How to Make & Pipe Royal Icing

Royal icing is the perfect choice for decorating, as it sets to a much firmer consistency than buttercream. This makes it ideal for everything from Christmas gingerbread houses and Halloween cookies to wedding cakes and more. With this skill, you’ll be able to create beautifully decorated treats for any occasion. 

Ingredients for royal icing: 
• 600g icing sugar 
• 3 egg whites* 
• 1 tsp liquid glucose 
• 1 tsp lemon juice OR vanilla extract (depending on the flavour you’d like) 
*If you don’t want to use fresh egg white, you can substitute it with egg white powder or meringue powder. 

Equipment you’ll need: 
• Mixing bowl 
• Electric whisk 
• Piping bag or palette knife 

1. Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and whisk until lightly whipped. If using Dr. Oetker egg white powder, follow instructions on the pack to re hydrate the egg white power.  
2. Spoon in your icing sugar gradually, whisking continuously. 
3. Add in your Dr. Oetker glucose syrup and Dr. Oetker Vanilla Extract. 
4. Continue to whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks when you lift your whisk beaters. 
5. Pop the mix in a piping bag if you’re decorating biscuits or cookies. If you’re using it to ice a cake, grab a palette knife to help spread it. 
6. Leave your biscuits or cake somewhere cool and dry to allow the icing to set. Enjoy! 

Royal icing is perfect for piping intricate designs, whether you're creating delicate flowers for a summer party or festive snowflakes and gingerbread men for the holidays. Before you start, it's a good idea to practice your designs on a piece of baking paper to get comfortable with the piping bag and the icing's consistency. 

In addition to outlining or adding fine details with royal icing, you can try flooding, a technique where you fill in a section of your biscuit or cookie with icing. Start by outlining the shape you want to flood using a piping bag. Then, pour some of your royal icing into a squeezy bottle and, working from top to bottom, flood the area with icing until it's filled. 

You might also need to adjust the consistency of your royal icing depending on your design. To achieve a medium or thin consistency for flooding or creating intricate shapes, simply add a few drops of room-temperature water and stir. 

For stiffer royal icing, which is ideal for spreading on cakes, sticking biscuit pieces together (like for a gingerbread house), or creating rosettes, use the icing in its freshly made state. With these techniques, you can create beautifully decorated treats with ease! 

For perfect royal icing for all your baking creations, follow these five easy tips: 

1. It’ll be easier to separate your egg whites from your yolks when they’re cold out of the fridge. 
2. Whip your eggs slowly to help break down the protein. This will make them more elastic and create the volume you need. 
3. If you’re making your icing thinner for outlining or flooding biscuits, make sure you add the water very gradually – just half a teaspoon at a time. 
4. Accidentally made your icing too thin? Add a spoonful of thicker royal icing and stir carefully. 
5. Keep your royal icing covered when you’re not using it as it dries out very quickly. 
6. Royal icing can start to separate after a few hours. This is completely normal, though. Just give it a good stir before you use it again. 

Piping vs flooding royal icing 
Whether you pipe or flood your royal icing will depend on what you’re decorating. Flooding is best for filling in larger shapes with icing – such as a snowflake cookie – while piping is perfect for more intricate detailing or outlines. 

How long does it take for royal icing to dry? 
Royal icing can take a few hours to dry properly depending on whether you’ve piped, spread or flooded with it. Piping with stiffer icing will take less time to dry than runnier icing that has been used for flooding. 

Can you freeze royal icing? 
Yes, it is possible to freeze royal icing. In fact, we’d recommend making a larger batch and freezing some of it for any later baking needs. Store it in an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bag, making sure you squeeze any air bubbles out.  
To thaw your royal icing, simply place it in the fridge overnight. 

Can I pre-prepare royal icing? 
Of course, you can make royal icing in advance. You’ll just need to store it in an airtight container. It can be kept somewhere cool and dry for up to three days or in the fridge for up to two weeks. 

How to soften royal icing without glycerine? 
Glucose or glycerine is typically added to icing to give it a softer consistency. You don’t have to use it in your recipe if you don’t want to – especially if you’re using royal icing to decorate cookies where the icing needs to be set hard. 

If you’re not using glucose in your royal icing recipe, make sure you use your icing quickly and store it properly to prevent it from drying out. 

How much Bright Red Gel Food Colour should I use to get a bold shade in my royal icing?
We recommend using 1 tube per 150g royal icing to achieve bright red

Now you know how to make your royal icing from scratch, why not try experimenting? Check out our recipe for Crown Biscuits Recipe which make the ideal festive treat. Halloween around the corner? Our Halloween Biscuits Recipe Recipe are ghoulishly good.

Why not check out some more of our baking tips here- Hints & Tips