Royal Icing

Royal icing is made of confectioners’ sugar beaten to a smooth paste with egg white and a little lemon juice for whiteness. It holds a crisp, stiff shape that makes it above all a decorator’s tool, the medium for virtuoso displays of ribbons, roses, lattice, basket and geometric designs. They may be white or delicately tinted to show clearly against a plain white background of royal icing. A wide range of special small piping tubes (below) is used, and complicated designs are composed in stages to allow the icing to dry. Royal icing is also handy for writing on soft coatings.