Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume IV Part 23

PLAIN ICING

1 egg white 1-1/4 c. confectioner's sugar 2 tsp. cold water 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat the white of the egg until it is stiff. Sift in the sugar and add a little of the water occasionally until all the water and sugar are added. Beat together thoroughly, add the flavoring, and spread on the cake.

ORANGE ICING

1-1/2 c. confectioner's sugar 4 Tb. orange juice Few drops orange extract Orange coloring for tinting

Sift the sugar into the orange juice and beat thoroughly. Add the orange extract and just a little of the orange coloring for an even tint.

Spread on the cake.

CHOCOLATE WATER ICING

1 sq. chocolate 3 Tb. boiling water 1-1/2 c. pulverized sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, add the boiling water and the sugar, and stir together until smooth. Add the vanilla. Spread on the cake.

WHITE ICING

2 egg whites 1-1/4 c. confectioner's sugar 1 tsp. vanilla

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff, sift in the powdered sugar, add the vanilla, and beat together until the icing is of a consistency to spread.

b.u.t.tER ICING

1 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar 1 Tb. cream 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 egg white

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar, diluting it with the cream, and add the vanilla. Beat the egg white and add to the mixture, continuing the beating until the mixture is dry and ready to spread.

CHOCOLATE b.u.t.tER ICING

1 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar 3 Tb. milk 1/2 egg 1 oz. chocolate Vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar gradually, moistening with the milk and egg to make the mixture thin enough to spread. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over hot water and pour into the icing mixture. Add the vanilla. Beat thoroughly and if more sugar or liquid is needed to make the icing thicker or thinner, add until it is of the right consistency to spread.

ORNAMENTAL ICING

3 egg whites 3 c. confectioner's sugar 3 tsp. lemon juice

Put the egg whites into a bowl, add a little of the sugar, and beat.

Continue adding sugar until the mixture becomes too thick to beat well, and then add the lemon juice. Add the remainder of the sugar, and continue beating until the icing is thick enough to spread. Spread a thin layer over the cake and allow it to harden. When this is dry, cover it with another layer to make a smooth surface, and add more sugar to the remaining icing until it is of a very stiff consistency. Color and flavor as desired, place in a pastry bag, and force through pastry tubes to make any desired designs.

91. COOKED ICINGS.--A few cooked icings are made without egg whites, but for the most part icings of this kind consist of a sugar sirup beaten into egg whites that have been whipped until they are stiff. Success in making icing of this kind depends largely on boiling the sirup to just the right degree, for when this is done the icing will remain for a short time in a condition to be handled. If the sirup is not cooked long enough, the icing will not stiffen and it will have to be mixed with powdered sugar to make it dry. In the event of its being boiled too long, the icing will have to be applied quickly, for it is likely to become sugary. A thermometer is a convenient utensil to use in making icings of this kind, for with it the housewife can determine just when the sirup is boiled to the right point. However, after the housewife has had a little experience, excellent results can be achieved in the way of icings without a thermometer if the mixture is tested carefully. The beating of cooked icings also has much to do with the nature of the finished product. They should be beaten until they are of just the proper consistency to spread and still will not run off the surface of the cake.

92. Because of the nature of cooked icings, it is necessary that the work of applying them to cakes be completed as quickly as possible. A case knife or a spatula is the best utensil for this purpose.

To ice a layer cake, pour some of the icing on the layer that is desired for the bottom and then spread it over the layer quickly until it is smooth and as thick as desired. If coconut or any other ingredient, such as chopped nuts or fruit, is to be used, sprinkle it on the icing as in Fig. 21. Then take up the second layer carefully, as shown, and place it on the iced first layer. Pour the remainder of the icing on this layer and spread it evenly over the top and down the sides, as shown in Fig. 22. The cake will then be covered with a plain white icing that will be sufficient in itself or that may serve as a basis for any desired ornament. If coconut, fruit, or nuts have been used between the layers, sprinkle the same over the top, as shown in Fig. 23, while the icing is still soft.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21, a.s.sembling layer cake.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22, Icing layer cake.]

Sometimes, after the icing has been spread, it may be found that the surface is not so smooth as it should be. Any roughness that may occur, however, may be removed as soon as the icing has become entirely cold by dipping a clean silver knife into hot water and, as shown in Fig. 24, running it gently over the entire surface. This treatment takes only a little time and greatly improves the appearance of the cake.

CARAMEL ICING

1 1/2 c. brown sugar 3/4 c. milk 1/2 Tb. b.u.t.ter

Boil the ingredients together until a soft ball is formed when the mixture is tried in cold water. Cool and beat until of the right consistency to spread. Spread this icing rather thin. If desired chopped nuts may be added to it while it is being beaten.

MAPLE ICING

Maple icing may be made by following the recipe given for caramel icing, with the exception of using maple sugar in place of the brown sugar.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23, Sprinkling iced cake with garnish.]

BOILED ICING

1 c. sugar 1/2 c. water 1 egg white Pinch of cream of tartar

Put the sugar and water to cook in a saucepan. Boil until a fairly hard ball is formed when the sirup is tried in cold water or until it threads when dropped from a spoon, as shown in Fig. 25. If a thermometer is used to test the sirup, it should register 240 to 242 degrees Fahrenheit when the sirup is taken from the stove. Beat the egg white, add the cream of tartar, and continue beating until the egg white is stiff. Then, as in Fig. 26, pour the hot sirup over the beaten egg white very slowly, so as not to cook the egg, beating rapidly until all the sirup has been added.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 24, Smoothing surface of icing with knife.]

Continue to beat with a spoon or egg whip until the icing is light and almost stiff enough to spread on the cake, as in Fig. 27. Then place the bowl over a vessel containing boiling water, as in Fig. 28, and beat for 3 or 4 minutes while the water boils rapidly underneath. With this treatment, the icing will not change in consistency, but will become easier to handle and will permit of being used for a longer period of time without becoming hard. In fact, it may be kept until the next day if desired by placing a moist cloth over the top of the bowl so as to prevent a crust from forming.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 25, Testing hard ball stage of sirup.]

CHOCOLATE ICING

If chocolate icing is desired, a square of melted chocolate may be added to the icing given in the preceding recipe after the sirup has been added to the egg white.

BROWN-SUGAR BOILED ICING

1-1/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. white sugar 1/3 c. water 2 egg whites Pinch of cream of tartar

Boil the sugar and the water until it threads or forms a fairly hard ball when tried in cold water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 26, Pouring hot sirup over beaten egg whites.]

Beat the egg whites until stiff, adding a pinch of cream of tartar while beating. Pour the hot sirup over the egg whites and continue beating.

Flavor with vanilla if desired. Beat until stiff enough to spread and, if desired, cook over boiling water as described for boiled white icing.

TIME-SAVING ICING

7/8 c. granulated sugar 3 Tb. water 1 egg white

Put the sugar, water, and egg white into the upper part of a small double boiler. Have the water in the lower part boiling rapidly. Set the part containing the ingredients in place and beat constantly for 7 minutes with a rotary egg beater, when a cooked frosting that will remain in place will be ready for use. The water in the lower receptacle must be boiling rapidly throughout the 7 minutes.