The ideal Icing

The icing or more appropriately the frosting makes the cake. It's the selling point that can either give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down moment. The question is what is the best one? Buttercream? whipped cream? Or just a simple dusting of confectioners sugar.

I've been obsessed with this since I started serious baking again.To me, one of the best frostings came from the famed Magnolia Bakery along with Jane's Off Seventh The second , sadly, isn' t

t there anymore, due to high rents and the owner passing. The owner made the best cupcakes, a tender moist crumb with a deliciously creamy buttercream Magnolia Bakery, has so-so cupcakes but ones with a really good, homemade tasting icing.This is the icing I long to make. I found a website Two Sisters Crafting, a craftsy site that features everything from knitting projects to baking. It was created by two sisters, Laurie and Nancy who have recipes and ideas for almost every holiday and football teams. Their buttercream icing recipes are varied with flavors I would have never associated with this sort of frosting. There's butter rum (!) and peanut butter (!) and even cookie dough (!). I just wanted a simple buttercream one one that I can dye and make a pretty icingand   with  even prettier decorations.It also seems to be really creamy too. Another plus is that it has chocolate buttercream icing ,a perfect go to with yellow cake - the ideal combo according to one friend,

Many (such as my Mom) prefer a whipped cream icing.It's lighter and less sweeter tasting  than buttercream that sometimes can taste like divinity fudge. Two Sisters has this which is a combo of two cups heavy whipping cream, white chocolate pudding mix and confectioner's sugar. There is also a sturdy (?) whipped cream icing recipe .It is a mix of heavy whipped cream and cream cheese. It

doesn't have the usual confectioner's sugar but granular white. It's non-meltable which means it will hold it's shaped if it's piped on a cake or cupcake's surface.Is there a pure cream icing, similar to what bakeries put on their cakes? It probably has some kind of gelatin to make it solid. instead of running down the sides. Th best example of this is  Charlotte Russe , a disc of vanilla, angel or sponge cake topped with a puff of whipped cream. It's served in a push pop kind of cylinder  where you have to push the bottom up to get a mouthful of cream and cake, Another idea is just getting a can of Reddi Whip and spritzing the cake or cupcakes with it. A simpler idea is just dusting the cake and cupcakes tops with a fine dusting of sifted confectioner's sugar. This is an elegant way of serving both and does appeal to many people, including myself.

What makes the best icing? The creamy sweet buttercream?  The light and airy whipped cream? Or the plain yet classy dusting of confectioner's sugar? It depends on taste - not simply on look. The most memorable treats are the ones that taste delicious.That's what makes the ideal and best icing.