If you head to the lexicon to sort out the difference betweenfrostingandicing , it might not be of much assist . Merriam - Webster definesicingas “ a sweet flavor normally creamy mixture used to coat baked good … called alsofrosting . ” Its definition forfrosting ? “ Icing . ”
From a culinary point of view , however , the two sweet coating are n’t very . AsThe Pioneer Woman explains , frosting is typically chummy and fluffier , thanks to its most seminal ingredient : fat . This is often butter , pick , or emollient cheese — which explains why you probably hear people refer to “ buttercream frosting ” and “ cream high mallow frosting ” more often than they say “ buttercream ice ” or “ ointment cheese frosting . ” Because frosting is thicker , it ’ll stay in whatever shape you make up one’s mind to open it in . That quality makes it ideal for using oncakesandcupcakes , as well as between cake layers .
Icing , by contrast , is more runny , less downlike , and sometimes translucent ( especially before it dry out ) . While frost is defined by its inclusion of fatness , ice has a bigger focus on dough — unremarkably powdered sugar combined with urine ( and other ingredients ) . It ’s great for decoratingcookies , since you could shrill out a thin layer that ’ll harden once juiceless . AsAllrecipes points out , not all icing is runny . Rolled fondant — which is usually found onwedding cakesand other specialization cakes — is a thick miscellany of sugar , body of water , and corn sirup ( and sometimes gelatin , among other things ) which you could wander and edit out much like you would with a shekels . Because of its sugar - and - water base , it ’s still weigh icing .
So where doesglazefit in ? It ’s also a combination ofsugarand liquid , so it ’s more closely related to icing than frost . It ’s the thin of the three — so fluid that it ’s poured over adessert , rather than piped or spread . agree toReal Simple , glazes may get stiffer when dry , but they do n’t typically harden like an icing would . They ’re great for drizzling over things like pound cakes anddoughnuts .
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