Basic Desserts Recipes - Meringue Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites

• 115g icing sugar, sifted

• 150g unsalted butter, softened

• For the flavorings

• Citrus: 10ml finely grated orange, lemon or lime rind.

• Chocolate: 50g plain chocolate, melted

• Coffee: 10ml coffee granules, blended with 5ml boiling water, cooled

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Method:

1. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, heatproof bowl, add the icing sugar and gently whisk to mix well. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until thick and white. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue to whisk until cool and the meringue stands up in soft peaks.

2. Beat the butter in a separate bowl until light and fluffy. Add the meringue gradually, beating well after each addition, until thick and fluffy. Fold in the chosen flavoring, using a palette knife, until evenly blended. Use immediately for coating, filling and piping onto cakes.

3. Marbling: Sugar-paste, or fondant, lends itself to tinting in all shades and marbling is a good way to color the paste.

4. Using a cocktail stick, add a few drops of the chosen edible food color to some Sugar-paste icing. Do not knead the food coloring fully into the icing. When the Sugar-paste is rolled out, the color is dispersed in such a way that it gives a marbled appearance. Marbled Sugar-paste icing can be used to cover novelty cakes. Several colors can be used in the same icing to give an interesting multi-colored effect.