Stiff icing for cupcakes?? How do U do it?

[MammyMammy]

Hi ladies (and gents, ahem)

I am making cupcakes for my baby shower and I want to know how to make the following

Icing that ices on stiff and nicely (no drips) and then sets so that its stiff when tapped (but not jawbreaker) - I love frosting but its soo sickly in big amounts and I wouldnt even know how to make that either

Icing flowers (shapes anyway) made from (?) sugar that I can make and they will dry, for topping the icing/frosting...


any suggestions? methods?

xxooxx

[BlueGin]

For making super hard icing, mix pure icing sugar (NOT icing mixture) with egg white instead of water. This is the kind of icing used to make flowers and such, and glue the walls of gingerbread houses together.
Not sure how to make icing that you can tap but isn't rock hard though sorry.

[MammyMammy]

Thanks Blue Gin

Do I leave to dry out on a bench top or in a fridge????


I can get started on the flower thingies and then hopefully someone might tell me how to do the icing/frosting

I could use the betty crocker frosting from the tin, but its going to be expensive that way - its $5 a tub and it does only about 18 cupcakes :snow: so I'd rather make my own, and it would be MORE FUN too

[BlueGin]

It air dries perfectly fine, I'd lay out some baking paper on a tray (blue tack it down, as when piping out the flowers they will stick to it and lift it up, infuriating!) and make them, then just leave it there if no toddlers/cats, or pop it in the cupboard.

Would butter icing work for the 'frosting'?

[Amberlea]

just another suggestion for the icing flowers..

You can actually use edible flowers - such as violets dipped in egg white and dipped in caster sugar, instead of actually making them entirely out of icing.

[BlueGin]

that's a lovely idea Amberlea! They can look so pretty.
I'd love your advice on them; when I tried it the sugar went all clumpy and goopy... any tips?

Mammymammy, how're they going?

[Jessiebean]

Try this-
1 cup pure icing sugar (not mixture)
walnut sized lump of softened butter( not margarine or blend)
cocoa if you want.. 2 tbspn
boiling water
Sift sugar( with cocoa if using)
drop butter on top
pour water 1 tsp at a time on butter and mix thoroughly after each spoonful..
then you can just add until the texture is "right" sets nice and hard esp. if you pop it in the fridge for a little 'cos of the dehydrating effects of the fridge but don't leave it there or the cake will go stale.
mmmm cake
I thinkI must bake today

[Jessiebean]

that's a lovely idea Amberlea! They can look so pretty.
I'd love your advice on them; when I tried it the sugar went all clumpy and goopy... any tips?
sift sift sift:thumbsup: