3 egg whites
3 c. confectioner's sugar
3 tsp. lemon juice
Put the egg whites into a bowl, add a little of the sugar, and beat.
Continue adding sugar until the mixture becomes too thick to beat well,
and then add the lemon juice. Add the remainder of the sugar, and
continue beating until the icing is thick enough to spread. Spread a
thin layer over the cake and allow it to harden. When this is dry, cover
it with another layer to make a smooth surface, and add more sugar to
the remaining icing until it is of a very stiff consistency. Color and
flavor as desired, place in a pastry bag, and force through pastry tubes
to make any desired designs.
91. COOKED ICINGS.--A few cooked icings are made without egg whites, but
for the most part icings of this kind consist of a sugar sirup beaten
into egg whites that have been whipped until they are stiff. Success in
making icing of this kind depends largely on boiling the sirup to just
the right degree, for when this is done the icing will remain for a
short time in a condition to be handled. If the sirup is not cooked long
enough, the icing will not stiffen and it will have to be mixed with
powdered sugar to make it dry. In the event of its being boiled too
long, the icing will have to be applied quickly, for it is likely to
become sugary. A thermometer is a convenient utensil to use in making
icings of this kind, for with it the housewife can determine just when
the sirup is boiled to the right point. However, after the housewife has
had a little experience, excellent results can be achieved in the way of
icings without a thermometer if the mixture is tested carefully. The
beating of cooked icings also has much to do with the nature of the
finished product. They should be beaten until they are of just the
proper consistency to spread and still will not run off the surface
of the cake.
92. Because of the nature of cooked icings, it is necessary that the
work of applying them to cakes be completed as quickly as possible. A
case knife or a spatula is the best utensil for this purpose.
To ice a layer cake, pour some of the icing on the layer that is desired
for the bottom and then spread it over the layer quickly until it is
smooth and as thick as desired. If coconut or any other ingredient,
such as chopped nuts or fruit, is to be used, sprinkle it on the icing
as in Fig. 21. Then take up the second layer carefully, as shown, and
place it on the iced first layer. Pour the remainder of the icing on
this layer and spread it evenly over the top and down the sides, as
shown in Fig. 22. The cake will then be covered with a plain white icing
that will be sufficient in itself or that may serve as a basis for any
desired ornament. If coconut, fruit, or nuts have been used between the
layers, sprinkle the same over the top, as shown in Fig. 23, while the
icing is still soft.
[Illustration: FIG. 21, Assembling layer cake.]
[Illustration: FIG. 22, Icing layer cake.]
Sometimes, after the icing has been spread, it may be found that the
surface is not so smooth as it should be. Any roughness that may occur,
however, may be removed as soon as the icing has become entirely cold by
dipping a clean silver knife into hot water and, as shown in Fig. 24,
running it gently over the entire surface. This treatment takes only a
little time and greatly improves the appearance of the cake.