A Sweet and Simple Addition to Cakes and Bakes
How about a quick recipe for icing? Perfect to dress up your cinnamon roles, bundt cake, scones and muffins. This simple and quick sugar icing is a perfect companion of our bundt cake – find the recipe here.
A quicker and easier alternative to Royal Icing (using egg) and Buttercream (using, well, butter), this icing is the shiny companion you see on cinnamon buns. It adds a hint of sweetness, and richness from the milk to your dishes. It helps to prevent your bakes, cakes and buns from drying out – especially handy for your cinnamon buns. It’s easy: you only need three ingredients. Sugar: the fine confectioners’ sugar; milk to blend it together; and vanilla extract for that extra depth in flavor.
You’ll be amazed how much sugar a mere two tablespoons of milk is able to blend together: resist the urge to pour in a lot more. If that happens, you’ll either have to add more sugar or start over. Milk will give you a nice creaminess, but if you need a more silky feel to your icing, replace the milk with heavy cream. It will be a bit more difficult to drizzle, but you can spoon or spread this icing just as easily for a more rustic look and feel.
My recipe calls for a pinch of salt. That may seem strange in a dish that’s predominantly sugar but adding salt, even if it’s a little bit, adds flavor and depth. You can leave it out if you’d like.
The Tools We’ll Use
You don’t need much to create a gorgeous, shiny icing that adds a ton to your bakes. A scale, a simple glass bowl and a fork or a whisk is all you need. This will literally come together in seconds. You don’t need a mixer or other tools. A spoon works but because the mixture is sticky, it’s less ideal.
Let’s go ahead and make the icing. Here’s how.
Quick and Easy Icing
Ingredients
- 120 grams confectioners' or powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Sift the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. The finer confectioners's sugar will give a smooth, shiny icing. Don't sub this sugar for regular or brown sugar.
- Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream and stir well until completely dissolved and no lumps remain.
- Add the salt if desired.
- If you prefer a thinner icing, add the third tablespoon of milk. For a thicker icing, add a little more sugar.
- Use immediately, and store remaining icing in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered well.