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Decorating cakes can be done with the help of Frostings. These are the perfect toppings for decorating and enhancing the flavor of cakes. Different types of frostings are needed for different types of cakes. For most of the people, frosting is the best part of a cake or cookie. It can be classified into the following types:
Royal Icing is mainly used for the Christmas, Weddings and Christenings Cakes. This type of icing usually has an undercoat of almond paste and is a rich, thick, snow-white covering that can have a smooth or rough finish, as you like. It can also be iced into swags and flowers using a piping bag for a more professional finish. This icing usually requires a period of time to dry before finishing the piping decoration.
Ganache, one of the most versatile frostings, is a combination of one part butter or cream to one part chocolate, melted together. It can be poured as a glaze over a cake; left to thicken and cool, and spread with a knife; or whipped to a paler color and fluffy texture, and used as butter cream. Hardened ganache can be piped to decorate cakes. Cakes iced with ganache must be stored in a cool place
Glazes are the simplest frostings. Powdered sugar is mixed with a liquid to form a thin consistency. These are usually poured or drizzled over the tops of cakes and cookies. It forms a shiny hard crust when the glaze sets. Melted chocolate can be used as a glaze on its own.
Butter cream is a popular frosting for children's birthday cakes and cupcakes. It is made by creaming butter until pale with icing sugar, vanilla and milk. The resulting sweet, fluffy mixture is then tinted with liquid food coloring. Butter cream can be spread or piped. It hardens on refrigeration and does not keep for more than a few days.
Cream Cheese Icing, a combination of cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and milk makes a delicious fluffy, cream-colored icing. This is used to traditionally decorate carrot cakes and some cupcakes. It can be smoothed to a relatively even finish, or fluffed up for a more casual cake.
Flower paste, also known as petal or gum paste, is quickly-hardening dough-like icing used for molding flowers. It is usually bought white, and tinted by the cake decorator at home.
Fondant usually comes in white and ivory shades. It is stiff and shiny, and is kneaded and rolled out to cover fruit or chocolate mud cakes, often over a layer of marzipan. The best kind of fondant contains glycerin, such as the Pettinice brand. Glycerin gives the icing elasticity, so that it stretches rather than cracking.
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