How to Make Cupcake Icing
Creating the perfect cupcake isn’t just about getting the cake blended right; it is also about creating a perfectly fluffy frosting that will hold its shape without being overly sweet to the pallet. Using an Italian buttercream frosting on the tops of your cupcakes will ensure a perfect blend between soft and creamy texture with a sweetness that will meet the needs of even the most demanding pallet.
Items Needed:
- 5 large or jumbo egg whites
- 1-¼ cup extra fine granulated sugar
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 pound of sweet unsalted butter (2 cups)
- Pure vanilla extract or pure Madagascar vanilla extract
- Paste food colorant in desired colors
- Candy or sugar thermometer that reads up to 250 degrees F
- Tabletop food stand mixer with a whisk attachment
- A large bowl of cold water
- A separate bowl or jar holding water
- A pastry brush
- Rubber spatula
- Separate your sugar, placing 1 cup into a small bowl and the remaining ¼ of a cup into another suitable container.
- Place your five egg whites into your mixer bowl and set your speed to medium, making sure that you have your whisking beater attached.
- When the eggs become slightly frothy in nature, turn the speed of your mixer to high and beat the egg whites.
- Whisk your eggs whites at high speed until very stiff and they hold their form. Very slowly sprinkle in the ¼ cup of extra fine granulated sugar into the whites.
- When you have thoroughly incorporated your finely granulated sugar into your egg whites, turn off the mixer so that you may focus solely upon your cooking sugar syrup.
- Blend your one cup of sugar with the ¼ cup of water and place over high heat on your stove.
- Stir the sugar mixture until all granules are incorporated into the water. Failure to fully incorporate the sugar into the water will result in hard crystals forming on the surface of your syrup.
- Place your candy thermometer into the sugar mixture and leave alone. Do not mix the sugar and water blend once it comes to a boil.
- Dip your pastry brush into your waiting jar of water and gently work any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the sauce pan back into the cooking sugar mixture.
- Once the sugar syrup reaches 250 degrees F, plunge your sauce pan into your waiting bowl of cold water. This will put a stop to the cooking process and prevent your syrup from becoming any hotter. This is important as you will be adding this to your egg whites.
- Turn your mixer on once more and set the speed to high.
- Carefully aim your sauce pan over the mixing bowl and pour the sugar mixture into the egg whites, being careful to pour the syrup in very slowly and at a constant rate of speed.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar mixture until the sides of the mixing bowl have become tepid to the touch. Do not skip this step. You must allow the egg whites and hot sugar syrup to thoroughly cool before continuing. You will know it is cool enough when the sides of the mixing bowl are mostly cool to the touch with a slight hint of remaining warmth. This process usually takes anywhere from five to seven minutes.
- Add your vanilla extract to the egg white and sugar mixture and continue whisking to blend.
- Make sure that your butter has warmed to just at room temperature. It should remain cool to the touch yet be very easy to cut with a butter knife.
- Cut your butter into small chunks and gradually add each chunk to the mixer as it spins. Be sure to use your rubber spatula to clean the sides of the mixer bowl to ensure even blending into the egg mixture.
- Whisk mixture until it thickens, then stop the mixer for a moment.
- Place a very small amount of your chosen food coloring paste on to the tip of a kitchen knife. Gently rub that colorant on to the beating whisk of the mixer.
- Turn the mixer back on to fully incorporate your colorant into the icing.
- Turn the mixer off and scrape your whisk beater free of frosting before transferring to a bowl for use.