While you may be a die-hard fan of traditional buttercream or pledge loyalty to whipped cream, there are many more types of icing to consider. All decadent, different types of icing for cake, cupcakes, and cookies can boost the deliciousness factor of your next recipe.

Let’s take a look at 10 different types of icing and how to use them to take your cakes and goodies to the next level:

Fudge Icing

Fudge icing is a simple, yet elegant way to dress up a cake. All it takes is cream, sugar, and cocoa powder brought to a boil and then cooked until it thickens.

When still warm, the icing is easy to pour and spread around the cake. As it cools, it firms up to a thicker, fudge-like consistency.

Caramel Icing

For those who aren’t fans of fudge, you can make a quick caramel icing using a combination of milk and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and add sugar and butter until it’s a good consistency for spreading.

The warm caramel is easy to pour and spread but you’ll need to work fast as it will get firmer as it cools.

Sweet Glazes

There are several ways to make a quick glaze, perfect for cakes or for homemade donuts. You can achieve a classic clear glaze using a bit of milk or water combined with powdered sugar.

For thicker glazes, add less liquid. Thinner glazes need more liquid and are ideal for drizzling over a breakfast bread or pound cake.

To make a chocolate glaze, melt a combination of corn syrup, butter, and chocolate. Chocolate glazes works for a number of baked goods, including cakes, donuts, and cookies.

Marzipan

Marzipan is perfect for fancier cakes. Made from sugar, flavorings, and almond paste, marzipan becomes thick and easy to form into a variety of decorative cake toppers or as a filling between cake layers.

You can also use marzipan as a filling in a variety of cookies and pastries.

Ganache

Ganache is one of the most versatile icings around. You can easily make ganache by adding equal parts chocolate and cream, boiling the cream first then adding chocolate. The mixture is liquid in the beginning, but as it begins to set, it becomes firmer.

The reason ganache is so popular is because it can be used well beyond a traditional icing for a whole cake or cupcakes. Ganache is also a great choice for filling pastries, cookie sandwiches, and other delights.

You can also pour ganache while still in liquid form over your baked goods, as it makes a great drizzled topping.

Fondant

Fondant is a moldable icing with a doughy consistency. It’s made of water, gelatin, sugar, and glycerine, giving it a smooth, polished appearance.

You can roll the fondant into a covering for an entire cake or use it to make special designs for decorating the top and sides of the cake.

You can also make a pourable fondant, which dries with a glossy appearance, ideal for special occasion cakes and cupcakes.

Gum Paste

Gum paste is a popular choice for creating hand-molded decorations. The paste contains a mixture of powdered sugar, shortening, and egg whites that’s easy to roll very thin.

You need to work fast with gum paste. While similar to fondant, gum paste dries hard rather than remaining pliable. It’s best for creating special decorations and won’t work well as a whole-cake topping.

Royal Icing

Royal icing is crafted with powdered sugar, egg whites, and a touch of lemon. This type of icing will dry hard but is easy to dispense from a piping bag.

While it can be used to hand-decorate cake tops, royal icing is a popular choice for cookie decorating or for sandwiching cookies together.

Modeling Chocolate

Modeling chocolate is made by combining melting chocolates with corn syrup. As it cools, the chocolate should be kneaded to a moldable consistency, similar to clay.

You can use a variety of melting chocolate flavors, including dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate, to create a variety of cake decorations. The chocolate is more rigidand may hold better for some decorating ideas that won’t work with fondant.

Pastillage

If you’re planning to sculpt a work of art with your cake decorating, you may want to consider pastillage, an icing similar to fondant.

Pastillage sets hard and makes it easier to create sculpted décor for topping cakes, making it a top choice for creative bakers.

Whether you’regearing up for your next professional baking gig or just want to broaden your family’s dessert horizons, there are many different types of icing and frostings to consider.

If you’re planning to market your handcrafted cakes or pastries and need reliable storage containers, contact the team at BottleStore.com and learn about the large inventory of cake decorating supplies.