Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 23¾ oz icing sugar (1 lb 8 oz), sifted
• 3 free-range egg whites
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp glycerine
• 1 extra egg white, to thin the icing if required

Method

1. Put the egg whites and lemon juice in a large, scrupulously clean bowl and whisk briefly, just until the whites loosen and start to froth.
2. Add the sifted icing sugar a few spoonfuls at a time, whisking well between additions at first and then beating more firmly as the icing thickens.
3. Once all the sugar is in, add the glycerine, which keeps the set icing from going rock hard, and beat the icing for 5-7 minutes until it is bright white, glossy and stands in stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted. Use low speed on a stand mixer, or beat by hand with breaks; beating too fast adds bubbles that spoil the finish.
4. Check the consistency: for covering a cake, the icing should hold a soft peak and level out slowly; for piping lines, it should hold a firm peak. Beat in a few drops of the extra egg white, a little at a time, to thin it, or a spoonful more icing sugar to stiffen it.
5. Scrape the bowl down, then cover the surface of the icing directly with cling film and a damp tea towel; royal icing crusts over within minutes when exposed to air.
6. Use at once to cover or pipe, and leave a finished cake uncovered at room temperature for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight, for the icing to set fully.

Prep: 30 min · Cook: PT0H0M0S

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data