COOKIE FROSTING THE WAY I ACTUALLY MAKE IT
Let Me Just Start By Telling You Something
I have been doing this for twenty years now
Twenty years
And I still mess up sometimes
Last week I was making buttercream for my daughter’s birthday and I was in such a hurry to pick her up from school that I dumped everything in the mixer and walked away
When I came back and tasted it I almost cried
I forgot the salt
It was so sweet it made my teeth hurt
I had to add salt and re-whip it and it took me an extra twenty minutes
So do not feel bad when you mess up
Even people who have been doing this for two decades still mess up
The difference is we know how to fix it
And that is what I am going to teach you today
The One Thing Nobody Tells You About Frosting
There is no one frosting that works for everything
I know you want me to just give you one recipe and send you on your way
But that is not how it works
You have to choose based on what you are trying to do
If you are going to eat the cookies today and you want them to taste amazing, use buttercream
If you need to pack them in a box and send them across town without them getting ruined, use royal icing
If you are in a hurry and you just want something shiny on top that takes almost no time, use the glaze
I am going to teach you all three
Then you can decide which one you need for what you are doing
Buttercream: The One I Use When I Want People To Be Happy
I will be straight with you
Buttercream is the frosting I use most of the time
Because it tastes the best
People love it
It makes everything better
But you have to make it right
And most people do not
What You Need For Buttercream
Let me tell you what to get out of your fridge and cabinets
- One cup of unsalted butter
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- A quarter cup of heavy cream
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- A quarter teaspoon of salt
That is it
Five things
And how you put them tther matters more than what they are
About The Butter
You need unsalted butter
Not salted
I cannot say this enough
If you use salted butter your frosting will taste salty and there is nothing you can do to fix it
You cannot balance it out
It will just taste wrong
So buy unsalted butter
The butter also needs to be room temperature
And let me tell you what that actually means because nobody ever explains it properly
It means you take the butter out of the fridge one hour before you start
Not ten minutes
Not twenty minutes
One full hour
When you press your finger into it, it should leave a dent
If your finger goes straight through like the butter is melting, it is too warm
If your finger meets resistance and the butter is still hard, it is too cold
Too cold and your frosting will have lumps
Too warm and your frosting will be runny
There is a small window and you have to get it right
About The Powdered Sugar
You need to sift it
I know everyone hates sifting
I know it is messy
I know it takes extra time
But you have to do it
Why, because powdered sugar has lumps
Those lumps will not dissolve when you mix
They will stay in your frosting and they will clog your piping tip
When you are decorating the forty-seventh cookie and your tip clogs
You will want to throw everything in the bin and give up
So just sift the sugar
It takes two minutes and it saves you twenty minutes of frustration
About The Heavy Cream
A quarter cup
If you do not have heavy cream you can use whole milk
If you do not have whole milk you can use what you have
But heavy cream gives you the richest texture and the best mouthfeel
About The Vanilla Extract
Real vanilla extract
Not imitation vanilla
Not the brown stuff in the bottle that says vanilla flavor
Imitation vanilla tastes like chemicals
It will ruin your frosting
I know real vanilla is expensive
I know it hurts to spend that much on a little bottle
But this is one of those places where the difference is obvious
People will notice
About The Salt
Do not skip this
I used to skip salt when I first started cooking
I thought salt was only for savory food
My frosting always tasted like pure sugar and I did not know why
Then I learned that salt balances sweetness
Without it your frosting tastes flat and boring
So add the salt
It is such a small thing but it makes such a big difference
How I Actually Make Buttercream
Let me walk you through it step by step
First, get your butter ready
Take it out of the fridge one hour before you start
Leave it on the counter
Do not microwave it
I know you are tempted
I know you have done it before
But microwaved butter melts unevenly
You will have some parts melted and some parts still cold
Your frosting will be a mess
So just be patient and leave it on the counter
Second, whip the butter
Put the butter in your mixing bowl
If you have a stand mixer use the paddle attachment
If you have a hand mixer that works too
If you have nothing but a wooden spoon you are going to work hard but it is possible
Turn the mixer on medium speed
Beat the butter for three full minutes
Set a timer because three minutes is longer than you think
Most people stop after thirty seconds
Scrape down the sides of the bowl once halfway through
What you are doing is putting air into the butter
You are creating tiny air bubbles that will make your frosting light and fluffy
The butter should turn pale
Almost white
If it still looks yellow and dense you have not gone long enough
Third, add the sugar
Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed
The absolute lowest
Add your sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time
Mix until each cup is just incorporated before adding the next
Do not dump all the sugar in at once
I have done that
I ended up wearing half of it
I was cleaning sugar off my cabinets for days
So one cup at a time on low speed
Fourth, add the liquid and flavor
Once all the sugar is in, add your vanilla, your salt, and half of your cream
Turn the mixer up to medium
Let it go
It will look dry and crumbly at this point
Do not panic
That is normal
Add the rest of your cream gradually until it loosens up to the consistency you want
Fifth, the final whip
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Let it go for two more minutes
This is what makes it fluffy
When you lift your spatula, the frosting should hold its shape
If it droops, add more sugar
If it is too stiff, add more cream
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your frosting is too stiff
Add cream one teaspoon at a time
Just one teaspoon
Mix and check
Keep going until it loosens up
If your frosting is too runny
Add more powdered sugar
Half a cup at a time
Sift it first before you add it
If your frosting has lumps
Put the whole bowl in the microwave for ten seconds
Just ten
Then stir vigorously
The lumps should dissolve
If they do not, you have to pass the frosting through a sieve
It is annoying but it works
If your frosting tastes grainy
The sugar did not dissolve properly
Microwave for ten seconds
Then whip it again on high speed for a minute
The heat and the friction will dissolve the sugar crystals
If your frosting tastes too sweet
Add more salt
A pinch at a time
Until the sweetness balances out
If your frosting tastes like nothing
You probably used imitation vanilla
There is no fix for this except to start over
That is why I keep telling you to use real vanilla
When You Should Use Buttercream
Use buttercream when you are serving cookies the same day
When you want people to bite into the cookie and say wow
When you are piping borders or flowers or any kind of decorative work
Do not use buttercream if you need to stack cookies
It stays soft
It will stick to the cookie above it
You will open the box and all your decorations will be ruined
The Quick Glaze: For When You Are In A Hurry
Let me be honest with you
There are days when I have to make a hundred cookies
And I do not have time to mess around with piping bags and fancy designs
That is when I use this glaze
It is fast
It is simple
It dries with a shine that looks expensive
And it is forgiving
If you mess up the consistency you can fix it easily
What You Need For The Glaze
- Three cups of powdered sugar
- Four to six tablespoons of warm water
- Three tablespoons of light corn syrup
- One teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract
- Gel food coloring if you want color
About The Ingredients
The powdered sugar
Sift it
I know you are tired of hearing this
But just sift it
The warm water
Warm water dissolves the sugar better than cold
It helps everything come tther smoothly
The corn syrup
This is what gives you the shine
Without it your glaze looks dull and matte
Do not skip it
The extract
Vanilla is standard
But almond extract gives a beautiful flavor
Especially on sugar cookies
The food coloring
Use gel coloring
