Ask Nancy
Hi, Nancy. I have a question about making royal icing. I made a royal icing following exactly the ingredients and procedure. After I got done with it, it was foamy. Then I started piping and it became watery. I even added corn syrup and it didn’t get stiff. I let it stand uncovered hoping to get it dry, but it turned out too wet. What am I doing wrong?
Donna - from Frankfort, KY
You indicate that when you were done making the royal icing, it was foamy. It seems like you didn’t beat it long enough. The icing should look like very stiff egg whites when you are done. Mixers vary in power, so possibly your mixer wasn’t powerful enough – try beating the icing longer.
Also, you need to make sure all the utensils (bowl, mixer beaters, spatula, etc.) are grease-free. Any oil or grease, even the smallest amount, will break down royal icing, meaning that it doesn’t thicken up or become stiff enough to pipe.
Finally, corn syrup should never be added to royal icing. It is only used in buttercream icing to thin it.
The Public Television cake decorating show providing easy projects for special celebrations. Not intended to replace instructional classes.