Soft Icings

Soft icings vary in complexity from a simple glaze of confectioners’ sugar and water to the shimmering density of fondant, the favorite of European pastry chefs. The aim is a thin sugar coating, smooth enough to shine and soft enough to slice easily. Maintaining the correct temperature, so that coarse crystals do not form, is the key to smoothness, assisted by stabilizers such as glucose, corn syrup, cream of tartar and lemon juice. A glaze is thinner than icing, giving a semi-transparent coating; it may be added after baking or baked with the batter, as for some coffee cakes.