Not liquid
Liquid coloring thins out your glaze and ruins the consistency
Gel is concentrated and works perfectly
How I Actually Make The Glaze
First, combine the dry ingredients
Put your sifted sugar and corn syrup in a medium bowl
Whisk them tther
The corn syrup is sticky and annoying
But just keep whisking until it comes tther
Second, add the water
Add two tablespoons of warm water
Whisk until smooth
Add more water gradually until you get the right consistency
Here is how you test it
Lift your whisk
The glaze should fall in a ribbon
It should disappear back into the mixture within about five seconds
If it is too thick add more water a drop at a time
If it is too thin add more sugar
Third, add the flavor and color
Stir in your extract
If you are using color, add it now with a toothpick
Dip the toothpick in the gel
Swirl it into the glaze
A tiny bit goes a long way
Mix and check the color
You can always add more but you cannot take it away
The Fast Way To Glaze Cookies
Instead of spreading the glaze on each cookie with a knife
I dip them
It is so much faster
Hold the cookie by the edges
Dip the top surface into the glaze
Lift it out
Let the excess drip off for a few seconds
Place it on a wire rack to dry
While the glaze is still wet, use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles
You can also sprinkle decorations on top while it is wet
Once it dries, decorations will not stick
You can glaze fifty cookies in about fifteen minutes this way
But be warned
Your work surface will be covered in glaze
Put parchment paper down before you start
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your glaze is too thick
Add warm water one drop at a time
Literally one drop
This stuff changes consistency fast
If your glaze is too thin
Sift in more powdered sugar
A quarter cup at a time
If your glaze is not shiny
You forgot the corn syrup
There is no replacement for it
If your glaze cracks after drying
Your cookies were too warm when you glazed them
Let them cool completely next time
If your glaze has streaks
Your food coloring was not mixed properly
Add a few drops of water
Whisk vigorously until smooth
When You Should Use Glaze
Use glaze when you are in a rush
When you need a fast finish
When you want a shiny look
When you need to stack cookies because the glaze dries firm
Use it for school bake sales
For teacher gifts
For anything that needs to survive being transported
Royal Icing: The One That Scares People
I am going to be honest with you
Royal icing intimidates people
And I understand why
You see those beautiful cookies on Instagram
Perfect lines
Flawless flooding
You think it is impossible
But it is not impossible
It is just technique
And it is easier than you think
What You Need For Royal Icing
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- Three tablespoons of meringue powder
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla or lemon extract
- Half to three quarters of a cup of warm water
About The Ingredients
The meringue powder
Traditional royal icing uses raw egg whites
I do not use raw egg whites in my kitchen
I have been cooking for over twenty years
I have never once used raw eggs
Meringue powder is safer
It is more stable
It actually works better than raw egg whites
You can find it in the baking aisle near the frosting supplies
The powdered sugar
Sift it
I am not going to stop saying this
The extract
Lemon is traditional
It gives a beautiful bright flavor
But vanilla works well too
How I Actually Make Royal Icing
First, combine the dry ingredients
Put your sifted sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of your stand mixer
Use the paddle attachment
Give them a quick whisk with a fork
Just to combine them
Second, add the water
Add your water and extract
Start with half a cup
Turn the mixer on low
Let it run for one minute
The mixture will look like a thick paste
Scrape down the sides of the bowl
Third, whip until stiff peaks
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Let it run for five to seven minutes
Watch it change
It will go from a thick paste to a glossy pillowy mass
Here is how you test it
Lift the paddle
The icing should form a peak that does not droop
The tip of the peak should fold over just slightly
But it should not fall over
That is stiff peak
Fourth, adjust the consistency
The stiff icing is perfect for piping outlines
But for flooding you need it thinner
To thin the icing, add water a few drops at a time
Stir and check
Here is the test I use
Drag a knife through the icing
The line should disappear back into the icing within ten seconds
If it takes longer add more water
If it disappears too fast add more sugar
The Technique That Actually Works
This is how I decorated four hundred cookies for a wedding in Benin City and did not lose my mind
First, pipe the outline
Fill a piping bag with your stiff royal icing
Use a small round tip
Trace the outline of your cookie right along the edge
This outline acts like a dam
It holds the thinner icing inside
Second, let it set
Wait ten minutes
Let that outline set
Do not rush this
If you flood too soon the icing will spill over the edge
Third, thin the remaining icing
Add a few drops of water to the rest of your icing
It should be runny enough to flow on its own
Fill a squeeze bottle with this thinner icing
Fourth, flood the center
Squeeze the thinner icing into the center of the cookie
It will naturally flow toward the edges
Use a toothpick to guide it gently
Pop any air bubbles you see
Fifth, let it dry completely
This is the most important step
Royal icing takes time to dry
Leave your cookies somewhere they will not be disturbed
At least six hours
I prefer to leave them overnight
If you move them too soon your designs will smear
And you will have to start over
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your icing is too stiff
Add water a few drops at a time
Mix well before adding more
If your icing is too thin
Add more powdered sugar
Sift it first
If your icing dries with a grey tint
You over-whipped it
Next time stop as soon as you reach stiff peaks
For this batch, add a tiny drop of white gel food coloring
It will brighten it back up
If your icing cracks after drying
Your cookie was moving while the icing set
Make sure your cookies are on a stable surface
Also make sure your icing is not too stiff before you pipe
If your flooding icing spilled over the edge
Your outline was not thick enough
Use a thicker line next time
Or you flooded too soon
Wait longer for the outline to set
When You Should Use Royal Icing
Use royal icing for intricate designs
For dots, lines, lace patterns
For cookies that need to be stacked in boxes
For cookies that need to survive transportation
Do not use it if you want a rich flavor
Royal icing tastes like sugar
The flavor is not the point
The durability is the point
Cream Cheese Frosting: The One People Forget
I do not see enough people using cream cheese frosting on cookies
And I think that is a shame
On gingerbread cookies
On oatmeal cookies
On pumpkin spice cookies
Cream cheese frosting is divine
The tanginess cuts through the spice
It balances everything out
What You Need For Cream Cheese Frosting
- Half a cup of unsalted butter
- Eight ounces of full-fat cream cheese
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- Half a teaspoon of salt
About The Ingredients
The cream cheese
Buy full-fat cream cheese
Do not buy low-fat
Do not buy non-fat
The water content in low-fat cream cheese will make your frosting runny
And sad
Full fat only
And it needs to be at room temperature
The butter
Unsalted
At room temperature
Everything else
Sift the sugar
You know the drill by now
How I Actually Make Cream Cheese Frosting
First, cream the butter and cream cheese
Put your butter and cream cheese in the mixing bowl
Beat them tther on medium speed for about two minutes
You want a smooth lump-free mixture
Scrape down the sides of the bowl
This is your base
It needs to be properly combined before you add anything else
Second, add the sugar
Turn your mixer down to low
Add the sugar gradually
One cup at a time
The mixture will look dry and crumbly at first
That is normal
Keep going
Once all the sugar is incorporated, add your vanilla and salt
Third, the final beat
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Beat for one to two minutes
The frosting should become light and fluffy and spreadable
Here is the important part
Do not overbeat it
Overbeating makes it runny
Stop as soon as it looks smooth
A Warning About Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting must be kept refrigerated
I have seen people leave cream cheese-frosted cookies out on a buffet table for hours
Then they wonder why everyone got sick
Do not be that person
