An easy Royal Icing base recipe that can be thinned with water to achieve all consistencies of decorating icing.
Royal icing has so many uses in cookie and cake decorating.
I use it to make decorated Cut Out Sugar Cookies, to add details to Iced Vanilla Shortbread Cookies, to make decorations for cakes like these royal icing snowflakes on this FROZEN Cake and with the birds on this Penelope Bird Birthday Cake, and even as a "glue" to attach sugar elements to cakes, like I did with the gum paste flowers on this Bridal Shower Cake.
This royal icing recipe makes a thick stock icing that can be thinned for piping royal icing transfers, borders and designs, and further thinned for flooding.
You can find all of my royal icing cookies HERE and my Q&A for royal icing HERE.
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Ingredients
- water
- meringue powder
- cream of tartar
- powdered sugar
- extract of choice, such as vanilla or almond
Make the Icing Base
In the bowl of an electric mixer, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand or with the whisk attachment until it is frothy and thickened, about 30 seconds.
Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds.
Pour in the powdered sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix slowly on the lowest speed for a full 10 minutes. The icing will get thick and creamy.
Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
Thin the Icing
Remove some of the icing to a small bowl and add small amounts of warm water (~1 teaspoon at a time) to reach the desired consistency depending if you are piping outlines or flooding.
If you add too much water and the icing is too thin, add more of the original "stock" icing to thicken it. Color as desired with food coloring gel.
Applications for Royal Icing
One of the best tips I've heard for royal icing is that if you're having a hard time piping it, it's too thick.
This recipe makes a thick "stock" icing that you will thin with water to a pipeable consistency. The stock is not meant to be used for small piping, as it will get stuck in your piping tips.
It can be used with larger tips for piping larger details like on these unicorn cookies or for royal icing transfers, but even then it may need to be thinned a little.
Gluten Free Option
This recipe is naturally gluten free.
📖 Recipe
Easy Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 6 ounces warm water (¾ cup)
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2.25 pounds powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract or almond extract (or extract of choice, optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand or with the whisk attachment until it is frothy and thickened, about 30 seconds.
- Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the powdered sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix slowly on the lowest speed for a full 10 minutes. The icing will get thick and creamy.
- Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
- Remove some of the icing to a small bowl and add small amounts of warm water (~1 teaspoon at a time) to reach the desired consistency. If you have gone too far and it's too thin, add more of the original "stock" to make thicker. Color as desired with food coloring gel.
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