On Food and Cooking

Frostings,  Icings, and Glazes

Frostings, icings, and glazes are sweet
coatings for cakes and other baked goods.
In addition to being tasty and decorative,
they protect the food underneath from
drying out. These preparations began in the
17th century as plain syrup glazes, and
gradually evolved into more elaborate
forms. Today, glazes are glossy, thin,
dense coatings made with a combination of
powdered sugar, a small amount of water,
corn syrup, and sometimes fat (butter,
cream). The corn syrup and fat prevent the
sugar from forming coarse crystals, and the
corn syrup provides a moisture-attracting
liquid phase to fill the space between sugar
particles and create a smooth, glass-like
surface. A warm fondant (around
100ºF/38ºC) poured over the cake or pastry
produces a similar effect. Simple frostings
are made by whipping sugar and air into a
solid fat — butter, cream cheese, or