If it has cream cheese in it, it goes in the fridge
When You Should Use Cream Cheese Frosting
Use cream cheese frosting on gingerbread cookies
On oatmeal cookies
On pumpkin spice cookies
On carrot cake cookies
Anywhere you want a tangy counterpoint to sweet and spicy
Variations I Have Come Up With Over The Years
I have been doing this for a long time
I have learned how to change things up
So the frosting is never boring
Lemon Buttercream
Zest a lemon into the butter before you start mixing
Replace the vanilla with lemon extract
Add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Reduce the cream by the same amount
It gives you a bright citrusy frosting
Perfect for spring
Chocolate Buttercream
Sift half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in with the sugar
You might need an extra tablespoon or two of cream
To get the consistency right
For a richer chocolate flavor, melt four ounces of dark chocolate
Let it cool
Mix it in instead of the cocoa powder
Salted Caramel Glaze
Replace the water in your glaze with strong black tea
It adds depth
Add two tablespoons of caramel sauce to the glaze
After you dip your cookies, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top
Do it while the glaze is still wet
Mint Royal Icing
Replace the vanilla with peppermint extract
Use a tiny amount
Peppermint extract is potent
A little goes a long way
Add a drop of green gel coloring
For a festive look
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Replace half the powdered sugar with honey
Adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar
It gives a rich floral note
Beautiful on shortbread
Tips I Have Learned The Hard Way
Let me share some things I wish someone had told me years ago
Temperature Control
Temperature matters more than anything else
If your butter is too cold your frosting is lumpy
If your butter is too warm your frosting is runny
If your kitchen is too hot your buttercream will melt
I always take my butter out forty-five minutes to an hour before I start
And if my kitchen is warm I pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes
Sifting Your Sugar
Sift your sugar
I know I keep saying it
I am going to keep saying it
Un-sifted powdered sugar has lumps
Those lumps will clog your piping tip
When you are decorating the forty-seventh cookie and your tip clogs
You will want to throw everything in the bin
Save yourself the frustration
Cooling Your Cookies
Cool your cookies completely before you frost them
I do not care if they smell amazing
I do not care if your children are begging for one
Warm cookies will melt your frosting
It will thin out and slide off the sides
If you are in a rush, put the cookies in the fridge for ten minutes
Practicing On Paper
Practice on paper first if you are trying a new design
Make your mistakes where nobody can see them
Practice on parchment paper before you touch your cookies
Storing Frosting Properly
Different frostings need different storage
Buttercream keeps in the fridge for a week
Let it come to room temperature and re-whip before using
Glaze keeps at room temperature for two days if covered tightly
Royal icing is best used immediately
You can store it in a sealed container for a day
Cream cheese frosting goes in the fridge
It needs to be used within three days
Decorating Techniques I Use Every Day
Let me share some techniques that will make your decorating look professional
Piping
Hold your piping bag in the middle, not at the top
Squeeze from the top
Twist the open end so the frosting is forced down toward the tip
Apply even pressure for straight lines
Flooding
The squeeze bottle is your best friend for flooding
Fill it with thinned icing
Squeeze into the center of the cookie
It gives you amazing control
The Toothpick Trick
A toothpick is your best tool for flooding
Use it to guide the frosting toward the edges
Pop air bubbles
Swirl colors tther for a marbled effect
The Crumb Coat
If your cookie is crumbly and pieces are breaking off
Apply a thin layer of frosting first
Let it dry for fifteen minutes
Then apply your main layer
The first layer catches the crumbs
Your final layer stays clean
My Final Words To You
There is no best frosting in the world
There is only the right frosting for what you are doing
If you are serving cookies fresh use buttercream because it tastes the best
If you are stacking cookies in a box use royal icing because it survives the journey
If you are in a rush use the glaze because it is fast and it works
And if something goes wrong do not panic
Every caterer I know has messed up frosting at some point
I have had frosting run off cookies
I have had frosting crack
I have had frosting that was so sweet it made my teeth hurt
It happens to all of us
The difference between a home baker and a professional is not that the professional never makes mistakes
We all make mistakes
The difference is that the professional knows how to fix them
And does not cry over a bowl of ruined frosting
Now I want to hear from you
What kind of cookies are you planning to frost
Sugar cookies, gingerbread, shortbread, something else
Tell me in the comments and I will give you specific advice for that type of cookie
And if you have any problems with your frosting I want you to ask me
I respond to every comment
I am always happy to help
I have seen it all and I know how to fix it
That is one of the things I love about sharing my knowledge
I get to help people avoid the mistakes I made
And when you succeed with your cookies I want to hear about it
Tag me on Instagram or send me a message
I love seeing what people create
Cooking is about community
I really believe that we are all in this tther
So go and bake some cookies
Make some beautiful frosting
Share them with people you love
ThCOOKIE FROSTING THE WAY I ACTUALLY MAKE IT
Let Me Just Start By Telling You Something
I have been doing this for twenty years now
Twenty years
And I still mess up sometimes
Last week I was making buttercream for my daughter’s birthday and I was in such a hurry to pick her up from school that I dumped everything in the mixer and walked away
When I came back and tasted it I almost cried
I forgot the salt
It was so sweet it made my teeth hurt
I had to add salt and re-whip it and it took me an extra twenty minutes
So do not feel bad when you mess up
Even people who have been doing this for two decades still mess up
The difference is we know how to fix it
And that is what I am going to teach you today
The One Thing Nobody Tells You About Frosting
There is no one frosting that works for everything
I know you want me to just give you one recipe and send you on your way
But that is not how it works
You have to choose based on what you are trying to do
If you are going to eat the cookies today and you want them to taste amazing, use buttercream
If you need to pack them in a box and send them across town without them getting ruined, use royal icing
If you are in a hurry and you just want something shiny on top that takes almost no time, use the glaze
I am going to teach you all three
Then you can decide which one you need for what you are doing
Buttercream: The One I Use When I Want People To Be Happy
I will be straight with you
Buttercream is the frosting I use most of the time
Because it tastes the best
People love it
It makes everything better
But you have to make it right
And most people do not
What You Need For Buttercream
Let me tell you what to get out of your fridge and cabinets
- One cup of unsalted butter
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- A quarter cup of heavy cream
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- A quarter teaspoon of salt
That is it
Five things
And how you put them tther matters more than what they are
About The Butter
You need unsalted butter
Not salted
I cannot say this enough
If you use salted butter your frosting will taste salty and there is nothing you can do to fix it
You cannot balance it out
It will just taste wrong
So buy unsalted butter
The butter also needs to be room temperature
And let me tell you what that actually means because nobody ever explains it properly
It means you take the butter out of the fridge one hour before you start
Not ten minutes
Not twenty minutes
One full hour
When you press your finger into it, it should leave a dent
If your finger goes straight through like the butter is melting, it is too warm
If your finger meets resistance and the butter is still hard, it is too cold
Too cold and your frosting will have lumps
Too warm and your frosting will be runny
There is a small window and you have to get it right
About The Powdered Sugar
You need to sift it
I know everyone hates sifting
I know it is messy
I know it takes extra time
But you have to do it
Why, because powdered sugar has lumps
