Sugar Icing for Cakes

The Book of Household Management · Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary) · 1861

Source: The Book of Household Management
Status: success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (6)

1 lb. of loaf sugar ↝ Sugar, NFS [Sugars and honey]
the whites of 4 eggs ↝ Egg, white only, raw [Eggs and omelets]
1 oz. of fine starch

for coloring

strawberry or currant-juice ↝ Strawberries, raw [Fruits and Fruit Juices]
prepared cochineal

for rich cakes

a layer of almond icing, No. 1735 ↝ Nuts, almonds, whole, raw [Nut and Seed Products]

Instructions (10)

Beat the egg whites to a strong froth.
Gradually sift in the loaf sugar, which should be reduced to the finest possible powder.
Gradually add the starch, also finely powdered.
Beat the mixture well until the sugar is smooth.
With a spoon or broad knife lay the icing equally over the cakes.
Place the cakes in a very cool oven and allow the icing to dry and harden, but not to colour.
The icing may be coloured with strawberry or currant-juice, or with prepared cochineal.
If it be put on the cakes as soon as they are withdrawn from the oven, it will become firm and hard by the time the cakes are cold.
On very rich cakes, such as wedding, christening cakes, &c., a layer of almond icing, No. 1735, is usually spread over the top, and over that the white icing as described.
All iced cakes should be kept in a very dry place.

Original Text

SUGAR ICING FOR CAKES.

1736. INGREDIENTS.—To every lb. of loaf sugar allow the whites of 4 eggs, 1 oz. of fine starch.

Mode.—Beat the eggs to a strong froth, and gradually sift in the sugar, which should be reduced to the finest possible powder, and gradually add the starch, also finely powdered. Beat the mixture well until the sugar is smooth; then with a spoon or broad knife lay the icing equally over the cakes. These should then be placed in a very cool oven, and the icing allowed to dry and harden, but not to colour. The icing may be coloured with strawberry or currant-juice, or with prepared cochineal. If it be put on the cakes as soon as they are withdrawn from the oven, it will become firm and hard by the time the cakes are cold. On very rich cakes, such as wedding, christening cakes, &c., a layer of almond icing, No. 1735, is usually spread over the top, and over that the white icing as described. All iced cakes should be kept in a very dry place.

BISCUIT POWDER, generally used for Infants' Food.

1737. This powder may be purchased in tin canisters, and may also be prepared at home. Dry the biscuits well in a slow oven; roll them and grind them with a rolling-pin on a clean board, until they are reduced to powder; sift it through a close hair sieve, and it is fit for use. It should be kept in well-covered tins, and in a dry place.

Notes

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