Skip to main content

Royal Icing

3.8

(12)

Image may contain Icing Food Creme Dessert Cake Cream and Egg

Royal icing is a pure-white, sticky icing that dries to a hard finish. Royal icing is used for delicate piping on cookies and gingerbread houses. Its  bright white hue makes it a good option for tinting whatever color you like. 

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

3¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
2 large egg whites
1 tsp. strained fresh lemon juice
Assorted food colorings (optional)

Preparation

  1. Using electric mixer, beat 3¼ cups powdered sugar and egg whites until thick and shiny, adding more powdered sugar by tablespoonfuls if mixture is too thin to spread, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice. Divide icing into portions, if desired, and add different food coloring to each. Cover until ready to use.

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Baking meatballs and green beans on two sides of the same sheet pan streamlines the cooking process for this saucy, savory dinner.
Crunchy and crowd-pleasing, this salad can be prepared in advance and customized to your heart’s content.
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
Juicy peak-season tomatoes make the perfect plant-based swap for aguachile.