Those lumps will not dissolve when you mix
They will stay in your frosting and they will clog your piping tip
When you are decorating the forty-seventh cookie and your tip clogs
You will want to throw everything in the bin and give up
So just sift the sugar
It takes two minutes and it saves you twenty minutes of frustration
About The Heavy Cream
A quarter cup
If you do not have heavy cream you can use whole milk
If you do not have whole milk you can use what you have
But heavy cream gives you the richest texture and the best mouthfeel
About The Vanilla Extract
Real vanilla extract
Not imitation vanilla
Not the brown stuff in the bottle that says vanilla flavor
Imitation vanilla tastes like chemicals
It will ruin your frosting
I know real vanilla is expensive
I know it hurts to spend that much on a little bottle
But this is one of those places where the difference is obvious
People will notice
About The Salt
Do not skip this
I used to skip salt when I first started cooking
I thought salt was only for savory food
My frosting always tasted like pure sugar and I did not know why
Then I learned that salt balances sweetness
Without it your frosting tastes flat and boring
So add the salt
It is such a small thing but it makes such a big difference
How I Actually Make Buttercream
Let me walk you through it step by step
First, get your butter ready
Take it out of the fridge one hour before you start
Leave it on the counter
Do not microwave it
I know you are tempted
I know you have done it before
But microwaved butter melts unevenly
You will have some parts melted and some parts still cold
Your frosting will be a mess
So just be patient and leave it on the counter
Second, whip the butter
Put the butter in your mixing bowl
If you have a stand mixer use the paddle attachment
If you have a hand mixer that works too
If you have nothing but a wooden spoon you are going to work hard but it is possible
Turn the mixer on medium speed
Beat the butter for three full minutes
Set a timer because three minutes is longer than you think
Most people stop after thirty seconds
Scrape down the sides of the bowl once halfway through
What you are doing is putting air into the butter
You are creating tiny air bubbles that will make your frosting light and fluffy
The butter should turn pale
Almost white
If it still looks yellow and dense you have not gone long enough
Third, add the sugar
Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed
The absolute lowest
Add your sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time
Mix until each cup is just incorporated before adding the next
Do not dump all the sugar in at once
I have done that
I ended up wearing half of it
I was cleaning sugar off my cabinets for days
So one cup at a time on low speed
Fourth, add the liquid and flavor
Once all the sugar is in, add your vanilla, your salt, and half of your cream
Turn the mixer up to medium
Let it go
It will look dry and crumbly at this point
Do not panic
That is normal
Add the rest of your cream gradually until it loosens up to the consistency you want
Fifth, the final whip
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Let it go for two more minutes
This is what makes it fluffy
When you lift your spatula, the frosting should hold its shape
If it droops, add more sugar
If it is too stiff, add more cream
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your frosting is too stiff
Add cream one teaspoon at a time
Just one teaspoon
Mix and check
Keep going until it loosens up
If your frosting is too runny
Add more powdered sugar
Half a cup at a time
Sift it first before you add it
If your frosting has lumps
Put the whole bowl in the microwave for ten seconds
Just ten
Then stir vigorously
The lumps should dissolve
If they do not, you have to pass the frosting through a sieve
It is annoying but it works
If your frosting tastes grainy
The sugar did not dissolve properly
Microwave for ten seconds
Then whip it again on high speed for a minute
The heat and the friction will dissolve the sugar crystals
If your frosting tastes too sweet
Add more salt
A pinch at a time
Until the sweetness balances out
If your frosting tastes like nothing
You probably used imitation vanilla
There is no fix for this except to start over
That is why I keep telling you to use real vanilla
When You Should Use Buttercream
Use buttercream when you are serving cookies the same day
When you want people to bite into the cookie and say wow
When you are piping borders or flowers or any kind of decorative work
Do not use buttercream if you need to stack cookies
It stays soft
It will stick to the cookie above it
You will open the box and all your decorations will be ruined
The Quick Glaze: For When You Are In A Hurry
Let me be honest with you
There are days when I have to make a hundred cookies
And I do not have time to mess around with piping bags and fancy designs
That is when I use this glaze
It is fast
It is simple
It dries with a shine that looks expensive
And it is forgiving
If you mess up the consistency you can fix it easily
What You Need For The Glaze
- Three cups of powdered sugar
- Four to six tablespoons of warm water
- Three tablespoons of light corn syrup
- One teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract
- Gel food coloring if you want color
About The Ingredients
The powdered sugar
Sift it
I know you are tired of hearing this
But just sift it
The warm water
Warm water dissolves the sugar better than cold
It helps everything come tther smoothly
The corn syrup
This is what gives you the shine
Without it your glaze looks dull and matte
Do not skip it
The extract
Vanilla is standard
But almond extract gives a beautiful flavor
Especially on sugar cookies
The food coloring
Use gel coloring
Not liquid
Liquid coloring thins out your glaze and ruins the consistency
Gel is concentrated and works perfectly
How I Actually Make The Glaze
First, combine the dry ingredients
Put your sifted sugar and corn syrup in a medium bowl
Whisk them tther
The corn syrup is sticky and annoying
But just keep whisking until it comes tther
Second, add the water
Add two tablespoons of warm water
Whisk until smooth
Add more water gradually until you get the right consistency
Here is how you test it
Lift your whisk
The glaze should fall in a ribbon
It should disappear back into the mixture within about five seconds
If it is too thick add more water a drop at a time
If it is too thin add more sugar
Third, add the flavor and color
Stir in your extract
If you are using color, add it now with a toothpick
Dip the toothpick in the gel
Swirl it into the glaze
A tiny bit goes a long way
Mix and check the color
You can always add more but you cannot take it away
The Fast Way To Glaze Cookies
Instead of spreading the glaze on each cookie with a knife
I dip them
It is so much faster
Hold the cookie by the edges
Dip the top surface into the glaze
Lift it out
Let the excess drip off for a few seconds
Place it on a wire rack to dry
While the glaze is still wet, use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles
You can also sprinkle decorations on top while it is wet
Once it dries, decorations will not stick
You can glaze fifty cookies in about fifteen minutes this way
But be warned
Your work surface will be covered in glaze
Put parchment paper down before you start
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your glaze is too thick
Add warm water one drop at a time
Literally one drop
This stuff changes consistency fast
If your glaze is too thin
Sift in more powdered sugar
A quarter cup at a time
If your glaze is not shiny
You forgot the corn syrup
There is no replacement for it
If your glaze cracks after drying
Your cookies were too warm when you glazed them
Let them cool completely next time
If your glaze has streaks
Your food coloring was not mixed properly
Add a few drops of water
Whisk vigorously until smooth
When You Should Use Glaze
Use glaze when you are in a rush
When you need a fast finish
When you want a shiny look
When you need to stack cookies because the glaze dries firm
Use it for school bake sales
For teacher gifts
For anything that needs to survive being transported
Royal Icing: The One That Scares People
I am going to be honest with you
Royal icing intimidates people
And I understand why
You see those beautiful cookies on Instagram
Perfect lines
Flawless flooding
You think it is impossible
But it is not impossible
It is just technique
And it is easier than you think
What You Need For Royal Icing
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- Three tablespoons of meringue powder
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla or lemon extract
- Half to three quarters of a cup of warm water
About The Ingredients
The meringue powder
