Differences between royal icing, buttercream, and fondant icing
I teach cake decorating classes and get asked by new students what is the difference between the different mediums that we use. I thought I would share this useful information with you
ICING SUGAR
This contains an anti-caking agents and calcium phosphates. This can be used to spread onto danish pastries, and ice slices, and can be used on cakes and biscuits. Hot water icing is icing sugar and hot water and it sets straight away whereas cold water icing is with cold water added and sets slower and can drip over cakes.
ROYAL ICING
This is icing sugar with egg white added, which you can buy in a box or you can add the egg white to icing sugar yourself. This can be used on chocolate houses, piping on cakes, cookies, piped flowers, gingerbread houses, and lots more. You need to get the consistency correct though for piping. If it’s too sloppy it will be too runny and won’t look good. It can also be used for writing on a cake. Really popular in the 60s, 70s and 80s before fondant icing came along
Royal icing over the chocolate houses
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/royal-icing
BUTTERCREAM
This is block butter and icing sugar. Butter and icing sugar are beaten together to get a light fluffy texture. If you beat the butter for about 5 minutes to get it light and creamy then add the sieved icing sugar a little at a time you will get a better texture. This can be used for naked cakes which are very popular at the moment, buttercream cakes, chocolate drip cakes, cupcakes, flower cupcakes, and more. There are so many different buttercream recipes around
Chocolate drip buttercream-covered cake below
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/buttercream-icing
FONDANT ICING
Fondant icing is sometimes called roll-out icing as well. When using this icing it has to be kneaded first and colours can be added to it. This can be used for covering cakes, making flowers, animals, fondant figures, toppers, and more. You need to cover the cake in buttercream first as the fondant has to stick to it. There are different types of fondant icing on the market you need to find one which is best for you, as people have different preferences.
Fondant-covered cake with modeled figures below
Hope you now understand the differences between these mediums
Happy baking
Caroline
