Icing On The Cake

Nothing complements a cake like a good old fashioned icing. There are several kinds from butter cream to glaze that work well on every kind from sheet cakes to cup cakes. The best ones are the ones from scratch. Don;t use the canned ones. They taste artificial and ruin the flavor of a good homemade no mix involved cake.



Icings have been around for along time. From the 1600's to the late 1800's boiled icings were the frosting of choice. (although interesting enough frosting and icing were two separate coverings). Early icings were similar to royal icing which are boiled. They consist of hot water, confectioners' sugar and egg whites. Most Americans prefer butter cream , the usual mix of confectioners sugar unsalted butter, flavoringsuch as usually vanilla and milk. Cocoa powder can be added to create fudge frosting. if you want a simple icing you can just mix water, milk or whole cream with powdered sugar to create a glaze. This last is perfect for Bundt cakes , doughnuts and holiday cookies such as gingerbread.


What kind of frosting tastes good with cakes. I prefer a lemon butter cream with a vanilla cake although orange is good. Chocolate cakes are better frosted with a fudge or a chocolate mint (add mint extract) . The mint will cut the sweetness as does the lemon. Cream cheese icing another good tasting and very versatile icing. It can be used for both carrot and red velvet cake. It;s about as much work as a regular butter cream.


Icings always finish off the cake Think of them as the frame around the picture. A good simple one is all you need to showcase your work.

Caramel Goodness

There's nothing better than caramel. This rich buttery treat is the perfect dessert or pick me up after a long hard day. Caramels aren't what they used to be. Gone are the small icky squares that were packed into a plastic bag. There's a new crop out there that's been elevated to the gourmet status.

Caramel has been around in some form or other since the early 1700's. It wasn't until the 1800's that butter and cream were added to give the candy its' rich chewy texture. Vanilla, chocolate and yes, even maple syrup were added to give caramel it's unique creamy taste. Caramel, then and now, is made in copper vats over a steam heat. You can make caramel at home, using regular metal pots and pans but remember this candy gets very hot (around 240 F). If you're adept at candy making, go for it. If not you can always buy some good quality caramel.

Nowadays candy stores throughout the world sell gourmet caramels. These are bigger than the ones you grew up on. The taste is richer and more often than not they've been sprinkled with sea salt to accentuate their sweetness. The salt brings out all the flavors and heightens the caramels' flavor. Other ingredients have been added such as licorice and even habenero peppers. If you're a purist then stick to the basic vanilla and chocolate flavors. These are always the best.

Caramels are not what they used to be. Like chocolate, they entered a whole new level of gourmet status.However they still maintain their rich buttery flavor that caramel lovers around the world enjoy.