Traditional royal icing uses raw egg whites
I do not use raw egg whites in my kitchen
I have been cooking for over twenty years
I have never once used raw eggs
Meringue powder is safer
It is more stable
It actually works better than raw egg whites
You can find it in the baking aisle near the frosting supplies
The powdered sugar
Sift it
I am not going to stop saying this
The extract
Lemon is traditional
It gives a beautiful bright flavor
But vanilla works well too
How I Actually Make Royal Icing
First, combine the dry ingredients
Put your sifted sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of your stand mixer
Use the paddle attachment
Give them a quick whisk with a fork
Just to combine them
Second, add the water
Add your water and extract
Start with half a cup
Turn the mixer on low
Let it run for one minute
The mixture will look like a thick paste
Scrape down the sides of the bowl
Third, whip until stiff peaks
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Let it run for five to seven minutes
Watch it change
It will go from a thick paste to a glossy pillowy mass
Here is how you test it
Lift the paddle
The icing should form a peak that does not droop
The tip of the peak should fold over just slightly
But it should not fall over
That is stiff peak
Fourth, adjust the consistency
The stiff icing is perfect for piping outlines
But for flooding you need it thinner
To thin the icing, add water a few drops at a time
Stir and check
Here is the test I use
Drag a knife through the icing
The line should disappear back into the icing within ten seconds
If it takes longer add more water
If it disappears too fast add more sugar
The Technique That Actually Works
This is how I decorated four hundred cookies for a wedding in Benin City and did not lose my mind
First, pipe the outline
Fill a piping bag with your stiff royal icing
Use a small round tip
Trace the outline of your cookie right along the edge
This outline acts like a dam
It holds the thinner icing inside
Second, let it set
Wait ten minutes
Let that outline set
Do not rush this
If you flood too soon the icing will spill over the edge
Third, thin the remaining icing
Add a few drops of water to the rest of your icing
It should be runny enough to flow on its own
Fill a squeeze bottle with this thinner icing
Fourth, flood the center
Squeeze the thinner icing into the center of the cookie
It will naturally flow toward the edges
Use a toothpick to guide it gently
Pop any air bubbles you see
Fifth, let it dry completely
This is the most important step
Royal icing takes time to dry
Leave your cookies somewhere they will not be disturbed
At least six hours
I prefer to leave them overnight
If you move them too soon your designs will smear
And you will have to start over
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your icing is too stiff
Add water a few drops at a time
Mix well before adding more
If your icing is too thin
Add more powdered sugar
Sift it first
If your icing dries with a grey tint
You over-whipped it
Next time stop as soon as you reach stiff peaks
For this batch, add a tiny drop of white gel food coloring
It will brighten it back up
If your icing cracks after drying
Your cookie was moving while the icing set
Make sure your cookies are on a stable surface
Also make sure your icing is not too stiff before you pipe
If your flooding icing spilled over the edge
Your outline was not thick enough
Use a thicker line next time
Or you flooded too soon
Wait longer for the outline to set
When You Should Use Royal Icing
Use royal icing for intricate designs
For dots, lines, lace patterns
For cookies that need to be stacked in boxes
For cookies that need to survive transportation
Do not use it if you want a rich flavor
Royal icing tastes like sugar
The flavor is not the point
The durability is the point
Cream Cheese Frosting: The One People Forget
I do not see enough people using cream cheese frosting on cookies
And I think that is a shame
On gingerbread cookies
On oatmeal cookies
On pumpkin spice cookies
Cream cheese frosting is divine
The tanginess cuts through the spice
It balances everything out
What You Need For Cream Cheese Frosting
- Half a cup of unsalted butter
- Eight ounces of full-fat cream cheese
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- Half a teaspoon of salt
About The Ingredients
The cream cheese
Buy full-fat cream cheese
Do not buy low-fat
Do not buy non-fat
The water content in low-fat cream cheese will make your frosting runny
And sad
Full fat only
And it needs to be at room temperature
The butter
Unsalted
At room temperature
Everything else
Sift the sugar
You know the drill by now
How I Actually Make Cream Cheese Frosting
First, cream the butter and cream cheese
Put your butter and cream cheese in the mixing bowl
Beat them tther on medium speed for about two minutes
You want a smooth lump-free mixture
Scrape down the sides of the bowl
This is your base
It needs to be properly combined before you add anything else
Second, add the sugar
Turn your mixer down to low
Add the sugar gradually
One cup at a time
The mixture will look dry and crumbly at first
That is normal
Keep going
Once all the sugar is incorporated, add your vanilla and salt
Third, the final beat
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Beat for one to two minutes
The frosting should become light and fluffy and spreadable
Here is the important part
Do not overbeat it
Overbeating makes it runny
Stop as soon as it looks smooth
A Warning About Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting must be kept refrigerated
I have seen people leave cream cheese-frosted cookies out on a buffet table for hours
Then they wonder why everyone got sick
Do not be that person
If it has cream cheese in it, it goes in the fridge
When You Should Use Cream Cheese Frosting
Use cream cheese frosting on gingerbread cookies
On oatmeal cookies
On pumpkin spice cookies
On carrot cake cookies
Anywhere you want a tangy counterpoint to sweet and spicy
Variations I Have Come Up With Over The Years
I have been doing this for a long time
I have learned how to change things up
So the frosting is never boring
Lemon Buttercream
Zest a lemon into the butter before you start mixing
Replace the vanilla with lemon extract
Add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Reduce the cream by the same amount
It gives you a bright citrusy frosting
Perfect for spring
Chocolate Buttercream
Sift half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in with the sugar
You might need an extra tablespoon or two of cream
To get the consistency right
For a richer chocolate flavor, melt four ounces of dark chocolate
Let it cool
Mix it in instead of the cocoa powder
Salted Caramel Glaze
Replace the water in your glaze with strong black tea
It adds depth
Add two tablespoons of caramel sauce to the glaze
After you dip your cookies, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top
Do it while the glaze is still wet
Mint Royal Icing
Replace the vanilla with peppermint extract
Use a tiny amount
Peppermint extract is potent
A little goes a long way
Add a drop of green gel coloring
For a festive look
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Replace half the powdered sugar with honey
Adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar
It gives a rich floral note
Beautiful on shortbread
Tips I Have Learned The Hard Way
Let me share some things I wish someone had told me years ago
Temperature Control
Temperature matters more than anything else
If your butter is too cold your frosting is lumpy
If your butter is too warm your frosting is runny
If your kitchen is too hot your buttercream will melt
I always take my butter out forty-five minutes to an hour before I start
And if my kitchen is warm I pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes
Sifting Your Sugar
Sift your sugar
I know I keep saying it
I am going to keep saying it
Un-sifted powdered sugar has lumps
Those lumps will clog your piping tip
When you are decorating the forty-seventh cookie and your tip clogs
You will want to throw everything in the bin
Save yourself the frustration
Cooling Your Cookies
Cool your cookies completely before you frost them
I do not care if they smell amazing
I do not care if your children are begging for one
Warm cookies will melt your frosting
It will thin out and slide off the sides
If you are in a rush, put the cookies in the fridge for ten minutes
Practicing On Paper
Practice on paper first if you are trying a new design
Make your mistakes where nobody can see them
Practice on parchment paper before you touch your cookies
Storing Frosting Properly
Different frostings need different storage
Buttercream keeps in the fridge for a week
Let it come to room temperature and re-whip before using
