Best Icing to Decorate With

In my opinion, it all has to do with either the fat content or the sugar content of the icing. 

Sugar doesn’t like moisture and can handle room temperature, and solid fat doesn’t like heat and prefers to be kept cool to cold to remain solid.

But depending on the ratios of fat to sugar and the type of fat used, say butter or a vegetable fat like copha (or a vegetable shortening like “solite” ), Icing containing solid fat might be ok at room temperature for a shorter amount of time.

Room temperature stable, What does this mean?

Room temperature is around 20c – 25c (68f-77f) with the average being 23c (73f ).

This means room temperature stable icing is an icing that does not need to be put into the fridge to keep it looking and tasting the best.  Some room-temperature stable icings will be worse off!

If the main ingredient in the icing is sugar, it will start to absorb the moisture in the fridge, and the colours can start to bleed/run/ become watery or blotchy. The icing might become runny and sticky.

It is always good practice to understand the ingredients in the product and icing medium and how they will react to certain pressures/stresses/temperatures.

What type of Icings are there?

These are the main types of icing used to decorate cakes (or biscuits)

• Water icing
• Royal icing
• Buttercream (American, Swiss Buttercream, French, Italian & German)
• Fondant
• Ganache
• Fresh cream
• Dream whip. (It is similar to fresh cream. The best way to describe it is it is like soft serve ice cream, compared to the scooped ice cream, which is made from fresh cream. Dream Whip is still a milk product but has vegetable oil added)
• Cream cheese frosting
• Frosting

Room temperature stable icings to use to decorate

Out of the icings I have mentioned, the room stable icings would be

• Water icing
• Royal icing 
• Fondant 

The icing’s main ingredient is sugar. If you put these icings in the refrigerator, the icing may absorb the moisture, and the colours can bleed, run, and become watery or blotchy. The icing might become runny and sticky. This icing likes dry air, so it can skin up and set. 

If the weather is high in humidity, the icing may become sticky and won’t behave as you would like. To remedy this, turn on the air conditioner, or put it in a dry setting to remove the air’s moisture. 

The cooler end of room temperature stable icings to decorate with

The following three types, if kept at the low end of the room temperature scale, could possibly be on show at room temperature depending on what type of “fat“ and other ingredients are used in the icing. 

• Buttercream (American)
• Ganache
• Frosting

Refrigerated icings or creams that can be used to decorate with

For the icing mediums below, I would recommend them being stored below 4c 

• Cream cheese frosting
• Dream whip
• Fresh cream

Decorating cakes with these icings, you need to decorate quickly and return the icing to the refrigerator as soon as possible. 

By the Australian food safety standards, the recommended time frame would be within 30 mins. For example, you will see that the fat in the fresh cream will lose the trapped air that makes it “whipped cream” and will become sloppy and slightly curdle-looking and might even turn a shade more yellow if the cream becomes warm. 

The different types of cake

Sponge cake:

It is a light, fluffy cake that can easily be squashed when you apply pressure with your hand. You would typically mix this with a whisk attachment for a more extended period of time compared to most cakes like a vanilla tea cake.  

Teacake:

It is a cake that is a bit heavier than a sponge, and it can be squashed with more pressure than a sponge cake. It is a very versatile cake as you can add flavour or colour to it easily. 

Mud Cake:

This cake is usually quite dense and can hold more pressure than the teacake. Mud cakes are usually quite moist, and this is because oil has been added to the mix instead of butter. Like the teacake, you can easily add flavour and colour to this cake. 

Banana / Carrot cake:

They are both similar to the mud cake. They can be pretty dense and moist for the same reason because of the added oil. These cakes are made just for the flavour, I wouldn’t add any extra flavour or colour, however, you could add nuts if permitted.  

Heavy fruit cake:

This is the heaviest cake and cake that has the most extended shelf life at room temperature. It is a cake you could make and then cover with icing to “seal It”, allowing more time to do the necessary decorations. 

Which icing suits what cakes

Usually, the rule of thumb is if the cake is light and fluffy (sponge) you need an icing medium to suit (such as whipped cream). This is also appealing with the texture felt in the mouth, and both cake and icing will complement each other.

If you have a dense or heavy cake, a heavy/dense icing should be used.

What happens if you don’t follow the rule?

Say if you are decorating a sponge with buttercream, you will find the crumb lifting off and making a mess of the icing. Or if you were to use rolled fondant on sponge cake, the cake itself may not cope with the weight of the fondant and could collapse.

My suggestions for the type of icing that suit what type of cake:

• Water icing: can be used as a glaze for many cakes. 
• Royal icing: Would usually be used with a dense cake if letting the icing set. They could be used with a soft and fluffy cake if eaten straight away. This icing is also used on biscuits and also used on cakes that are decorated with fondant. 
• Buttercream American and Swiss Buttercream: mainly tea cakes and more dense cakes, like mud cakes or fruit-type cakes.
• Fondant: Used on dense cakes like tea, mud, and fruit cakes. However, you could make fondant decorations and apply it to the cakes at the time of serving (remember, fondant doesn’t like moisture)
• Ganache: Used with both soft and dense cakes. 
• Fresh cream: Used with soft and light cakes.
• Dream whip: Used with soft and light cakes
• Cream cheese frosting: It has many uses as a topping on fruit cake e.g. Carrot, Banana, red velvet and cupcakes. 
• Frosting: This is similar to buttercream, mainly tea cakes and more dense cakes, like mud cakes or fruit-type cakes. If used on a sponge cake, it might pull up the crumb, it just depends on how much liquid is in the icing and if it is soft to spread.  

What are my favourite Icing Mediums paired up with cakes?

• Sponge + Fresh Cream or dream whip 
• Teacake + Buttercream or frosting (if a specially designed special occasion cake, can decorate this with fondant) 
• Mud Cake + Ganache or Buttercream (if a specially designed special occasion cake, can decorate this with fondant) 
• Banana/carrot cake + Cream Cheese frosting or buttercream (if a specially designed special occasion cake can decorate this with fondant but only with buttercream and no cream cheese. 
• Heavy Fruit cake + Fondant (if a specially designed special occasion cake, can decorate this with fondant) 

Summary

To recap, You have learned that when deciding on the best icing to decorate with, you need to ask yourself a few questions about the subjects below.

• The temperature and weather conditions
• What type of cake are you making
• What icings suit the type of cake you are making
• How is the cake going to be stored (will there be a fridge if needed)

It may even be your preference on what type of icing you have had experience with, which will make it more enjoyable to work with. 

Conclusion

You have learned a few questions to ask yourself when deciding which is the best icing for cake decorating—the factors of the elements that may impact your decorating experience and the desired results.

By understanding what elements and factors can affect your cake or icing medium, you will honestly know what icing is best to decorate your cake.

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