Different Types of Icing
Common Frostings & Glazes: Marzipan, Buttercream, Flower Paste
Cake decorating can call for many different tastes and textures of icing, from silky-smooth chocolate ganache to fluffy cream cheese icing.
Almond Paste/Marzipan
A smooth, yellow, kneadable icing which is rolled out to cover fruit cakes. Almond paste is usually used as the bottom layer of icing, with fondant over the top as the visible layer. Ground almond meal and icing sugar form the basis for this icing; it can be made at home, but the difficulties in grinding almonds to a sufficiently fine texture mean that almond paste is generally purchased. Some people dislike the strong almond taste, and prefer to use a second layer of fondant instead.
Marzipan is also used for moulding small shapes to decorate cakes, such as animals and fruits. Marzipan fruits, which are often shaped and coloured very realistically, are sometimes served alone as candies. Tiny marzipan carrots are commonly used to decorate carrot cakes, especially around Easter; and marzipan can also be used to fill homemade chocolates.
Buttercream
This is a popular frosting for children's birthday cakes and cupcakes. Buttercream is made by creaming butter until pale with icing sugar, vanilla and milk. The resulting sweet, fluffy mixture is then tinted with liquid food colouring. Buttercream can be spread or piped—some children's novelty cakes are iced by covering the cake in tiny piped stars or dots of buttercream. Buttercream 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-coloured icing. Cream cheese frosting traditionally decorates 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, this is a quickly-hardening dough-like icing used for moulding flowers. Flower paste is usually bought white, and tinted by the cake decorator at home.
Fondant/Roll-Out Icing
Fondant can be made at home or purchased; it usually comes in white and ivory shades, although some cheaper supermarket brands sell pre-tinted fondant and even chocolate fondant. Fondant is stiff and shiny, and is kneaded and rolled out to cover fruit or chocolate mud cakes, often over a layer of marzipan. Fondant and marzipan create an airtight seal around cakes, improving their keeping qualities. If stored correctly, a fondant-iced fruitcake may be decorated months ahead.
The best kind of fondant contains glycerine, such as the Pettinice brand. Glycerine gives the icing elasticity, so that it stretches rather than cracking.
Ganache
One of the most versatile frostings, ganache is a combination of one part butter or cream to one part chocolate, melted together. Ganache can be poured as a glaze over a cake; left to thicken and cool, and spread with a knife; or whipped to a paler colour and fluffy texture, and used as buttercream. Hardened ganache can be piped to decorate cakes. Dark, milk and white chocolate can all be used to make ganache. Cream-based ganache has a more delicate flavour, while butter-based ganache is a sturdier and less temperamental mixture. Cakes iced with ganache must be storedin a cool place
Royal Icing
Often confused with fondant, royal icing is in fact a fluffy, white meringue-like mixture made from stiffly-beaten egg whites, lemon juice and icing sugar. Royal icing is easily made at home, and has multiple uses. Becoming rock-hard once set, it is ideal for attaching decorations to cakes, and can be used to 'glue' down ribbons, icing flowers and cake toppers. It is a popular icing for piping, and can even be used to cover an entire cake. In this instance it is usually plastered roughly on over a layer of fondant, creating a fluffy textured look.
