When it comes to frosting and icing, there are more differences than you think.
Well, it’s not quite that simple.
Frosting And Icing: What Are The Differences?
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What Is Frosting?
Frostings are generally thicker, fluffier, and hold their shape when spread.
They are used for coating not just the outside but also between layers ofbaked goods.
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Some frostings use a meringue base, while others simply rely on butter and sugar.
They are typically whipped with a mixer and spread or piped into designs.
What Is Icing?
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What About Glazes?
Glazes tend to be the thinnest of the three, but the consistency can range.
Even when thicker, glazes tend to set less hard than icings do.
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You often pour or spoon a glaze over baked goods, such as alemon loaf.
It tends to be sweeter than other buttercreams, but it is egg-free and quick to make.
This technique creates an incredibly light and fluffy frosting that beautifully pipes into all sorts of designs.
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Italian meringue buttercream is also less sweet than American buttercream and perfect for layer cakes.
It’s classically used oncarrot cakes, and also on our famousHummingbird Cake.
Its nickname clues you in as to how it is made.
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To prepare this frosting, you heat milk, flour, and sugar before whipping the mixture into butter.
It’s egg-free and, once you get the hang of it, pretty easy to make.
It sets quickly and is also prone to graininess the same way a caramel sauce is.
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Plus, it hardens nicely, for a beautiful and mess-free cookie design.
Ganache
This is a chocolate icing made from pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate.
It sets glossy, whether poured on top of cake layers or drizzled over a pie.
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Homemadecinnamon rolls, Bundt cakes, orTexas sheet cakewouldn’t be the same without icing poured over the top.
Change up the flavor of your tried-and-true dessert with one of these recipes.
You should use what a specific recipe calls for.
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Fondant is a thick icing, not a frosting.
It is made with sugar, water, gelatin, and sometimes other ingredients.
It is a sturdy icing similar to modeling clay that holds its shape and is used for decorations.
It can also be poured for a smooth finish.
Use a sturdy frosting to create piped designs on cakes.
Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream are great choices.
