Boiled Icing

Edited: August 14, 2013
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Boiled Icing is a meringue frosting. The process of making it is similar to the Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC) except that the proportion of egg to sugar is not the same.  To my customers I don't use the term "boiled icing" because I don't want to explain to people why it is called such. If I want it to appeal to kids, I just say marshmallow icing and tell them it tastes like melted marshmallow which is true, would you agree? If I want to confuse people, the silly me, I tell them it's Italian Meringue and notice how their jaws drop..."Italian, what???" and that makes it sounds classy hahaha! More often than not I just tell them, "you know, that soft, fluffy icing that kids really like" and that ends the confusion.

Boiled icing is a very stable icing when done the right way. It can stand high humidity. You can pipe it, make it super smooth, make it stand in peaks. This is why I super love, love, love boiled icing than any other kind plus the fact that clean up is easier than butter based icing. I find the Italian Meringue recipe I previously posted too airy and light which is why I always go for this recipe.

Do not get intimated doing this recipe, it may look scary at first but if you follow the procedure carefully, you will get it right. If not, there is always the next time. It doesn't take long before you can perfect this. I suggest you read the instructions carefully and try to imagine each step before taking the dive.

BOILED ICING

Ingredients:

4 eggwhites
2 cups white sugar (or 1/2 cup for every eggwhite)
1/2 cup water (or 1/8 cup for every egg)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions and Notes:

1. Egg whites are easiest to separate and you cut the risk of breaking the yolks when the eggs are cold. I separate them after I take them out from the fridge then let the egg whites allow to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes. The yolks, I drop them in a glass of cold water and keep them in the fridge covered until I need them.

2. Make sure your bowl for the egg whites is super clean, no trace of grease.

3. In a small saucepan, preferably the thick stainless type, combine sugar and water.

4. Bring to a boil over low heat gradually increasing to medium heat as soon as it starts boiling. If you have a candy thermometer, use it. If you don't have one, I suggest you buy. If you don't intend to buy soon, don't panic.  I'd say do not bother to use candy thermometer unless you are using the most accurate infrared type. They are not dependable. It's a hit and miss for me so if you still have not one, don't think about getting one for this purpose. Also, don't bother to stir the mixture at all, and forget about those procedure that asks you to brush the side of the pan with water. Just keep it in medium heat. 

5. I use a Kitchenaid for my egg whites. I usually start beating the eggs as soon as temperature reaches 200degF syrup looks sticky. If you are very observant and take some minutes to observe and marvel at it while it boils, you will see that it looks very liquid from the start and as soon as most water evaporates, bubbles will start to look sticky.  Our target is 240-248 degrees F or the "thread" stage, as I call it. Some call it the soft ball stage. If using a hand mixer, you can start beating at this point also as it starts boiling. It takes about another 7-10 minutes before the sugar mixture reaches the desired temperature.

How do we know that it reaches the correct temperature already?

After getting frustrated with the hit and miss result using thermometer I go back to the dependable, old school, thread test. If you become expert in it, just by looking at the syrup, you will know that it is almost there. Syrup at this stage looks sticky. When it starts to look sticky, I start testing and doing it every 3 minutes using a clean spoon every time.  Dip the tip of the spoon in your syrup and lift it. A thin thread will form once your syrup temperature reaches 230-240. If your syrup is undercooked, icing will get runny in a few hours after frosting the cake. If syrup is overcooked, icing could get grainy but will be stable. Overcooked syrup mostly happens when you do Facebook while waiting for the sugar to cook. 


6. Okay, this is how I do it. When I start beating the eggwhites and get to the soft peak stage, I decrease the mixing speed to medium and increase the heat of the stove to medium-high so that it reaches 240 degrees fast. As soon as it reaches 240, I increase the mixer speed to high and take out the sugar from the fire and slowly pour it to the side of the bowl, aim for the spot between the beater and the bowl. Don't worry, it isn't difficult to do, I promise. Continue beating at high speed until meringue is stiff. To test if you're at the right consistency, stop the mixer, run a metal spatula across the icing and it if forms a stiff wall on each side, that is it!

Here are important notes:

If using a hand mixer, I suggest, strongly suggest, you get an extra hand to hold the bowl or run the mixer for you when pouring the syrup, unless you are using a hand mixer with a bowl fitted to a stand. Gosh, one time I tried to use a hand mixer all by myself, it was crazy. Imagine trying to keep the bowl steady, while your other hand is running the mixer and the other pouring the sugar. Risky, risky! I wouldn't dare do it again. Try it if you want an adrenalin rush.

Boiled icing should be used right away. Any extra icing should be discarded or you may put in the fridge for a day for personal consumption. 
Now, good luck!