milling process; worry, you will not produce refined sugar with the right texture and consistency.
Step 2. If desired, add cornstarch
If the sugar is going to be stored for a long time, try combining granulated sugar and cornstarch; Cornstarch is effective in preventing sugar from clumping so that the texture and consistency will be maintained.
- If sugar is going to be used immediately, there is no need to add cornstarch.
- If you don't have too much cornstarch, just use 1 tsp. or 6 grams of flour.
Step 3. Process the sugar in a blender or food processor for 2 minutes
Add cornstarch if needed.
- You can also use a coffee grinder or cooking spices. Be careful though, as your powdered sugar will likely absorb the aroma of the coffee or the spices lingering in the grinder.
- It's best not to use a plastic blender. Although it's rare, it's possible that sugar crystals will damage the plastic surface of the blender.
- If you are using a blender or food processor that has multiple buttons, select the button that says “pulse” or “blend”.
Step 4. Stir the sugar with a spatula
Make sure you also stir the sugar at the bottom of the blender so there are no lumps.
Step 5. Reprocess the sugar for 2-3 minutes
After that, unplug the power cord in your blender or food processor and feel the texture of the sugar with your fingers. If necessary, process the sugar again until the texture is smooth and flour-like.
Sugar is ready to use when the texture is smooth, not lumpy, and resembles powdered sugar in general
Step 6. Sift the sugar into a bowl, stir again with a fork
Place the sieve on the surface of the bowl, then pour the sugar over it with the help of a spoon. Then, tap the sides of the sieve until all the sugar has transferred to the bowl.
- Sugar needs to be sifted so that the texture is lighter, smoother, and not lumpy.
- If you don't have a sieve, you can also use a tea strainer or stir the sugar with a balloon whisk.
Step 7. Use powdered sugar in your favorite icing recipes
Make buttercream or cream cheese icing for cake recipes, peanut butter or berry butter frosting for cupcake recipes, or royal icing for delicious cookies!
To make the simplest icing, you need to mix 220 grams of powdered sugar with 15 ml. milk and 1 ml. flavorings (such as vanilla extract, rum, or lemon juice)
Method 2 of 4: Making Icing with Flour
Step 1. Heat flour and milk over medium heat
While it's heating, make sure you keep stirring it until it has a thick, pudding-like texture. Remove the pan from the stove and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- This method can be used to make buttercream or cream cheese icing through the cooking process. Add butter to make a buttercream icing, and add cream cheese to make a cream cheese icing.
- The amount of icing in the recipe above can be used to decorate 24 cupcakes or 2 cakes with a diameter of 20 cm.
Step 2. Beat butter and sugar
In a medium bowl, beat the butter or cream cheese and sugar with a hand or sitting mixer. Do this process for 5 minutes or until the texture is smooth, soft, and thick.
If you don't have a sit-down mixer or a hand mixer, you can also beat it manually with the help of a dough mixer
Step 3. Mix flour mixture and butter mixture
After the flour and milk mixture has cooled, pour the vanilla extract into it. After that, mix the flour mixture with the butter mixture, then beat again on high speed for 6-8 minutes. If necessary, occasionally stir the bottom of the bowl so that the entire mixture is evenly mixed.
The dough is ready to use when all the ingredients are well mixed and the texture changes to resemble whipped cream
Step 4. Immediately apply icing
Spread buttercream or cream cheese icing on top of cakes, cupcakes, pancakes, or other desserts. You can also store it in the refrigerator for a few hours if you don't want to use it right away.
Icing can be stored overnight in the refrigerator. Before use, let the icing sit at room temperature first, then beat again until the consistency is soft
Method 3 of 4: Making Icing with Brown Sugar
Step 1. Beat sugar, cream and butter
Put the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, cook on medium heat. As it heats up, make sure you keep stirring the mixture so that the sugar doesn't burn and clump.
If you don't have cream, you can also use evaporated milk
Step 2. Bring the dough to a boil
After the mixture boils, set the timer for 2.5 minutes. While waiting for the time to finish, keep stirring the mixture until it boils. Remove the dough from the stove when the timer goes off.
Simmering the dough for 2.5 minutes is necessary for the sugar to caramelize
Step 3. Add baking powder and vanilla extract
Beat the dough on high speed using a hand mixer for 8 minutes or until the texture is smooth, creamy, and fairly thick; make sure the texture of the dough is not too thick so that it can be spread easily on the surface of the cake.
- The addition of baking powder is done to prevent the sugar from hardening.
- You can also beat the dough with a sitting mixer. Once the mixture boils, add the baking powder and vanilla and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Method 4 of 4: Making Icing with Meringue
Step 1. Mix all ingredients
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the sugar, egg whites, and sugar until smooth. Make sure you use a heatproof bowl as the dough will be cooked in a double-boiler method.
- If you have a sit-down mixer, you can immediately whisk all the ingredients in the mixer bowl.
- The salt in the recipe breaks down albumen (a substance contained in fresh eggs) so that the resulting icing doesn't smell or taste like raw egg.
Step 2. Cook the dough using the double-boiler technique
First, place a pot of water on the stove (make sure the water fills at least 5 cm. of the bottom of the pot). After that, bring the water to a boil over medium to high heat. Once the water boils, place the bowl of batter over the saucepan and make sure the bottom of the pot doesn't touch the surface of the water. Knead the dough for 7 minutes.
The dough is ready to use if the texture of the egg feels more fluid and is no longer raw
Step 3. Beat the dough
Remove the bowl from the pan and immediately beat the mixture on high speed for 5-10 minutes or until the icing mixture is thick and creamy.