Glaze keeps at room temperature for two days if covered tightly
Royal icing is best used immediately
You can store it in a sealed container for a day
Cream cheese frosting goes in the fridge
It needs to be used within three days
Decorating Techniques I Use Every Day
Let me share some techniques that will make your decorating look professional
Piping
Hold your piping bag in the middle, not at the top
Squeeze from the top
Twist the open end so the frosting is forced down toward the tip
Apply even pressure for straight lines
Flooding
The squeeze bottle is your best friend for flooding
Fill it with thinned icing
Squeeze into the center of the cookie
It gives you amazing control
The Toothpick Trick
A toothpick is your best tool for flooding
Use it to guide the frosting toward the edges
Pop air bubbles
Swirl colors tther for a marbled effect
The Crumb Coat
If your cookie is crumbly and pieces are breaking off
Apply a thin layer of frosting first
Let it dry for fifteen minutes
Then apply your main layer
The first layer catches the crumbs
Your final layer stays clean
My Final Words To You
There is no best frosting in the world
There is only the right frosting for what you are doing
If you are serving cookies fresh use buttercream because it tastes the best
If you are stacking cookies in a box use royal icing because it survives the journey
If you are in a rush use the glaze because it is fast and it works
And if something goes wrong do not panic
Every caterer I know has messed up frosting at some point
I have had frosting run off cookies
I have had frosting crack
I have had frosting that was so sweet it made my teeth hurt
It happens to all of us
The difference between a home baker and a professional is not that the professional never makes mistakes
We all make mistakes
The difference is that the professional knows how to fix them
And does not cry over a bowl of ruined frosting
Now I want to hear from you
What kind of cookies are you planning to frost
Sugar cookies, gingerbread, shortbread, something else
Tell me in the comments and I will give you specific advice for that type of cookie
And if you have any problems with your frosting I want you to ask me
I respond to every comment
I am always happy to help
I have seen it all and I know how to fix it
That is one of the things I love about sharing my knowledge
I get to help people avoid the mistakes I made
And when you succeed with your cookies I want to hear about it
Tag me on Instagram or send me a message
I love seeing what people create
Cooking is about community
I really believe that we are all in this tther
So go and bake some cookies
Make some beautiful frosting
Share them with people you love
That is the whole point of this
Food is love
Frosting is joy on top of love
Now go and make something beautifulCOOKIE FROSTING THE WAY I ACTUALLY MAKE IT
Let Me Just Start By Telling You Something
I have been doing this for twenty years now
Twenty years
And I still mess up sometimes
Last week I was making buttercream for my daughter’s birthday and I was in such a hurry to pick her up from school that I dumped everything in the mixer and walked away
When I came back and tasted it I almost cried
I forgot the salt
It was so sweet it made my teeth hurt
I had to add salt and re-whip it and it took me an extra twenty minutes
So do not feel bad when you mess up
Even people who have been doing this for two decades still mess up
The difference is we know how to fix it
And that is what I am going to teach you today
The One Thing Nobody Tells You About Frosting
There is no one frosting that works for everything
I know you want me to just give you one recipe and send you on your way
But that is not how it works
You have to choose based on what you are trying to do
If you are going to eat the cookies today and you want them to taste amazing, use buttercream
If you need to pack them in a box and send them across town without them getting ruined, use royal icing
If you are in a hurry and you just want something shiny on top that takes almost no time, use the glaze
I am going to teach you all three
Then you can decide which one you need for what you are doing
Buttercream: The One I Use When I Want People To Be Happy
I will be straight with you
Buttercream is the frosting I use most of the time
Because it tastes the best
People love it
It makes everything better
But you have to make it right
And most people do not
What You Need For Buttercream
Let me tell you what to get out of your fridge and cabinets
- One cup of unsalted butter
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- A quarter cup of heavy cream
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- A quarter teaspoon of salt
That is it
Five things
And how you put them tther matters more than what they are
About The Butter
You need unsalted butter
Not salted
I cannot say this enough
If you use salted butter your frosting will taste salty and there is nothing you can do to fix it
You cannot balance it out
It will just taste wrong
So buy unsalted butter
The butter also needs to be room temperature
And let me tell you what that actually means because nobody ever explains it properly
It means you take the butter out of the fridge one hour before you start
Not ten minutes
Not twenty minutes
One full hour
When you press your finger into it, it should leave a dent
If your finger goes straight through like the butter is melting, it is too warm
If your finger meets resistance and the butter is still hard, it is too cold
Too cold and your frosting will have lumps
Too warm and your frosting will be runny
There is a small window and you have to get it right
About The Powdered Sugar
You need to sift it
I know everyone hates sifting
I know it is messy
I know it takes extra time
But you have to do it
Why, because powdered sugar has lumps
Those lumps will not dissolve when you mix
They will stay in your frosting and they will clog your piping tip
When you are decorating the forty-seventh cookie and your tip clogs
You will want to throw everything in the bin and give up
So just sift the sugar
It takes two minutes and it saves you twenty minutes of frustration
About The Heavy Cream
A quarter cup
If you do not have heavy cream you can use whole milk
If you do not have whole milk you can use what you have
But heavy cream gives you the richest texture and the best mouthfeel
About The Vanilla Extract
Real vanilla extract
Not imitation vanilla
Not the brown stuff in the bottle that says vanilla flavor
Imitation vanilla tastes like chemicals
It will ruin your frosting
I know real vanilla is expensive
I know it hurts to spend that much on a little bottle
But this is one of those places where the difference is obvious
People will notice
About The Salt
Do not skip this
I used to skip salt when I first started cooking
I thought salt was only for savory food
My frosting always tasted like pure sugar and I did not know why
Then I learned that salt balances sweetness
Without it your frosting tastes flat and boring
So add the salt
It is such a small thing but it makes such a big difference
How I Actually Make Buttercream
Let me walk you through it step by step
First, get your butter ready
Take it out of the fridge one hour before you start
Leave it on the counter
Do not microwave it
I know you are tempted
I know you have done it before
But microwaved butter melts unevenly
You will have some parts melted and some parts still cold
Your frosting will be a mess
So just be patient and leave it on the counter
Second, whip the butter
Put the butter in your mixing bowl
If you have a stand mixer use the paddle attachment
If you have a hand mixer that works too
If you have nothing but a wooden spoon you are going to work hard but it is possible
Turn the mixer on medium speed
Beat the butter for three full minutes
Set a timer because three minutes is longer than you think
Most people stop after thirty seconds
Scrape down the sides of the bowl once halfway through
What you are doing is putting air into the butter
You are creating tiny air bubbles that will make your frosting light and fluffy
The butter should turn pale
Almost white
If it still looks yellow and dense you have not gone long enough
Third, add the sugar
Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed
The absolute lowest
Add your sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time
Mix until each cup is just incorporated before adding the next
Do not dump all the sugar in at once
I have done that
I ended up wearing half of it
I was cleaning sugar off my cabinets for days
So one cup at a time on low speed
Fourth, add the liquid and flavor
Once all the sugar is in, add your vanilla, your salt, and half of your cream
Turn the mixer up to medium
Let it go
