Whether you’re new to the world of cookie decorating or an experienced pro, there’s one term you’ve undoubtedly heard before: royal icing. If you haven’t, think of the thick white goop that holds together gingerbread houses - that’s a mass-produced version of royal icing.
It dries to a smooth, hard finish that makes it perfect for intricate decorations like piping flowers, borders and other detailed designs. Royal icing dries quickly and forms a strong bond, which is equally handy for gingerbread building contractors and creating delicate details on sugar cookies.
A History of Royal Icing
The first written recipes for royal icing date back to the 1600s when it was known as “egg white” icing, because egg whites were the main ingredient in the original mixture. The icing shot to fame when it was used to decorate Queen Victoria’s wedding cake in 1840, and it quickly became a top choice for decorating confections for society events, where it earned a name change to “royal icing”.
Despite this regal association, the recipe for royal icing is pretty simple and requires just a few ingredients. Modern versions of royal icing typically replace the traditional egg white with a meringue powder made from dried egg whites, sugar, and stabilizers like cornstarch or cream of tartar to create a consistent final product. Additional ingredients include powdered sugar, water, and flavourings like vanilla extract or lemon juice.
Fixing Issues with Royal Icing
Bubbles
Royal icing needs to be whipped, which means bubbles are inevitable as air is incorporated into the mixture. Before bagging your icing, try covering the bowl and letting it rest for 10 to 15 minutes so that the bubbles rise to the surface. Then you can use a spoon or spatula to gently pop them.
Try a long-distance pour to eliminate some of the bubbles from the icing. Place a large, clean bowl in your kitchen sink and stand on a stool to increase your height. Hold your icing mixture high above the bowl and slowly pour it in a long stream to reduce bubbles.
Bubble Busting Pro Tip
Mix royal icing for exactly 6 minutes. Then, channel your inner cow girl! Get a firm grip on your icing bag, and swing it around like a lasso before you cut the end and begin to pipe.
Cracks and Craters
Cracks and craters in the royal icing are two of the most frustrating things you can see on your freshly-dried cookies. Cracking typically occurs when cookies are moved while the surface of the royal icing has dried, but the lower part of the layer that touches the cookies is still wet. Craters usually happen on secondary icing layers, not the initial flood; as the second layer of royal icing dries, the dry layer below it pulls moisture from the fresh icing and creates a dip.
Try not to move your cookies until they've completely dried, and make sure they're drying on a flat, stable surface. Add your second layer of icing when the first layer has just crusted over, waiting about 30 to 45 minutes between layers. If your first layer has already fully dried, you can use a scribe to carefully poke tiny holes in the area where you'll be adding a second layer of icing.
Once you've flooded your design and added your details, set your cookies on a tray and sit them in front of an oscillating fan to help speed up the drying process.
Smooth Finish Pro Tip
Use thicker icing. The less moisture content there is in your icing, the less moisture there is for layers to pull from each other. You can also pipe a squiggle of icing into the space that needs to be flooded to create a support for the royal icing.
Colour Bleeds
Colour bleeds happen when pigments from one icing colour bleed into another after a cookie is dry. There are a lot of factors that can cause bleeding, and a few key steps you can take to help minimize the risk.
Giving your cookies adequate drying time for each layer of royal icing is one of the most important things you can do to prevent colour bleeds, especially when working with overlapping colours. Using thicker icing consistency to outline sections of your cookie can also help to prevent bleeds.
It's also important to properly store any cookies you decorate with royal icing in air tight containers to avoid moisture from the air causing your colours to bleed. Using an oscillating fan during drying can also keep air moving and prevent moisture absorption that leads to bleeds.
Crisp Colours Pro Tip
Gel-based food colouring is more concentrated than liquid food colouring and can help stop bleeding by reducing the amount of moisture in your royal icing. Different brands of food colouring and variations in environmental humidity can all affect how royal icing behaves, so you might need to experiment with different techniques to figure out what works best in your climate.
Consistency
Understanding royal icing consistency is one of the trickiest and most impactful skills you can master when it comes to cookie decorating. There are so many guides and tricks out there for building these skills, but I find the best way is to experiment with lots of different styles until you perfect your own method.
Start with a small batch of royal icing and gradually add tiny amounts of water or powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency for each design application. Achieving perfect results takes practice, so don't be afraid to experiment and have fun with it!
Royal Icing Consistency Guide
Outline consistency: is thick and used for outlining shapes and details. When you lift your spatula or piping bag, the icing should hold its shape and form a soft peak that doesn't immediately collapse.
Flood consistency: is thinner than outline consistency and is used to fill shapes on your cookies. When you lift your piping bag, the icing should smoothly fall off and settle into a flat surface without leaving peaks.
Medium consistency: is the happy medium between the outline and flood consistencies and is used for adding details or layering. When you lift your piping bag, the icing should form a soft peak that starts to slightly bend or curl at the tip.
Stiff consistency: is the thickest type of royal icing and is used for creating intricate details that need to hold their shape like flowers. When you lift your piping bag, the icing should form stiff peaks that stand up straight without bending or curling.
How to Store Royal Icing
Room temperature: If you've already used the royal icing and have leftovers, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for a maximum of 2 to 3 weeks. Make sure the container is tightly sealed to prevent the icing from drying out.
Refrigerator: If you live in a humid climate or if you've added perishable ingredients to the royal icing (like fresh lemon juice), it's best to store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Freezer: Royal icing can be frozen for long term storage. Transfer it to an airtight container or sealable freezer bag and remove any excess air to prevent freezer burn. When you're ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and re-whip it the next day to restore its original consistency.
Simple Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients List
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 tablespoons water
Recipe Instructions
1. In a mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
2. Add the meringue powder to the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
3. Gradually add the water, one tablespoon at a time, while mixing with an electric mixer on low speed. Continue mixing until the icing is smooth and glossy.
4. Once all the water is added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat the icing for about 5 to 7 minutes until it forms stiff peaks.
5. If the icing is too thick, add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. If it's too thing, add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it thickens.
6. Once the icing reaches the desired consistency, it's ready to use for decorating cookies. If you're not using it immediately, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
This recipe makes a basic white royal icing. You can add food colouring to achieve different colours, or flavourings like vanilla extract or lemon juice for added flavour. Adjust the consistency as needed for outlining, flooding or detailing your cookies. Enjoy decorating!