Ever wondered where British royal icing got it's name? Let Le Cordon Bleu London fill you in...
Leading culinary arts and management school, Le Cordon Bleu London, have delivered some top tips for creating British royal icing that can make your cakes, tarts, biscuits and small garnishes look more attractive, bringing it from a basic level to a beautiful masterpiece. In 2017, Le Cordon Bleu’s Head Pâtisserie Chef Julie Walsh, recreated the Royal Wedding Cake for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s 70th Royal Wedding Anniversary. The grand fruit cake weighed 500 lbs, stood 9ft tall, had 4 tiers and was clothed in British royal icing and intricately decorated by hand.
Consistency is key…
Once prepared, whisk for a long period of time to aerate the mixture for a firmer result, and a shorter period for a more liquid consistency. Free-flowing designs, such as borders and handwriting, need a fluid royal icing, while hanging ornaments need a firmer royal icing as they need to dry and set quicker.
Secret to piping decorations…
Passing the royal icing through a muslin cloth or a pair of tights will remove any lumps of icing or egg that couldn’t get whisked in. To reduce air bubbles in the icing, you can paddle the icing back and forth with a palate knife. Le Cordon Bleu’s Cake Decorating Course is for aspiring chefs and entrepreneurs who want to learn the concepts of cake decorating, design and preparation alongside business management skills. The course consists of 10 sessions, from Mondays to Saturdays at 8am to 2pm.
