Royal Icing

You know cakes that have that crusty icing that can be sloped into little peaks before it dries and goes as hard as rock? Hello, Royal Icing.

Ingredients
2-3 large egg whites
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 cups icing sugar

Making it happen
Whisk eggs whites with the lemon juice briefly until combined (not too many bubbles) then add the sifted sugar and beat on a low speed for 5-10 minutes until combined, smooth and glossy. Leave covered under a damp tea towel for 30 minutes for air bubbles to rise and then add more sugar if necessary.

For rough icing, it should pull to peaks. If you are into kitchen tools, check out this icing spatula from Kaiser Patisserie. Also, keep in mind that royal icing colours really well, so if you are up for some experimentation…

* image from EasternEuropeanFood.com. Download printable version of this recipe.