General Remarks
In all icing that is not boiled it is necessary to use “icing” sugar, which is very fine and flour-like in appearance.
Plain Icing
Whites of 2 eggs
¹⁄₂ lb. icing sugar
Flavouring, lemon, vanilla, or almond, etc.
Break the whites into a good sized dish. Add two heaping table-spoons of sugar and stir it in steadily. Beat for a few minutes. Add the sugar gradually, beating well. The making should take about half-an-hour. When thick enough it should not run together again after being cut with a knife. If flavoured with lemon juice, a little more sugar should be added or the icing will not be stiff enough.
Pour the icing on to the cake by large spoonfuls and allow it to settle itself as much as possible. When using a knife, dip it first in cold water.
Ice a cake two or three hours before it is to be eaten. It can be set to harden in a moderate oven for five minutes if needed quickly: but it is best to dry it slowly in a warm, sunny place.
Boiled Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup water
Whites of two eggs
Flavouring
Boil the sugar and water together until it spins a thread from a spoon. Then take the syrup off the fire and pour it into a basin. Add the whites (beaten to a stiff froth) to it gradually, beating hard all the time. Continue beating until the mixture is cold. Add flavouring.
Gelatine Icing
1 tea-spoon gelatine
1 table-spoon cold water
2 table-spoons hot water
1 cup icing sugar
Soak the gelatine in the cold water for half-an-hour. Add to it the hot water and dissolve it in the same. Add it to the sugar and beat till smooth and firm.
Icing without Eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
5 table-spoons milk
Add the milk to the sugar in a saucepan. Stir it till it boils. Then set it where it can boil gently for five minutes. Do not stir. Take off the fire. Put into a basin. Flavour. Beat constantly until cold.
Almond Icing
2 whites of eggs
¹⁄₂ lb. powdered sugar
¹⁄₂ lb. sweet almonds
5 bitter almonds
Rose water
Blanch the almonds and let them dry. Pound them in a mortar and moisten them with a little rose water. When perfectly smooth and fine add them to an icing made as above (see p. 65), of the sugar and white of egg. Spread thickly upon the cake. Place it near a sunny window, allow it to dry partly and cover with a coating of plain sugar icing.
Chocolate Icing—I
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 ozs. chocolate
1 tea-spoon vanilla
Boil the sugar and water together until it forms a syrup which will spin a thread. Add the chocolate and vanilla. Take off the fire and beat well together.
Chocolate Icing—II
Melt two ozs. of chocolate. Add it to the plain icing (see page 65). Flavour with a few drops of vanilla.
Cocoanut Icing
To the plain icing (see p. 65), made with rather less sugar than is given, add half a cup of grated or desiccated cocoanut.
Orange Icing
Grate the thin outer rind of an orange. Put it in a cup. Cover it with four tea-spoons orange juice. Let it soak for half-an-hour. Squeeze the juice through a fine cloth. Add to the plain icing (see p. 65).
Tutti Frutti Icing
1 oz. blanched and chopped almonds
¹⁄₂ cup stoned and chopped raisins and sliced citron
2 whites of eggs
¹⁄₂ lb. icing sugar
Mix the whites and the sugar as for plain icing (see p. 65). Beat for about twenty minutes. Work in the almonds and fruit gradually.
Yellow Icing
2 yolks
¹⁄₂ lb. icing sugar
Flavouring
Beat the yolks until frothy and light. Add the sugar very gradually, beating hard in one direction for about half-an-hour. Flavour.