Whipped Icing For Wedding Cakes: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding cakes are often the centrepiece of a wedding reception, so it's important that they look and taste amazing. A light and airy whipped icing is a great alternative to a heavier buttercream and can be used to decorate and fill a wedding cake. This type of icing can be made with heavy cream, vanilla, sugar, and flavourings such as almond extract. It's important to note that whipped icing is best suited for one or two-layer cakes as it is a softer icing that does not form a crust. To make a whipped icing that is stable and can be used for piping, gelatin can be added.

Choosing the right ingredients

Wedding cakes are a labour of love and choosing the right ingredients for your whipped icing is key to ensuring your masterpiece looks and tastes perfect.

The type of cream you use is important. Heavy cream is a must for a whipped icing recipe, but you can use either heavy whipping cream or double cream. Heavy whipping cream will give you the most stable results, whereas whipping cream contains less fat, so the results won't be quite as sturdy. If you want to pipe your icing, it's best to opt for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.

Powdered sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar) is also essential. This type of sugar is crucial for achieving the right consistency and sweetness in your icing. Some recipes call for regular sugar, but this will result in a grainy texture. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste, but it's important not to add too much, as this can affect the stability of your icing.

For flavouring, vanilla extract is a popular choice and can be used alone or in combination with other extracts, such as almond or butter extract. These extracts add a delicate flavour to your icing and enhance the overall taste.

If you want to ensure your icing is extra stable, especially if you're piping intricate designs, consider using gelatin. Unflavoured gelatin will ensure your icing holds its shape without affecting the taste. This is a great option if you're making a multi-layer wedding cake, as it will provide more stability.

Lastly, while not an ingredient, the equipment you use matters. A good mixer is essential for achieving the right consistency. A stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment will help you get the perfect peaks in your whipped icing.

Mixing the icing

To make whipped icing for a wedding cake, you will need the following equipment: a large mixing bowl, an electric mixer, and a whisk attachment. It is also recommended to chill the mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before you begin.

For the icing itself, you will need the following ingredients: heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and, optionally, almond extract.

Now, let's get into the mixing process. Here are the steps to mix the perfect whipped icing for your wedding cake:

• In your chilled mixing bowl, start by adding the heavy whipping cream. Use the whisk attachment of your electric mixer to beat the cream. Continue until soft peaks begin to form. This is a crucial step to get right, as over-beating the cream can lead to a curdled or grainy consistency.
• Once you've achieved soft peaks, it's time to add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. You can also add a ½ teaspoon of almond extract for a delicate almond flavor, which pairs beautifully with white or citrus cakes.
• Continue beating the mixture with your electric mixer. If you're using a stand mixer, you may need to stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl occasionally to ensure all the ingredients are combined.
• Keep beating until the cream reaches stiff peaks. This means that when you lift the beater, the cream will form a peak that holds its shape.
• Your whipped icing is now ready to use! Immediately proceed to decorate your cake or cupcakes.

Remember, this type of icing is best suited for one or two-layer cakes, as it is a softer icing that doesn't form a crust. It is also essential to store the iced cake in the refrigerator to maintain its stability and prevent drying out.

Adding flavour

Another way to flavour your icing is by adding in pudding mix. White chocolate pudding mix will keep the icing colour white, whereas vanilla or cheesecake pudding will add a slight colour change. Adding in a pudding mix will also add a slight graininess to the texture, but this will disappear as the pudding dissolves.

You can also add in other flavourings such as lemon or cinnamon. If you are making a chocolate cake, you can add cocoa powder to your icing for a chocolate flavour.

For a fruity twist, fresh berries can be added to your icing. You can also try a strawberry or blueberry frosting, by adding fresh fruit to your mixture.

Piping techniques

Choose the Right Piping Tip:

Start by selecting the appropriate piping tip for the design you want to create. Round tips are great for writing, beading, and intricate patterns, while larger round tips are ideal for bolder shapes. Star tips are versatile and commonly used for creating borders, shells, rosettes, and stars. For more complex designs, consider using specialty tips like the rose/ruffle tip for buttercream roses and ruffles.

Prepare Your Piping Bag:

Use a piping bag made of cloth, plastic, or parchment paper, depending on your preference and comfort. For wedding cakes, a small piping tip kit with various standard tips will be useful for creating different designs. Ensure the bag is neatly twisted at the end to contain the icing, and hold it securely while guiding it with your other hand.

Practice Piping Pressure:

Consistency in piping pressure is crucial for achieving clean and precise lines. Hold the bag confidently, and apply steady pressure when you want the icing to flow. To finish a shape, release the pressure completely. Practice makes perfect, so don't be discouraged if you don't get it right the first time.

Basic Round Tip Technique:

With round tips, simply squeeze, release pressure, and lift the bag to create your desired shape. For beading, use the same technique as you would for creating shells with a star tip.

Basic Star Tip Technique:

Squeeze the bag until you form a star shape, then release and lift. For creating borders, rosettes, or filling in large character cakes, star tips are a great choice.

Advanced Piping Techniques:

Once you've mastered the basics, you can try more advanced techniques like piping zigzags, swirls, drop flowers, and icing leaves. For a zigzag, move your decorating bag side to side, controlling the distance between the waves with your arm movement and the thickness of the line with the pressure on your bag. For a swirl drop flower, use tip 224 or 2D, and twist your wrist outward as you squeeze to create overlapping petals.

Remember to experiment and practice different techniques to improve your piping skills. With time and patience, you'll be able to create breathtaking wedding cakes with whipped icing.

Storage and serving

Whipped icing is perfect for rich cakes as it is not too sweet. It is light and airy, unlike the heavy richness of buttercream. It is best paired with dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, angel food, or citrus cakes like lemon.

When using whipped icing, you will need to store the cake in the refrigerator and keep it cool. The cake will be good for 2-3 days. It will then start to dry out, and the icing will likely weep. It is best to stick with one- or two-layer cakes, as it is a softer icing and does not form a crust.

Whipped icing is best served chilled, but it should be fine at cool room temperature for a couple of hours. It can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It is not ideal for high heat for long periods, so it is best kept chilled. At room temperature, it should not be left out for more than an hour or two.

You can add food colouring to make it any colour you like, and you can also add other flavourings, such as lemon or strawberry instead of almond.

Frequently asked questions