An investigation.
By Sarra Sedghi Updated March 22, 2019
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Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting image
Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting image
| Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
And what is cake without its saccharine, fluffy, and sometimes crispy exterior? Nowhere near as good as it could be, that’s what. And no matter whether you call it icing, frosting, or glaze, it’s a crucial part of every cake.
But what’s the difference between those terms? After bothering a bunch of my coworkers, it seems like the difference in cake- topping nomenclature comes down to texture, ingredients, cooking process, and human speech. Some people got flustered and irritated, others were staunch on their opinions, and one said there was definitely a difference but couldn’t explain what it was.
Watch: How to Make Margarita Cake
A lot of this debacle comes down to language. As nouns, “frosting” and “icing” are often used interchangeably, and to be honest, I don’t think I ever wrote “frosting” until some style guide told me to. Geography and dialect may play a role in this, with northerners calling it “frosting” and southerners saying “icing.”
Consider the verb forms of these words, however, and you’ll see a bigger difference. You frost a cake, ice a cookie, and glaze all kinds of things that aren’t desserts, like salmon or ham. But you can also ice a cake, and the idiom “the icing on the cake” brings us right back where we started.
Staffers in our test kitchen told me that frosting, icing, and glaze usually have different sets of ingredients. Frosting typically has a butter or cream cheese base, while icing and glaze are made from powdered sugar and water, juice, or milk. So if the taste is fattier or creamier, it’s probably frosting. But some icing also contains butter, so where does that leave us?
Everyone could agree on one thing, though: texture matters, especially when it comes to application. Frosting is the thickest and has to be spread on with a spatula. Icing and glaze, however, are thinner and more fluid. While you certainly don’t pour icing on items like cookies, that’s how it’s applied to some cakes. And once icing cools down, it leaves a hard, somewhat cracked texture, whereas cake glaze is rock-hard and has a more marbled appearance.
FAQs
Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries. Glaze is the thinnest and most fluid of the three, and it will set but won't harden as much as icing.
What is the difference between frosting, icing, and glaze? ›
Icing (including the popular chocolate icing called ganache) is thinner than frosting but thicker than glaze. Icings set quickly and stiffen as they dry, and are usually spooned or poured over the cake or cookie—though in the case of royal icing, they may also be piped on to create details.
What's the difference between royal icing and glace icing? ›
The Difference Between Royal Icing and Glaze Icing
The main difference between the two icings is that glaze doesn't contain meringue powder like royal icing does. It consists of powdered sugar, water, corn syrup, and (here's why Cameo's looks so good...) AmeriColor Bright White.
What's the difference between frosting and buttercream? ›
The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever. Instead, frosting is usually made with shortening or cream cheese.
What is the difference between frosting, icing, and ganache? ›
Frosting is a fluffier product often made from butter, cream and sugar. Cooled ganache will have a thicker consistency than frosting, but it can be whipped with a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer equipped with a wire whip accessory to mimic frosting's fluffy texture.
Can you use frosting as a glaze? ›
Simply transfer your frosting to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high to 20 to 30 seconds. Stir well, then pour over your cake (or use it for donut glaze).
What is glaze? ›
to make a surface shiny by putting a liquid substance onto it and leaving it or heating it until it dries: Glaze the pastry with beaten egg.
What are the four types of icing? ›
5 Types of Cake Icing
- Royal icing. Royal icing is the most traditional of all icings. ...
- Glace icing. Glace icing is made with only two main ingredients: icing sugar and water (or other liquid like juice). ...
- Fondant. Fondant is a type of icing that, unlike others, is much thicker in texture. ...
- Buttercream. ...
- Frosting.
On the negative side, it is more difficult to work with. Glaze icing pretty much always spreads out flat, so there isn't really an option for three-dimensional effects. And this also makes writing quite hard. But glaze icing, since it has corn syrup in it, retains a nice sheen even after the icing dries.
Can I use normal icing sugar instead of royal icing? ›
Royal icing is made by mixing icing sugar with egg white. Generally a 3:4 ratio of egg whites to cups of icing sugar (3 egg whites to 4 cups icing sugar). There's no such thing as “royal icing sugar” per se. It's just icing sugar use to make royal icing.
For a frosting that's super versatile and easy to work with, choose buttercream for your cakes and cupcakes. Buttercream is the go-to frosting for professional bakers due to its creamy texture and thick consistency which makes it perfect for piping, spreading, and filling.
What is the best icing for cake decorating? ›
Expert baker: royal icing
Royal icing is one of the best icings for decorating cakes. Mixing together powdered sugar, egg whites, and meringue powder or liquid provides a consistency relative to pancake batter. This makes it easy to pour into pastry bags to fulfill your decorating dreams.
What's the difference between frosting icing and glaze? ›
Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries. Glaze is the thinnest and most fluid of the three, and it will set but won't harden as much as icing.
What makes glaze harden? ›
The confectioners' sugar sweetens the glaze and makes it set up to a hard finish. The amount of time this takes depends on the consistency; a glaze with less liquid will dry faster. Most glazes should dry within 30 minutes.
Can I put ganache straight onto cake? ›
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for about 30 seconds. Whisk the mixture until a smooth and glossy ganache forms, about 30 seconds. You can either pour the warm ganache over the cake immediately, or let ganache sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then spread it on the cake.
What kind of icing is best for decorating cakes? ›
Royal icing is one of the best icings for decorating cakes. Mixing together powdered sugar, egg whites, and meringue powder or liquid provides a consistency relative to pancake batter. This makes it easy to pour into pastry bags to fulfill your decorating dreams.
What are the two types of glaze? ›
There are 3 main types of glazes, defined as follows.
- Low fire glazes. As the name suggests, these types of glazes are fired at a relatively low temperature in the kiln. ...
- Mid fire glazes. ...
- High fire glazes. ...
- Ash glaze. ...
- Feldspathic glaze. ...
- Lead glaze. ...
- Salt glaze. ...
- Tin glaze.
