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My Favorite Royal Icing Recipe

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This is a simple and versatile royal icing recipe perfect for decorating cookies and confections. Made with confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and water, this icing whips up quickly to a smooth, drizzleable consistency that can be tinted with gel food coloring. It dries hard within hours, making it ideal for detailed decorations and layering on baked goods.

  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: Approximately 3 cups of royal icing, enough for decorating about 3 dozen average-sized cookies

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more as needed
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
  • 9 tablespoons room-temperature water, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite flavored extract (such as lemon, coconut, or peppermint) (optional)

Optional for Decorating

  • Gel food coloring (use a toothpick to add gradually)

Instructions

  1. Watch the tutorial: Watch the video tutorial to understand the ideal final consistency of the royal icing before starting.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine sifted confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  3. Add liquids and whip: Add water and any chosen flavoring to the dry mix. Whip on high speed for 1.5 to 2 minutes until the icing drizzles down smoothly within 5 to 10 seconds when lifting the whisk.
  4. Adjust consistency: If too thick, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time and whip further. Alternatively, if too thin, whip longer to incorporate air or add more sifted sugar.
  5. Color the icing: Divide icing into bowls to tint with gel food coloring as desired. Use a toothpick to add color bit by bit, stirring gently—add water drops if icing becomes too thick.
  6. Drying and storage: Apply the icing thinly to cookies or confections; it dries hard in about 2 hours at room temperature. Thicker layers or runny icing take longer to dry. To speed drying for layered designs, refrigerate the decorated items.

Notes

  • Use meringue powder specifically; plain egg white powder will not produce the same texture.
  • The amount of water needed can vary depending on humidity; adjust gradually to achieve smooth flowing consistency.
  • Whipping longer increases icing thickness by incorporating more air.
  • Gel food coloring is preferred as it doesn’t affect icing consistency much.
  • Store leftover royal icing in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
  • For faster setting, refrigerated drying is recommended when layering designs.
  • Author: Olivia
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Blending
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Find it online: https://yourdailycook.com/my-favorite-royal-icing-recipe/