cupcake/fariy cake icing help please!

[eleanorsmum]

have been asked to make cupcake for my brothers wedding cake in january. have started trying out different flavours of cake (so far on chocolate cake with choc treat centre!) but need to ice them smoothly so i can decorate the top with little butterflies.

so i need an icing recipe that will fill to the top of the cake case that sets hard and shiney maybe - just like the ones you buy! what do i need to do?

[MaureenMLove]

I'm not sure what that icing is, on top of shop bought cakes, but would royal icing do the trick?

[eleanorsmum]

what constitutes royal icing? is it the hard crunchy one you get on wedding cakes?

[callmeovercautious]

Have a look on delia on line. She does a yummy choc fondant icing that I think would do. Not sure if it is on the site or in a book.

Also traditional white icing made a little thicker may work but might be fiddly.

[callmeovercautious]

And yes thats royal icing.

[MrsBadger]

try glace icing - sets smooth and glossy
100ml sifted icing sugar, 15ml (or a bit less) hot water for white icing
or substitute 2tbsp of the sugar for cocoa for chocolate

the rock-hard one you get on old-school wedding cakes etc is royal icing, but it isn't glossy.

chocolate ganache (200ml double cream heated but not boiled, poured over 200g dark chocolate, mix gently till blended, cool a bit) is delicious, sets firm and glossy but doesn't keep too well in the warm (should be ok in jan though).

[Scootergrrrl]

Don't shop-bought cupcakes have softer icing, like fondant?

[eleanorsmum]

yes i think they are a bit softer - how do i make a fondant.

the icing needs to be white so can't do choc one.

thought of doing just water and icing but didn't know if it was thick enough?

thanks for those suggestion!

[Scootergrrrl]

fondant icing here

[MrsBadger]

roll-out fondant won't work on cupcakes
you need a runny one you can pour into the case that will set level

glace icing with less water

[MrsBadger]

or Nigella uses instant royal icing, which is worth a bash

[eleanorsmum]

instant royal icing sounds good! where can i get that?

i do need one that i can fill the cupcake case with - roll out fondant just won't be right. thanks anyway.

maybe i just experiment with icing sugar and water in avrying quantities? what would happen if i mexed in a little glycerin?

[MrsBadger]

tesco etc with the icing sugar

glace icing won't benefit grom glucose - its purpose is to make fondant flexible for rolling, which you don't do with glace

[eleanorsmum]

ok thanks mrsbadger - fount of all icing knowledge! will experiement this weekend. have to make 100+cakes for the day - so better get the icing right as this'll be the bit you see most!

[MaureenMLove]

I can't wait to see the final result! Please make sure you post a picture, I'd love to see them in all their glory!

[PandaG]

tate and lyle do instant royal icing - can get it from most supermarkets, is just add water.

[eleanorsmum]

mmlove - will do it'll be a while for the finished article though - like january! but may photo some of the tests! before dd eats them (she ate three trial ones today and big dinner, pre-school must be good for her!)

[Molecule]

You can melt fondant with a little hot water over a low heat, and that can then be poured onto the cupcakes and will be smooth and glossy. I imagine that the addition of a little liquid glucose or glycerin will make it even glossier, but might affect its setting abilities. Try experimenting with it, but I reckon this is what commercial cupcakes are iced with. I just buy white fondant and colour it appropriately. Glace icing tends to crack if too thick and will not be strong enough to hold a decoration.

If you want a good glossy chocolate covering Delia's chocolate fudge topping is excellent, but you need to whisk it over a low heat for a few minutes to get it really glossy and thick (which Delia doesn't mention). It keeps for ages in the fridge and tastes yummy.

[PandaG]

molecule - thanks fo rthat tip, never knew exactly what bought ones were iced with. I will try that in future.

[ellamay22]

hi there i want to make cakes like 'candy cakes 'in covent garden london . the icing looks really thick and glossy . mine looks too thin when i've tryed doing it even when i use less water with the icing sugar . any ideas . please help it 's for a birthday party . thanks

[ComeOVeneer]

Eleanorsmum, from my experience a good thing to do is make the cakes, cut them flat to the level of the paper, then build a smooth dome with italian buttercream. Next cover dome with a disc of sugarpaste (embossed if you wish) then decorate with the butterflies (or flowers etc)

[ComeOVeneer]

Sorry but Rolled fondant icing most certainly does work on cupcakes!

[pookamoo]

I discovered something by accident this week...
I was going to make buttercream icing to go on top of some cupcakes.

In the morning, I remembered I had left the butter in the fridge, so it was solid. The cupcakes had been in the freezer, too, which was deliberate. I had meant to take out the butter the night before so it was soft for making the icing.

Anyway... I decided to melt the butter, then whisk it in my Kenwood with the icing sugar, making warm, smooth, runnyish icing. I poured this warm icing onto the cupcakes straight out of the freezer and hey presto it set smooth and glossy as the cold cakes cooled the icing really quickly!

(ComeOVeneer of course fondant works on cupcakes... but that post was in September 2007, so I doubt she will see it!)

[ComeOVeneer]

Doh I hadn't even realised this was an old thread!

[MollieO]

Neither did I CoV but it did mean that I checked out the cakes on your profile - changed since the last time I looked. The wedding cakes are beautiful.