An easy way to elevate cakes, cookies, muffins, and countless other baked goods! This 2 ingredient simple powdered sugar glaze / icing recipe will instantly step up any dessert. Read below for how to make this same recipe into either an icing or a glaze.
What's the difference between icing and glaze?
This is actually a bit of a tough question, and it strangely leads to strong opinions and some debates. Don't ask me why because I have no idea.
When it comes to ingredients, a powdered sugar icing and a powdered sugar glaze are basically the same (both at their core needing powdered sugar and some sort of liquid).
The liquid is most commonly either water, milk, heavy cream,or (occasionally) lemon juice.
But what separates the two is their consistency and set. Icings are thicker than glazes, and set firmer when left out to dry. They'll also leave a more opaque look when dry (think of icing decorated gingerbread cookies!). Glazes do also set when left to dry, but they leave a clearer, see through finish that's a bit more sticky and crackly (think of glazed donuts!).
Which liquid to use for your simple powdered sugar glaze / icing:
Choosing whether you use water, milk, heavy cream, or lemon juice depends on the recipe you're making, and what you have available.
Water is a classic that goes with basically every recipe, but it is quite thin, flavorless, and lacks any fat or richness. I use water most often when I make donuts because they're already rich enough.
Milk & heavy cream are pretty much interchangeable. I prefer to use heavy cream because it adds more thickness and richness to the glaze/icing. But let's take a minute to ask how often I actually have it on hand. Very rarely.
Lemon juice is definitely the most flavor changing of the bunch, so it does really depend on the recipe you're making. Lemon and blueberries are an even better couple than bread and butter, so I like to make a powdered sugar lemon glaze with blueberry scones or blueberry muffins! It also goes great with pound cake!
When to use icing vs glaze:
Since glazes are thinner than icings, glaze is best for when you just want to drizzle streaks over a treat or dessert OR for dipping treats like donuts. It's best when you don't really care much for pattern or having a firm set.
• blueberry scones • sour cream glazed donuts • apple crumb cake • blueberry muffins • jam bars with crumb topping
Icings on the other hand are better for when you want to pipe patterns (like when you decorate cookies!) or if you want the icing to set firmly (which makes stacking and sending/transporting treats easier)!
Some recipes to use with icing:
• sour cream pound cake (when dried, an icing lets you take it on the go more easily) • cinnamon swirl quick bread • cinnamon rolls • vanilla sugar cookie decorating • gingerbread cookie decorating
All in all ...
It's amazing how much you can do with this simple 2 ingredient recipe! It instantly elevates almost any dessert, and adds a beautiful topping and flavor to classic recipes.
If you liked this simple recipe, check out some of these similar recipes!
An easy way to elevate cakes, cookies, muffins, and countless other baked goods! This simple 2 ingredient recipe will instantly step up any dessert. Read below for how to make this same recipe into either an icing or a glaze.
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 3 tablespoons water, milk, heavy cream, or lemon juice * see notes
Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of your choice of liquid. Whisk to combine. If your icing/glaze is too dry, gradually add more liquid, whisking well, until it reaches your desired consistency. If it gets too loose, sift in more powdered sugar, and mix.
* The amount and type of liquid you use depends on the recipe you're making (see blog post above for more details). For a thicker icing, use 1 to 2 tablespoons of your preferred liquid. For a thinner glaze, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid.
Also an important thing to keep in mind is different brands of powdered sugar have different amounts of cornstarch worked in. So it's safest to start with less liquid and work up to your desired consistency! It's easier to add liquid than to have to add powdered sugar (speaking from experience!)
You can also add extracts, like vanilla or almond, for flavor—just keep in mind these will make the icing even thinner. This type of icing is best drizzled over coffee cake, pound cake, a Bundt cake, or homemade doughnuts.
A basic icing is called a glacé, containing powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar or confectioners' sugar) and water. This can be flavored and colored as desired, for example, by using lemon juice in place of the water.
You can still make a delicious glaze with a substitute. Use Granulated Sugar: You will have to heat it over the stove to get the bigger granules of sugar to melt, but it still makes a great glaze! You will need a little flour to help it thicken up, and some people add some butter as well.
Icing sugar has a finer texture (plus corn starch), which will impact the texture of your baked good if you use it in something that calls for granulated sugar.
Add Ins. We also like to stir chopped chocolate, toffee bits, or butterscotch chips to the frosting before using it to decorate. They create a more dynamic texture and add a homemade quality.
For a (16-ounce) tub of frosting, anywhere from ½ cup to 1 cup of crunchy additions will do the trick. Toasted nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips or chunks, halvah, and toffee will all add a fun new dimension of flavor. Stir in chopped up canned pineapple or fresh berries for an extra fruity kick.
How the Glaze Works. 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.
Does Confectioners Sugar Expire? Confectioners sugar is powdered sugar that has had starch added to it to help prevent caking. Does it expire? Like other types of sugar, no: If you've kept the moisture out of your confectioners sugar, it should last indefinitely, with a general rule of two years being the best-by date.
Yes! Powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar (including confectioners sugar and confectioner's sugar too), icing sugar, and 10X (a reference to the size of the particles) are all the same.
They're mixed until smooth and drizzled over baked goods like cakes, cookies, donuts, scones, bars, and more. Why does my powdered sugar glaze taste chalky? A chalky taste usually has to do with the type of powdered sugar used. Some brands might add cornstarch to achieve a smoother product and avoid clumpiness.
Arrowroot starch Measure out 1 tbsp (8 g) of arrowroot starch and add it to your frosting to see if the consistency improves. This can be a great option if you're trying to make your frosting as glossy and big as possible. Alternative: Use tapioca starch instead.
The major purpose of cornstarch in powdered sugar is to keep it from clumping in the bag. If I can get granulated or "superfine" sugar to powder in my food processor, I doubt I'll ever go back. Other starches might be used, such as Tapioca starch.
Adding extracts, softened cream cheese, butter or even jams are some of the easiest ways to take your store-bought frosting up a notch! To give your vanilla icing that homemade taste, try mixing in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. This will help pump up that flavor that makes homemade icing so delicious.
To make flavored powdered sugar, zap freeze-dried fruit in the blender until it's reached a powdered state, then combine it with powdered sugar. Turn it into a colorful glaze for cakes or sugar cookies with a dribble of liquid (water, milk, or lemon juice will all do the trick).
How to fix: Add less powdered sugar or more heavy cream. Mix on medium/high speed in mixer for 2-3 more minutes. If it's still too thick and grainy, add heavy cream as needed.
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