Simple Icing Recipes For Your Homemade Pastries

What are simple icing recipes that you can use for your homemade pastries?

1. Buttercream Icing
2. Marshmallow Icing
3. Cream Cheese Icing
4. Confectioner’s Sugar Icing
5. Chocolate Frosting
6. Peanut Butter Frosting

When it comes to wedding catering, what is the piece-de-resistance of the chef? Why, the wedding cake, of course. The moment the guests enter the reception area, their eyes seek this majestic baked beauty, wondering how it looks like and how it tastes. No two cakes are exactly alike– some are tiered while some are hung upside down like a chandelier. Some are made of cupcakes while others are made of miniature cakes. The one thing these delicious concoctions have in common though is: icing.

Whether used as a filling or for decorating, there is no doubt that the cake won’t be as special without it. While bakers can identify what kind of icing the cake is covered in with just one look, the majority have no idea, their curiosity unquenched. Here are a few types of icings used for cakes and yummy pastries, as well as how to make them.

Buttercream Icing

What may be the most common icing of all is the buttercream. This mixture has covered numerous cakes for different occasions, such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. From this basic recipe, you can create hundreds of flavors ranging from the classic chocolate to the strange but delicious strawberry margarita.

To create this frosting, you’ll need 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of milk and a third cup of butter. Mix the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer set on low. Turn it off then pour in your vanilla and a tablespoon of the milk and stir. Next, blend together the remaining milk until your icing is smooth.

Marshmallow Icing

Soft, sweet, fluffy and fun to stuff your face with—aside from cotton candy, the marshmallow comes to mind when these words are mentioned. Of course, these days it isn’t just a sugary confection anymore but an easy way to frost your baked goodies at home.

In a double broiler, beat your egg whites, corn syrup and water until thoroughly blended. Place this pan over boiling water, making sure the bottom does not hit the water. Once again, beat the mixture until the mixture can form solid peaks once the beater is removed. Move away from the heat and mix in the marshmallows until they have melted. Voila, a delicious marshmallow icing.

Cream Cheese

Aside from Chocolate, one of the most popular flavor today for pastries is Red Velvet. This gorgeous scarlet beauty has gained popularity in recent years not just because of its rouge coloring but also because of its delicious, cream cheese icing. We’ve got a recipe that’s so delicious, you just might be tempted to lick the bowl.

Prepare 8 ounces of cream cheese (at room temperature), half a cup of unsalted butter (at room temperature), a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a cup of sifted powdered sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese. When it’s soft enough, slowly mix in the butter until smooth. Blend in the powdered sugar and finally, the vanilla.

Confectioner’s Sugar Icing

Cakes aren’t the only thing you decorate with frosting; cookies need some loving too! This three-ingredient icing is so easy, even kids can make it. This is best for sugar cookies and need at least 24 hours to harden or dry.

Grab a cup of powdered sugar and 2- 2 1/2 tablespoons of milk or water. In a small bowl, mix these two ingredients together. If you want a thicker consistency, lessen the liquid. To make it colorful, add in a few drops of food coloring. Place the mixture in a plastic piping bag and decorate away.

Chocolate Frosting

Everyone loves the classic chocolate frosting. With this easy-to-make recipe, you can add depth to it by adding some espresso powder.

To create this, first gather 10 ounces of roughly chopped and bittersweet chocolate, 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon of instant espresso powder, ¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar, and 3 sticks of softened and unsalted butter.

Then, fill a medium saucepan with water and heat it to achieve a low simmer. Place a heat resistant bowl with the bottom down over the saucepan while making sure that it does not touch the water to create a double boiler. Add the chocolate to the bowl and let it cook while stirring it occasionally with a heatproof spatula. After the chocolate has melted, remove it from the top of the pan and quickly add in the salt, vanilla, and espresso powder. Let the chocolate cool but don’t let it harden.

Next, setup a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Then, add the butter to bowl and beat it until it is smooth. Make sure that you scrape down anything stuck of the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on at medium speed and add the chocolate but only at ½ a cup at a time. With every addition of chocolate, make sure it is beaten until the mixture is smooth.

Once all the chocolate has been beaten in, turn the mixer off and add in the sugar. Make sure to sift it in evenly. Then beat the mixture again but start at low speeds and work your way up to medium-high. Beat it for 2 minutes or until the frosting is completely smoothed and thickened. Lastly, apply on your favorite desert.

Peanut Butter Frosting

This recipe is a great way to enjoy the taste of peanut butter in icing form without getting it stuck to the roof of your mouth.

For this, you will need 2 cups of creamy and salty peanut butter, 2½ sticks of butter at room temperature, 1¼ confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter in a bowl until it is smooth; use the high-speed setting. Add the peanut butter and beat this into the mixture as well until it is smooth. Be sure to scrap the sides of the bowl while doing this.

Then add the confectioner’s sugar and beat this in at a low speed setting. Work your way up to a medium setting too make the frosting smooth. Finally, add in the honey and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes. The result should be a light and fluffy frosting.

Key Takeaway

Go ahead and try making these to add to the aesthetics and taste of your homemade pastries. If anyone asks what makes your baked goods so delicious, just tell them it’s all in the icing.