The Best Royal Icing Ever
I’ve tested countless royal icing recipes on my sugar cookies over the years, and let me tell you, it’s been a roller coaster of disappointment but, this is the best royal icing ever! Cracking, discoloration, icing that’s too soft or way too hard—I’ve seen it all.
That is, until I crafted what I proudly call The Best Royal Icing Ever. It pairs perfectly with my famous sugar cookies and, trust me, it’s a game-changer!
Ingredients That Make the Royal Icing Magic Happen
To whip up this incredible royal icing, you’ll need just a few key ingredients: warm water, cream of tartar, powdered sugar, clear vanilla, and my secret weapon—meringue powder! But not just any meringue powder; I swear by Wilton Meringue Powder. It’s the secret sauce that makes all the difference, along with a few special tweaks to the recipe.
(And no, I’m not affiliated with Wilton—I’m just sharing the love for a product that truly works!)
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Let’s Make The best Royal Icing ever!
Ready to create some icing magic? I use a stand mixer, but if you’ve got a hand mixer, that works just fine too.
Start with Warm Water: In your mixing bowl, pour in the warm water. The warmth helps everything come together beautifully.
Add the Meringue Powder: Gradually add in the meringue powder, one tablespoon at a time, while whisking by hand. This gradual addition is crucial for the perfect consistency.
Whisk in the Cream of Tartar and Clear Vanilla: After the meringue powder, whisk in the cream of tartar, followed by the clear vanilla. This ensures a smooth blend of flavors.
My vanilla of choice is clear vanilla. Why you might ask? I feel even the slightest ingredient color affects the pure white of this royal icing recipe. If you plan to add color to the entire batch then it may not matter that much. But, pure white is pure white, right? The pure white is like eye candy on my sugar cookies.
Time for the Stand Mixer: Attach the bowl to your stand mixer and set it to the lowest speed. Let it mix for a full 10 minutes. Yes, 10 minutes—set your timer, walk away, and let the mixer do its thing.
Once the timer goes off, you’re all set! The icing is now ready for coloring and can be mixed to the perfect consistency for outlining or flood filling your sugar cookies.
Quick Recap of Ingredients
- Cream of Tarter
- Confectioners (powdered) sugar
- Clear Vanilla
And there you have it—the ultimate royal icing that’s as delicious as it is reliable!
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The Best Royal Icing..Ever!
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Warm water
- 5 Tbsp Meringue Powder
- 1 tsp Cream of tarter
- 1 bag A 2-pound bag of confectioners (powdered) sugar
- 1 tsp Clear vanilla, optional
Instructions
- Add warm water to a mixing bowl.
- Slowly add the meringue powder to the water, about 1 Tbls at a time, and mix with a hand whisk until dissolved. Continue adding the meringue powder until it is all blended into the water.
- Whisk in Cream of Tarter.
- Add clear vanilla to the mixing bowl and gently whisk.
- Pour all of the confectioner's sugar (all at once) into the mixing bowl.
- If using a stand mixer, set at its lowest setting and allow to mix for 10 minutes. You may have to stop once to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a silicone spatula.
- The royal icing is now ready to divide and prepare for outline and flood fill thickness. Add food color and then ice your cookies.
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