Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with icing

Or should I just spend $19.95 for those OMG delicious (and pretty) shortbreads?

halogen — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:49:42 -0800

I want to make these cookies for Boyfriend and mail them to him. Which shortbread recipe should I use, and how do I paint the clover on to them? I shipped him a bunch of cookies for Halloween last year, and while he was very happy about them, some of the more elaborately shaped (and thinner) bats broke during the overnight coast-to-coast voyage despite many layers of bubble wrap and cardboard. So, this St. Patrick's Day, I won't be baking anything in the fragile shape of a clover, but instead I'll steal Dancing Deer's idea and just paint one on top of regular round cookies.

Problem: I've never really baked just regular round sugar cookies. Can you recommend a recipe? Also, regarding the white icing on the cookies: should I just use regular royal icing? And, of course, how do I draw the design on top of each cookie? Diluted green food dye and a clover-shaped stencil, perhaps (but would I do it while the icing was still soft or after it's hardened)? Thanks!

PS. I'll be seeing Boyfriend the weekend before March 17th and could just hand him the cookies if the hive mind deems them unfit to ship, but I delight in mailing him gifts when I'm not around.

Where can I find packaged seven-minute frosting in Alberta Canada?

albertagirl — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:19:35 -0800

Wondering if anyone's familiar with a packaged seven-minute type frosting that I used to be able to find until a few years ago. It came in a pouch and you whipped it with hot water in an electric mixer. The frosting was the marshmallow type you would put on an angel food cake. Availability in Alberta, Canada would be helpful too.

Wherever there is fun, there's always... Coca-Cola-Cake?

pseudostrabismus — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:11:50 -0800

Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake recipes, please! Valentine's day approaches, and my boyfriend sure likes him some Coca-Cola. I'd like to make him a chocolate-cola cake. I've also heard these called "Texas Sheet Cakes". I've googled this, of course, and found some recipes, but I was hoping someone here would have actually made one themselves and have tips.

The key requirements for me are a recipe that's (a) easy to bake (b) tastes strongly of Coke, and (c) has a Coke-flavoured frosting.

Also, I was thinking that after the cake came out of the oven, and before frosting it, I might stab the cake with a fork and drizzle on some reduced Coke (simmered to a more syrupy consistency) to give the cake more moisture & flavour- anyone know if that'll work?

Thanks! (so excited to try this!)

Dairy-free frosting alternatives, please.

messylissa — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:44:09 -0800

What are some non-dairy alternatives to cake frosting? Step-daughter's birthday is coming up, and I want to make her this cake. However, she is allergic to milk. According to her mom, she is "not just allergic to dairy products and lactose, she is allergic to the milk proteins."

Because of some messy, messy divorce issues (see past posts), her mom won't give us a detailed list of what she can and can't eat, but we do know that she can have baked goods, like cake and cookies, and things with some butter in them (e.g. mashed potatoes), because her mom often sends those along as snacks.

So, to be safe, what kind of frosting can I put on this cake that will be fun and edible? Normally we substitute things like peanut butter, but that would be disgusting on a cake. I'm willing to make some sort of icing, but I want to err on the side of caution, and not make anything that includes an overload of butter.

Cupcakes take over the World.

santojulieta — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:33:38 -0800

How can I make nice, thick, non-buttercream frosting for my cupcakes as seen on these Candy Cakes cupcakes in London?

I want to have my cake & frost it, too!

numinous — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:23:27 -0800

[Cupcake-Filter]: Why is my cream cheese frosting an irreparable mess? How can I make some that is temperature stable? Great culinary minds of the hive, I beseech you! I recently finished a test-batch of Mummy cream-cheese frosted red velvet cupcakes that I plan on making again for my younger sister’s halloween party in two weeks. They are darling and festive, and she is over the moon with the presentation. However, frosting them and having them retain their shape is a NIGHTMARE!

While the recipe I used results in a delicious frosting, it ends up being a hugely goopy mess when it warms to room temperature. Getting the ribbons to keep their shape is difficult; even applying the ribbons in the first place was a challenge, as the frosting kept melting in the bag while in my hands. Making cupcakes should never be this frustrating! (I want them to taste like love, not bitter resentment.)

I’ve tried refrigerating them first to “set” the frosting, but 20 minutes after being set on the counter the frosting begins to melt. This is problematic as these cupcakes will have to sit out in room temperature for approximately 2 hours during the course of the upcoming party.

The recipe I used is as follows:

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick Smart Choice (Vegan Butter Substitute)
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What is the secret to finding a temperature-stable cream cheese frosting?
Should I substitute the vegan butter with vegetable shortening? Should I be using more of something, and less of another?

I know that there must be some solution, as evidenced by the numerous cupcake bakeries (Magnolia, Sprinkles, Miette, Yummy Cupcakes, etc.) that leave their cream-cheese frosted cupcakes on display with great success (and no melting!). What is their secret? I would like the frosting to be as close to this recipe as it can be (no HFCS if at all possible, for instance), but I am definitely open to suggestion. Thank you!

