Royal icing

Often confused with fondant, royal icing is a white meringue-like mixture made from egg whites, acetic acid
and icing sugar. Royal icing is easily made at home, and has multiple uses. Becoming rock-hard once set, it
is ideal for attaching decorations to cakes and is a popular icing for piping.
Royal icing
1 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
1 egg white
4 drops acetic acid
Lightly beat egg white in a small bowl. Add icing sugar one tablespoonful at a time, beating well after each
addition. When icing reaches the desired consistency, add acetic acid and beat well.
Cream cheese icing
The combination of cream cheese, butter and icing sugar makes a delicious fluffy, cream-coloured icing.
Cream cheese icing traditionally decorates carrot cakes and cupcakes. It can be smoothed to a relatively
even finish, or fluffed up for a more casual cake.
Cream cheese icing
30 g butter, softened
80 g cream cheese, softened
1 cups (240 g) icing sugar, sifted
Beat butter and cheese in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and airy. Gradually beat in sifted icing
sugar until the icing is fluffy.
Ganache
This rich chocolate icing is made from either white of dark chocolate and cream. Ganache can look shiny or
matte and is also used as a filling or piped into decorations. White chocolate ganache can be tinted. Avoid
pairing ganache with a light cake such as a delicate sponge as this thick icing needs a cake that it won't
overpower, such as a mud cake or an almond bundt cake.
Ganache
300 mL cream
600 g chocolate
Boil cream, then remove from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until the ganache is smooth.
Allow the icing to cool completely before using, and if it's too hard gently heat in the microwave to return to a
spreadable consistency.
Meringue
This typically American-style frosting is made from egg whites, caster sugar and water. It is whipped and
then spread with a palette knife onto the cake to create an edible looking icing that looks particularly striking
when decorated with fresh flowers. Be warned though, you must act quickly when icing your cake as it sets
within moments of coming off the heat.
If the cake is transported it needs to be carefully packed as its soft texture can be easily damaged. Meringue
does not hold up well in humidity.
American-style meringue frosting
2 egg whites
425 g caster sugar
100 mL water
Using a hand-held electric beater, whisk egg whites in the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until
very stiff. In a separate pan, dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is thick
and syrupy and has reached the 'thread' stage - when the last few drops that fall from a metal spoon come
off in one long syrupy thread.
Pour the syrup over the egg whites, whisking all the time. Return the bowl to above the saucepan of
simmering water and continue to whisk for 10-15 minutes or until the icing is white, very thick and meringue-
like.
Buttercream
Buttercream is made by creaming butter until pale with icing sugar, vanilla and milk. This soft, buttery icing
can be spread over a cake or piped into patterns. It can also be flavoured with colour or chocolate and is
perfect for small cakes, like cupcakes. Buttercream hardens on refrigeration, and does not keep for more
than a few days. Remember to keep this icing cool as it icing melts easily.
Buttercream
125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cups (240 g) icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk

Basic Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additions, if desired (see variations below)
Nonstick Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons sanding sugar (large crystal granulated sugar that adds sparkly sweetness), if desired
Directions
Place one oven rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray the cups of a standard 12-cup
muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively butter and flour the muffin cups, tapping out the excess flour, our line the
muffin cups with paper liners. Set the muffin pan aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, milk and vanilla and then set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour,
sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Pour the butter mixture into the well. With a
rubber spatula, gently stir the ingredients together just until the batter is moistened. Dont overmix. Stir in any additions you are
using, such as fruit, nut, or chocolate chips.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan cups with an ice cream scoop if you have one or a large spoon if you dont. Fil l each
muffin cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle sanding sugar evenly over the muffin batter, if desired. Bake until a toothpick inserted in
the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the muffin pan on a wire rack.
Loosen the muffins and tip them on thei
Banana Muffins Omit the milk. Reduce butter to 1/2 cup. Stir 1 cup mashed banana (2 medium) into the liquid ingredients
until well combined then proceed with the recipe.
Master Easy Muffin Recipe (1978)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour or a combination
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
Directions
1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a standard 12-cup (2-1/2-inch)
muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk tougher the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and vegetable oil or butter.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined and moistened. (The batter should still be lumpy and thick,
but quite moist. If the batter seems too dry add a little more milk.)
5. Distribute the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
6. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them out of the pan and onto a wire
rack to cool.
Many Easy Muffin Variations
Banana-Nut Muffins: Decrease milk to 1/3 cup, stir in 1 cup mashed bananas (2 to 3 medium) and 1/3 cup chopped nuts with
the milk. Substitute packed brown sugar for the sugar.
Bran Muffins: Pour the milk on 1-1/2 cups whole bran cereal and let stand 10 minutes. Add this to the egg and oil along with 1/4
cup molasses. Decrease the flour to 1-1/4 cups and add 1/2 cup raisins if desired.
Buttermilk Muffins: Substitute buttermilk for the milk. Decrease baking powder to 2-1/2 teaspoons and add 1/2 teaspoon baking
soda with the flour.
Chocolate Chip Muffins: Stir in 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips.