Try this icing on our Favorite Sugar Cookies, Classic Vanilla Cake, or Butter Cookies.
What’s Not to Love?!
This royal icing recipe is a pure white icing that dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish. Besides its lovely finish, it also colors beautifully. This is perfect for frosting cakes and cookies, and for creating lovely piping decorations such as flowers, borders, and lettering. Why we love it:
Quick and easy. It’s super easy to make from scratch and is ready in minutes! Simple. There are only 3 ingredients. For decorating. This is the BEST frosting recipe for any cookie decorating project.
Ingredients
powdered sugar – Sift the powdered sugar to help smooth out any clumps. warm water meringue powder – I’ve found meringue powder at places like Walmart and craft stores. In a pinch, use dried egg white powder (the label should tell you the correct ratio of powder to water for your recipe).
How to Make Royal Icing
Frosting a Cookie
Frosting Consistency
The consistency depends on what you are going to do with that particular batch of royal icing.
Stiff icing is the thickest. The frosting will hold a stiff peak and be more of a traditional frosting consistency. It is used for flowers and other shapes that need to hold their shape. Piping icing. The peak will be soft but hold. When piped it will keep its shape and not spread. It is used for outlining, decorating borders, and lettering 20 second icing. Take a dollop of icing and drop it back into the frosting bowl. It will take 20 seconds to reabsorb. This is to cover a whole cookie, build frosting layers, or add one color on top of another color. Flood icing. When you drop a dollop of icing back into the bowl it will only take 10-12 seconds to reabsorb. This is the thinnest frosting and is used to fill in areas that have been piped with a border. It will fill in quickly and smoothly.
Storing Tips
STORE. This easy royal icing recipe can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Place a piece of plastic directly on top of the icing to avoid a crusty top. Give the icing a good mix before using it.
Store decorated cookies. The cookies MUST be completely dry before stacking them to store (takes 3-8 hours). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. Separate the layers using parchment or wax paper.
Recipe Video Recipe Video Recipe Video
