How to Keep Royal Icing Soft
Struggling with your royal icing hardening up while decorating your cookies? Want an easier way to decorate with your icing? This post on how to keep royal icing soft will tell you all the tips and tricks you need to know on how to keep royal icing soft.
Equipment
- Airtight container
- Damp paper towel
- Plastic wrap
InstructionsÂ
- Step One: Add Water or Corn Syrup
- While making your royal icing, you can add a few drops of water or corn syrup to help keep it soft. Start with just a couple drops of water, mix it in with the icing and add more if needed to reach your desired texture.
- Corn syrup will also help the icing from getting a stiff consistency. Up to two tablespoons of corn syrup can be added to one pound of royal icing.
- Step Two: Keep the Royal Icing Soft While Using
- While you are using your royal icing in a piping bag, keep it soft by placing it in a bowl or glass with a damp paper towel at the bottom.
- The moisture from the damp towel will keep the royal icing from hardening up and prevent the tip from clogging up. This a great hack for when you are using multiple colors of royal icing to decorate and have multiple piping bags you are using.
- Step Three: Store Your Leftover Royal Icing
- Once you are done decorating, you want to make sure to properly store your royal icing. This will prevent it from getting hard and crusty.
- To help prevent royal icing from drying out or hardening, it is important to keep it sealed. When storing royal icing, keep it in an airtight container, with a cover of plastic wrap on the surface. This will keep the royal icing soft and keep it from hardening up.
- If you have your royal icing in a piping bag, you can tie off the end with a rubber band. This will help keep it soft without having to take it out of the piping bag.
- You can also use a slightly damp paper towel on top of the royal icing when you are storing it in an airtight container. This will keep the icing from crusting over.
- When making your royal icing, it is important to not overmix it, as it may create a stiff texture.
Notes
- In order to keep your royal icing soft, it is important to store it properly. Royal icing that contains egg whites should be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Royal icing that contains meringue powder can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks.
- Royal icing can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Royal icing that has been stored in the freezer or fridge should be thawed at room temperature before using it again.
- Properly storing royal icing will help keep it soft. If you use it past the recommended storing time it will likely have a stiff consistency.
- If you added food coloring to your royal icing, it is important to know that the icing will dry darker than what it looks like soft. So, you may want to make your colors a shade lighter when you are mixing them.
- It’s totally normal for royal icing to separate when it is being stored. If this happens, simply remix it until it reaches the proper consistency. You may need to add a couple drops of water or corn syrup to help soften it back up.
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