Royal icing is an icing that is great for decorating cookies, it dries hard so you can stack the cookies and even ship them. It’s smooth and can be drizzled over cookies, you can use it to outline cookies as well as flood the icing in so the icing is smooth and solid on top of the cookies.
Royal icing is also great for making transfers to go on top of cupcakes, cookies or other baked treats.
*I’ve included lots of photos and links where I’ve used royal icing in this post so keep an eye out!
Here I made pink ribbons, and you can see the possibilities are endless of what you can make with royal icing.
More ideas for adding decorations to cupcakes are these Gingerbread Men and Pumpkins.
You can also use royal icing to make cupcake toppers. Any simple shape can be made, in any color, you can imagine. Wow, the possibilities are endless. You can also put the royal icing toppers on brownies, cakes, and cookies. They really create a 3D effect.
You know those googly eyes that you see on crafts that kids make,
they wiggle and giggle and move all around,
well these may not wiggle and giggle but they look like them in candy form. Like candy buttons, you remember those….
right? the paper stuck to the back of those cute colored button candy dots.
These are made out of royal icing, they are easy to make and the best part is you can make them ahead of time.
These are great to decorate cookies, cakes, and fun for any edible face.
I’ve made a few treats I’m going to share with you that used these royal icing googly eyes shortly and thought I’d share just how to make the eyes first.
Begin by making a stiff royal icing.
Then adjust how thin you need it by adding water to the desired consistency you would like to work with.
Adding drops of water and completely mixing before adding too much.
I use Americolor White food coloring and Americolor Very Black food coloring to create the colors.
Put the icing into piping bags or bottles fitted with a coupler and round tip, I used a #2 for the white and a #1 for the black.
When piping the eyes, if you pipe them out like the photo above and they don’t lay smooth. They make peeks like chocolate chips, you will need to add a few drops of water and mix well until you pipe out the icing smooth.
Pipe the icing onto wax paper.
Allow the icing to dry completely before peeling it off the paper or they will crack.
I allow 12 hours for them to dry. I try to make any type of decoration like this a few days ahead so they are completely dried and I’m not fussing with them at the last minute for the project I’m working on.
The icing should look smooth and shiny when piped onto the paper.
Have both white and black icing ready to pipe as you don’t want the white to set up too long before piping the black or the black icing won’t recess into the white and look smooth.
I’ve used these royal icing on THIS recipe and they look so cute!
Here are some cookies I’ve used royal icing on.
Red Velvet Snowflakes, Chocolate Gingerbread Christmas Trees, Reindeer Cupcakes, Snowman Cupcakes, Snowman Cookies.
Be sure to check those out you may get inspired!
- 2 pounds powdered sugar (each pound of powdered sugar is about 4.5 cups of powdered sugar)
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder on low for 1 minute until it's fully blended.
- Add water and extract and mix on low until it's mixed well.
- Then turn mixer on medium and beat until the icing is stiff, 8-10 minutes.
- Add water to thin to the consistency you need.
- You can store royal icing at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
- Whip it if it becomes separated.
I use Americolor White food coloring and Americolor Very Black food coloring for these.
LOTS of info on baking cookies here:
- cookie tips guide https://www.createdby-diane.com/cookie-tips
how to bake perfect cookies https://www.createdby-diane.com/2017/09/how-to-bake-perfect-cut-out-cookies.html - Easy Cut Out Cookies https://www.createdby-diane.com/2011/07/sugar-cookie-recipe.html
- Cookie Dough Recipe that holds it’s shape https://www.createdby-diane.com/2011/07/sugar-cookie-recipe.html
- Soft Sugar Cookies and Frosting https://www.createdby-diane.com/2017/05/soft-sugar-cookies.html
- How to ice cookies with a piping bag https://www.createdby-diane.com/2017/07/how-to-ice-cookies-with-a-piping-bag.html
- Brush on glaze icing https://www.createdby-diane.com/2014/08/lemon-italian-cookies-with-lemon-icing.html
- resources, recipes, items, and instructions for baking perfect cookies https://www.createdby-diane.com/2017/09/how-to-bake-perfect-cut-out-cookies.html
- royal icing recipe https://www.createdby-diane.com/2013/10/royal-icing-googly-eyes.html
Holly says
October 20, 2013 at 5:52 pmwhere did you get those bottles that the couplers screw on to??? I’ve never seen them before and I want them now :). Loving the googly eyes.
Diane says
October 20, 2013 at 7:59 pmHere is a link to them on Amazon, I ordered them from a cake supply store. The name on the package is CK Products 2pack 2 oz squeezit mold painters. http://www.amazon.com/CK-Products-Squeeze-Bottle-Set/dp/B0000VLHLA
Shelly says
January 5, 2019 at 5:50 amThanks so much for making this so easy for me, it can be intimidating. I’m eager to try royal icing now.
happy funny bunny easter says
January 15, 2019 at 2:31 amYou always have such great info in your posts, I am looking forward to making better cupcakes this weekend, thanks!
Kathy Evans says
October 17, 2013 at 9:43 pmHow do you get black?
Diane says
October 17, 2013 at 11:08 pmI use Americolor food coloring. I used Americolor white to make the white, extra white and their Very Black to make the black frosting.
Kathy Evans says
October 18, 2013 at 12:17 amExcellent! Thank you.