If you give me frosting, I'll give you cake

Polychrome — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:22:23 -0800

What is your best frosting recipe that doesn't use confectioners' sugar but does use a liqueur? I need to make some frosting for a yellow cake, but don't have confectioners' sugar, evaporated milk or condensed milk. I do have white and brown sugar and 1% milk and have found recipes using those, but not any that also incorporate a liqueur (I have some amaretto that I really want to use). So what's your favorite frosting/icing recipe that uses any type of liqueur and doesn't use confectioners' sugar?

Buttercream Battle

tuff — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:52:36 -0800

Can my batch of (sorta)buttercream frosting be saved? I am making a birthday cake for tonight and I fear I may have ruined my buttercream. I am following this recipe with one exception: because the birthday boy is lactose-intolerant, I substituted Promise sticks (which say they can be used for baking) for the butter. Yes, I know, butter is best . . . but he told me he wanted it lactose free because he doesn't want to take lactaid. I have also used Promise in baking cakes and making icing before with no problem. However, this time, my frosting is nowhere near the right consistency - it looks like cake batter. I am not sure if this is due to the Promise, the fact that it is hot in the apartment and maybe the egg white/sugar mixture wasn't cool enough before I added the Promise, or some technical mistake. Also, the recipe just says "sugar," so I used granulated sugar - when I have only used confectioner's sugar for icing in the past. There are many ways I could have gone wrong, I guess! After following the recipe, I then dumped several cups of confectioner's sugar into the mix, which thickened it somewhat, but I think it is also getting on the verge of "too sweet." Is this icing salvageable? If so, how? If not, does anyone have a substitute lemony buttercream icing that is vegan or lactose free?

Where can I get a chocolate brownie with chocolate icing in NYC?

yeoz — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 07:58:13 -0800

Where can I get a good chocolate brownie with chocolate icing in NYC or Brooklyn? I've got a craving for one... Any recommendations?

Recent Easy Bake Graduate Seeks Instruction From 'Real Baker'

Medieval Maven — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:35:09 -0800

Two questions about baking. Question the first: I made a cake and also chocolate buttercream frosting last night (from scratch!). Both of these wanted x so whatever amount of baker's chocolate, unsweetened, melted, and cooled to room temperature. Both times I used it, the chocolate made it somewhat into the batter/frosting, but also either made little chip like business out of itself OR attached itself to the side of my stainless steel mixing bowl and/or the ceramic-coated beater. What gives? Why did this happen, should it have, and if not, how do I commit not such a faux pas?

Question the second: Have you ever used the prepackaged fondant icing from say, Wilton? How hard is it to use? What about this other stuff? I am assuming 2 pounds is too much for one cake, so I'm really leaning toward the Wilton stuff, as I can find it locally, but I want feedback on it, as this is for a birthday cake (a character cake, and it's a vintage pan, and instructions are scarce) and I don't want it to taste like ass, as I will be feeding it to 30 people.

Thanks! I know this is long and involved.

Why does red icing taste so bitter?

amicamentis — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 08:09:03 -0800

What is the cause of the bitter taste in some kinds of red/pink icing? Most of the time the red icing tastes kind of bitter and leaves a nasty taste. Is there a different ingrediant? I know that food dye is tasteless but perhaps it's something in the red. I had pink icing on a cookie cake and it tasted bitter but not as bad as some reds that I have had in the past. It's not a good surprise to discover. I have yet to find it in any other colored icing.

Icing, icing baby

sugarfish — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 17:53:27 -0800

Do you have a killer icing recipe? I'm making a cavalcade of cupcakes for my birthday next week and I want to make some yummy buttercream icing to go with. I'm really looking for the kind of icing you get on store-bought cupcakes, the kind that's pretty toothy when you bite in. Not whipped cream, though. I've made buttercream icing before that was pretty much just butter and powdered sugar and I didn't like the flavor so much. I think the flavor I'm going for maybe has shortening in it?

I found this thread for chocolate, but if you have chocolate ones you want to throw in, I won't complain :D

Corn syrup vs honey

cardboard — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:51:12 -0800

I'm going to ice a cake and the icing recipe calls for 1 tsp (5 mL) light corn syrup. Can I use honey instead? I've done my reading and found out that corn syrup is used to decrease the stiffness of the icing and reduce cracking. I don't have corn syrup and would rather not buy a 500mL bottle to use 1 tsp. Why wouldn't honey (of which I have gobs) work?

Icing Recipe?

Lord_Pall — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 16:40:58 -0800

I'm in dire need of a chocolate icing recipe. I know the basic ingredients but need the ratios. 2 cakes await! My wife found one that was amazing from the back of a Hodgson Mills gluten free yellow cake mix (which was the texture of good cornbread with yellow cake flavor.. yummy). The recipe had unsweetened chocolate, confectioners sugar, butter and milk or heavy cream..
But we lost the recipe.
Most of the recipes we've tried are too heavy, flavorless, shortening and sugar, or simply gross..
Suggestions?
Hodgson Mills doesn't have an icing recipe on their webpage.