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Confectioners' Frosting
2 tablespoons boiling water or cream Confectioners' sugar Flavoring To liquid add enough sifted sugar to make of right consistency to spread; then add flavoring. Fresh fruit juice may be used in place of boiling water. This is a most satisfactory frosting, and is both easily and quickly made.
A ratio rather than a recipe: liquid plus powdered sugar to the consistency you want. A few notes make it predictable.
- How much sugarTwo tablespoons of liquid takes roughly 1 1/2 to 2 cups (6-8 oz) of confectioners' sugar for a spreadable frosting. Add it in stages; the last quarter cup is where the texture is decided.
- Confectioners' sugar then and nowPeriod confectioners' sugar was ground sugar, sometimes with a little starch. Modern powdered sugar already contains about 3 percent cornstarch, which thickens slightly as it stands, so err on the loose side.
- Sift, and mean itPowdered sugar compacts into hard lumps that will not dissolve in so little liquid. Sift it before measuring or the frosting will be gritty and streaked.
- Why boiling waterHot liquid dissolves the sugar crystals rather than merely wetting them, giving a glossier finish that sets with a thin crust. Cream gives an opaque, softer frosting that stays tacky longer.
- Fruit juiceLemon, orange or berry juice works well and needs no extra flavoring. Start with a tablespoon and a half and add more only if the mixture is too stiff.
- Flavoring quantityAbout 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other extract for this amount. Alcohol-based extracts loosen the frosting slightly; account for them before the final sugar.
- YieldEnough to glaze the top of one 8- or 9-inch layer, or a sheet of small cakes. Double it to fill and cover a two-layer cake.
- SpreadingUse it at once, on a completely cool cake. It stiffens within minutes; a few drops more liquid will bring it back, but a crust that has already formed cannot be smoothed.