Frosting vs Icing
The difference between frosting and icing lies mostly in the thickness of the layer. Frosting and Icing are two words used differently in different nations, although there is not much of a distinction between them. What is referred to as frosting in the US is referred by the word icing in the United Kingdom. There is of course an important difference between them. Icing is thinner and glossier than frosting. However, remember that they are both ways cooks or bakers follow when they have a cake or any other baked product like a muffin to decorate. They both add beauty as well as flavor to the baked product on which you use either of them.
What is Icing?
Icing is a thin layer of sugar base that appears on the top of a baked product such as cake. Icing is mainly used to decorate bake products. When it comes to the ingredients of icing, to the sugar base, we can include egg whites, butter or cream. As a result, it is not very soft or creamy. Icing carries a sugary taste. When it comes to the appearance, icing appears to run and hence, is construed runny. Icing is not thicker in appearance too as it is a thin layer.When it comes to the application of icing, we see that piping method is used in the case of icing. Icing is hard to execute by means of a knife or a spatula. Piping takes a lot of patience as you have to pour the icing through piping bag in the correct order to get the decoration you want. Icing is a word used in a professional sense.
What is Frosting?
Frosting is a thick layer of butter base that appear on the top of a baked product such as cakes. Frosting is also used to add beauty to the bake food product as well as to enhance the taste. When it comes to the ingredients, frosting comes with a cream or butter base. When it comes to the appearance frosting appears thicker and not runny like icing. When it comes to the softness, frosting is more creamy and soft when compared to icing. Frosting is like butter cream and hence, is more often used to anoint the surface of a cake. It looks more like a topping.The method by which frosting is applied is interesting. A knife is used in the act of frosting. Sometimes a spatula is used. It can be used to make a mound on the cake. As frosting is thick you can easily use a knife or a spatula to apply it on the cake. One can say that the word frosting is also used in a professional sense.
What is the difference between Frosting and Icing?
• Ingredients:
• Icing has a sugar base. It can also include egg whites, butter or cream.
• Frosting comes with a cream or butter base.
• Appearance:
• Icing appears to be glossy.
• Frosting appears fluffy like butter cream.
• Softness:
• Frosting is more creamy and soft when compared to icing. This is another important difference between frosting and icing.
• Taste:
• Icing is sugary in taste.
• Frost is buttery in taste.
• Application:
• Piping method is used in the case of icing. Piping takes a lot of patience as you have to pour the icing through piping bag in the correct order to get the decoration you want.
• A knife is used in the act of frosting. Sometimes a spatula is used. It can be used to make a mound on the cake.
• Usage of the terms:
All said and done, the usage of the two words is highly dependent on the place or the location of your home.
• If you are located in the UK, then you are more familiar with the process of icing.
• On the other hand, if you are located in the US, you will be more familiar with frosting.
• The important fact to remember here is that though the two locations use two words separately, there are actually two such methods that are different from one another. So, there are actual differences between frosting and icing.
These are the major differences between frosting and icing. It is indeed true that both frosting and icing are very popular among people of all ages. Whether it is icing or frosting on your cake, you will find that your taste buds like it. Not only the taste, frosting and icing even add a beauty to your cake.
Images Courtesy:
- Six eclairs with chocolate icing by georgie_grd (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Frosting by Asha Pagdiwalla (CC BY 2.0)