It will look dry and crumbly at this point
Do not panic
That is normal
Add the rest of your cream gradually until it loosens up to the consistency you want
Fifth, the final whip
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Let it go for two more minutes
This is what makes it fluffy
When you lift your spatula, the frosting should hold its shape
If it droops, add more sugar
If it is too stiff, add more cream
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your frosting is too stiff
Add cream one teaspoon at a time
Just one teaspoon
Mix and check
Keep going until it loosens up
If your frosting is too runny
Add more powdered sugar
Half a cup at a time
Sift it first before you add it
If your frosting has lumps
Put the whole bowl in the microwave for ten seconds
Just ten
Then stir vigorously
The lumps should dissolve
If they do not, you have to pass the frosting through a sieve
It is annoying but it works
If your frosting tastes grainy
The sugar did not dissolve properly
Microwave for ten seconds
Then whip it again on high speed for a minute
The heat and the friction will dissolve the sugar crystals
If your frosting tastes too sweet
Add more salt
A pinch at a time
Until the sweetness balances out
If your frosting tastes like nothing
You probably used imitation vanilla
There is no fix for this except to start over
That is why I keep telling you to use real vanilla
When You Should Use Buttercream
Use buttercream when you are serving cookies the same day
When you want people to bite into the cookie and say wow
When you are piping borders or flowers or any kind of decorative work
Do not use buttercream if you need to stack cookies
It stays soft
It will stick to the cookie above it
You will open the box and all your decorations will be ruined
The Quick Glaze: For When You Are In A Hurry
Let me be honest with you
There are days when I have to make a hundred cookies
And I do not have time to mess around with piping bags and fancy designs
That is when I use this glaze
It is fast
It is simple
It dries with a shine that looks expensive
And it is forgiving
If you mess up the consistency you can fix it easily
What You Need For The Glaze
- Three cups of powdered sugar
- Four to six tablespoons of warm water
- Three tablespoons of light corn syrup
- One teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract
- Gel food coloring if you want color
About The Ingredients
The powdered sugar
Sift it
I know you are tired of hearing this
But just sift it
The warm water
Warm water dissolves the sugar better than cold
It helps everything come tther smoothly
The corn syrup
This is what gives you the shine
Without it your glaze looks dull and matte
Do not skip it
The extract
Vanilla is standard
But almond extract gives a beautiful flavor
Especially on sugar cookies
The food coloring
Use gel coloring
Not liquid
Liquid coloring thins out your glaze and ruins the consistency
Gel is concentrated and works perfectly
How I Actually Make The Glaze
First, combine the dry ingredients
Put your sifted sugar and corn syrup in a medium bowl
Whisk them tther
The corn syrup is sticky and annoying
But just keep whisking until it comes tther
Second, add the water
Add two tablespoons of warm water
Whisk until smooth
Add more water gradually until you get the right consistency
Here is how you test it
Lift your whisk
The glaze should fall in a ribbon
It should disappear back into the mixture within about five seconds
If it is too thick add more water a drop at a time
If it is too thin add more sugar
Third, add the flavor and color
Stir in your extract
If you are using color, add it now with a toothpick
Dip the toothpick in the gel
Swirl it into the glaze
A tiny bit goes a long way
Mix and check the color
You can always add more but you cannot take it away
The Fast Way To Glaze Cookies
Instead of spreading the glaze on each cookie with a knife
I dip them
It is so much faster
Hold the cookie by the edges
Dip the top surface into the glaze
Lift it out
Let the excess drip off for a few seconds
Place it on a wire rack to dry
While the glaze is still wet, use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles
You can also sprinkle decorations on top while it is wet
Once it dries, decorations will not stick
You can glaze fifty cookies in about fifteen minutes this way
But be warned
Your work surface will be covered in glaze
Put parchment paper down before you start
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your glaze is too thick
Add warm water one drop at a time
Literally one drop
This stuff changes consistency fast
If your glaze is too thin
Sift in more powdered sugar
A quarter cup at a time
If your glaze is not shiny
You forgot the corn syrup
There is no replacement for it
If your glaze cracks after drying
Your cookies were too warm when you glazed them
Let them cool completely next time
If your glaze has streaks
Your food coloring was not mixed properly
Add a few drops of water
Whisk vigorously until smooth
When You Should Use Glaze
Use glaze when you are in a rush
When you need a fast finish
When you want a shiny look
When you need to stack cookies because the glaze dries firm
Use it for school bake sales
For teacher gifts
For anything that needs to survive being transported
Royal Icing: The One That Scares People
I am going to be honest with you
Royal icing intimidates people
And I understand why
You see those beautiful cookies on Instagram
Perfect lines
Flawless flooding
You think it is impossible
But it is not impossible
It is just technique
And it is easier than you think
What You Need For Royal Icing
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- Three tablespoons of meringue powder
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla or lemon extract
- Half to three quarters of a cup of warm water
About The Ingredients
The meringue powder
Traditional royal icing uses raw egg whites
I do not use raw egg whites in my kitchen
I have been cooking for over twenty years
I have never once used raw eggs
Meringue powder is safer
It is more stable
It actually works better than raw egg whites
You can find it in the baking aisle near the frosting supplies
The powdered sugar
Sift it
I am not going to stop saying this
The extract
Lemon is traditional
It gives a beautiful bright flavor
But vanilla works well too
How I Actually Make Royal Icing
First, combine the dry ingredients
Put your sifted sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of your stand mixer
Use the paddle attachment
Give them a quick whisk with a fork
Just to combine them
Second, add the water
Add your water and extract
Start with half a cup
Turn the mixer on low
Let it run for one minute
The mixture will look like a thick paste
Scrape down the sides of the bowl
Third, whip until stiff peaks
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Let it run for five to seven minutes
Watch it change
It will go from a thick paste to a glossy pillowy mass
Here is how you test it
Lift the paddle
The icing should form a peak that does not droop
The tip of the peak should fold over just slightly
But it should not fall over
That is stiff peak
Fourth, adjust the consistency
The stiff icing is perfect for piping outlines
But for flooding you need it thinner
To thin the icing, add water a few drops at a time
Stir and check
Here is the test I use
Drag a knife through the icing
The line should disappear back into the icing within ten seconds
If it takes longer add more water
If it disappears too fast add more sugar
The Technique That Actually Works
This is how I decorated four hundred cookies for a wedding in Benin City and did not lose my mind
First, pipe the outline
Fill a piping bag with your stiff royal icing
Use a small round tip
Trace the outline of your cookie right along the edge
This outline acts like a dam
It holds the thinner icing inside
Second, let it set
Wait ten minutes
Let that outline set
Do not rush this
If you flood too soon the icing will spill over the edge
Third, thin the remaining icing
Add a few drops of water to the rest of your icing
It should be runny enough to flow on its own
Fill a squeeze bottle with this thinner icing
Fourth, flood the center
Squeeze the thinner icing into the center of the cookie
It will naturally flow toward the edges
Use a toothpick to guide it gently
Pop any air bubbles you see
Fifth, let it dry completely
This is the most important step
Royal icing takes time to dry
Leave your cookies somewhere they will not be disturbed
At least six hours
I prefer to leave them overnight
If you move them too soon your designs will smear
And you will have to start over
What Goes Wrong And How To Fix It
If your icing is too stiff
Add water a few drops at a time
Mix well before adding more
If your icing is too thin
Add more powdered sugar
