You’ll Need:
- 10g Meri-white
- 100ml Water
- 500g Icing Sugar
- Sieve your icing sugar, this is essential to avoid lumps which will make the icing difficult to pipe.
- In a bowl with a beater, first add water followed by Meri-white, mix for a few minutes just to combine and then scrape down the bowl.
- Carefully add the icing sugar a little at a time, when all the sugar has been absorbed, scrape down again then beat on a medium to high speed for about 5 minutes to incorporate plenty of air.
If you don’t incorporate enough air the icing will be too stiff and be difficult to pipe.
This will make a firm but fluffy icing which is easy to pipe. This icing is good for piping shells, scrolls, ropes, basketweave and flowers.
If you want to write an inscription with your royal icing you’ll need to thin it slightly.
How To Adjust Your Royal Icing:
Thinning
- 1 Teaspoon of Meri-white
- 1 Tablespoon of Water
- In a small bowl mix together the water and meri-whites with a spoon just to combine.
- Add to thick Royal Icing in order to make it thinner, this is done by adding very small quantities at a time to achieve a smooth mixture which only just holds its shape.
Thickening
To thicken your Royal Icing simply add more sifted icing sugar. This should be done in small quantities and mixed well.
Top Tips For Working with Royal Icing:
If you are piping an inscription in a dark colour, pipe it in white first, not only is this easy to remove but it prevents the dark colour from leaching out of the icing on to the cake surface and looking unpleasant.
Leftover Royal Icing can be kept in an airtight container in a cool place for upto a week.
If you need to colour your Royal Icing it’s best to use paste or gel colours rather than liquid or dust colours as these can alter the consistency of the icing.