Sift it first
If your icing dries with a grey tint
You over-whipped it
Next time stop as soon as you reach stiff peaks
For this batch, add a tiny drop of white gel food coloring
It will brighten it back up
If your icing cracks after drying
Your cookie was moving while the icing set
Make sure your cookies are on a stable surface
Also make sure your icing is not too stiff before you pipe
If your flooding icing spilled over the edge
Your outline was not thick enough
Use a thicker line next time
Or you flooded too soon
Wait longer for the outline to set
When You Should Use Royal Icing
Use royal icing for intricate designs
For dots, lines, lace patterns
For cookies that need to be stacked in boxes
For cookies that need to survive transportation
Do not use it if you want a rich flavor
Royal icing tastes like sugar
The flavor is not the point
The durability is the point
Cream Cheese Frosting: The One People Forget
I do not see enough people using cream cheese frosting on cookies
And I think that is a shame
On gingerbread cookies
On oatmeal cookies
On pumpkin spice cookies
Cream cheese frosting is divine
The tanginess cuts through the spice
It balances everything out
What You Need For Cream Cheese Frosting
- Half a cup of unsalted butter
- Eight ounces of full-fat cream cheese
- Four cups of powdered sugar
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- Half a teaspoon of salt
About The Ingredients
The cream cheese
Buy full-fat cream cheese
Do not buy low-fat
Do not buy non-fat
The water content in low-fat cream cheese will make your frosting runny
And sad
Full fat only
And it needs to be at room temperature
The butter
Unsalted
At room temperature
Everything else
Sift the sugar
You know the drill by now
How I Actually Make Cream Cheese Frosting
First, cream the butter and cream cheese
Put your butter and cream cheese in the mixing bowl
Beat them tther on medium speed for about two minutes
You want a smooth lump-free mixture
Scrape down the sides of the bowl
This is your base
It needs to be properly combined before you add anything else
Second, add the sugar
Turn your mixer down to low
Add the sugar gradually
One cup at a time
The mixture will look dry and crumbly at first
That is normal
Keep going
Once all the sugar is incorporated, add your vanilla and salt
Third, the final beat
Turn the mixer up to medium-high
Beat for one to two minutes
The frosting should become light and fluffy and spreadable
Here is the important part
Do not overbeat it
Overbeating makes it runny
Stop as soon as it looks smooth
A Warning About Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting must be kept refrigerated
I have seen people leave cream cheese-frosted cookies out on a buffet table for hours
Then they wonder why everyone got sick
Do not be that person
If it has cream cheese in it, it goes in the fridge
When You Should Use Cream Cheese Frosting
Use cream cheese frosting on gingerbread cookies
On oatmeal cookies
On pumpkin spice cookies
On carrot cake cookies
Anywhere you want a tangy counterpoint to sweet and spicy
Variations I Have Come Up With Over The Years
I have been doing this for a long time
I have learned how to change things up
So the frosting is never boring
Lemon Buttercream
Zest a lemon into the butter before you start mixing
Replace the vanilla with lemon extract
Add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Reduce the cream by the same amount
It gives you a bright citrusy frosting
Perfect for spring
Chocolate Buttercream
Sift half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in with the sugar
You might need an extra tablespoon or two of cream
To get the consistency right
For a richer chocolate flavor, melt four ounces of dark chocolate
Let it cool
Mix it in instead of the cocoa powder
Salted Caramel Glaze
Replace the water in your glaze with strong black tea
It adds depth
Add two tablespoons of caramel sauce to the glaze
After you dip your cookies, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top
Do it while the glaze is still wet
Mint Royal Icing
Replace the vanilla with peppermint extract
Use a tiny amount
Peppermint extract is potent
A little goes a long way
Add a drop of green gel coloring
For a festive look
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Replace half the powdered sugar with honey
Adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar
It gives a rich floral note
Beautiful on shortbread
Tips I Have Learned The Hard Way
Let me share some things I wish someone had told me years ago
Temperature Control
Temperature matters more than anything else
If your butter is too cold your frosting is lumpy
If your butter is too warm your frosting is runny
If your kitchen is too hot your buttercream will melt
I always take my butter out forty-five minutes to an hour before I start
And if my kitchen is warm I pop the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes
Sifting Your Sugar
Sift your sugar
I know I keep saying it
I am going to keep saying it
Un-sifted powdered sugar has lumps
Those lumps will clog your piping tip
When you are decorating the forty-seventh cookie and your tip clogs
You will want to throw everything in the bin
Save yourself the frustration
Cooling Your Cookies
Cool your cookies completely before you frost them
I do not care if they smell amazing
I do not care if your children are begging for one
Warm cookies will melt your frosting
It will thin out and slide off the sides
If you are in a rush, put the cookies in the fridge for ten minutes
Practicing On Paper
Practice on paper first if you are trying a new design
Make your mistakes where nobody can see them
Practice on parchment paper before you touch your cookies
Storing Frosting Properly
Different frostings need different storage
Buttercream keeps in the fridge for a week
Let it come to room temperature and re-whip before using
Glaze keeps at room temperature for two days if covered tightly
Royal icing is best used immediately
You can store it in a sealed container for a day
Cream cheese frosting goes in the fridge
It needs to be used within three days
Decorating Techniques I Use Every Day
Let me share some techniques that will make your decorating look professional
Piping
Hold your piping bag in the middle, not at the top
Squeeze from the top
Twist the open end so the frosting is forced down toward the tip
Apply even pressure for straight lines
Flooding
The squeeze bottle is your best friend for flooding
Fill it with thinned icing
Squeeze into the center of the cookie
It gives you amazing control
The Toothpick Trick
A toothpick is your best tool for flooding
Use it to guide the frosting toward the edges
Pop air bubbles
Swirl colors tther for a marbled effect
The Crumb Coat
If your cookie is crumbly and pieces are breaking off
Apply a thin layer of frosting first
Let it dry for fifteen minutes
Then apply your main layer
The first layer catches the crumbs
Your final layer stays clean
My Final Words To You
There is no best frosting in the world
There is only the right frosting for what you are doing
If you are serving cookies fresh use buttercream because it tastes the best
If you are stacking cookies in a box use royal icing because it survives the journey
If you are in a rush use the glaze because it is fast and it works
And if something goes wrong do not panic
Every caterer I know has messed up frosting at some point
I have had frosting run off cookies
I have had frosting crack
I have had frosting that was so sweet it made my teeth hurt
It happens to all of us
The difference between a home baker and a professional is not that the professional never makes mistakes
We all make mistakes
The difference is that the professional knows how to fix them
And does not cry over a bowl of ruined frosting
Now I want to hear from you
What kind of cookies are you planning to frost
Sugar cookies, gingerbread, shortbread, something else
Tell me in the comments and I will give you specific advice for that type of cookie
And if you have any problems with your frosting I want you to ask me
I respond to every comment
I am always happy to help
I have seen it all and I know how to fix it
That is one of the things I love about sharing my knowledge
I get to help people avoid the mistakes I made
And when you succeed with your cookies I want to hear about it
Tag me on Instagram or send me a message
I love seeing what people create
Cooking is about community
I really believe that we are all in this tther
So go and bake some cookies
Make some beautiful frosting
Share them with people you love
That is the whole point of this
Food is love
Frosting is joy on top of love
Now go and make something beautifulat is the whole point of this
Food is love
Frosting is joy on top of love
Now go and make something beautiful
