COOKED ICINGS

A few cooked icings are made without egg whites, but for the most part icings of this kind consist of a sugar sirup beaten into egg whites that have been whipped until they are stiff. Success in making icing of this kind depends largely on boiling the sirup to just the right degree, for when this is done the icing will remain for a short time in a condition to be handled.

If the sirup is not cooked long enough, the icing will not stiffen and it will have to be mixed with powdered sugar to make it dry. In the event of its being boiled too long, the icing will have to be applied quickly, for it is likely to become sugary.

A thermometer is a convenient utensil to use in making icings of this kind, for with it the housewife can determine just when the sirup is boiled to the right point. However, after the housewife has had a little experience, excellent results can be achieved in the way of icings without a thermometer if the mixture is tested carefully.

The beating of cooked icings also has much to do with the nature of the finished product. They should be beaten until they are of just the proper consistency to spread and still will not run off the surface of the cake.

92. Because of the nature of cooked icings, it is necessary that the work of applying them to cakes be completed as quickly as possible. A case knife or a spatula is the best utensil for this purpose.

To ice a layer cake, pour some of the icing on the layer that is desired for the bottom and then spread it over the layer quickly until it is smooth and as thick as desired. If coconut or any other ingredient, such as chopped nuts or fruit, is to be used, sprinkle it on the icing as in Fig. 21.

Then take up the second layer carefully, as shown, and place it on the iced first layer. Pour the remainder of the icing on this layer and spread it evenly over the top and down the sides, as shown in Fig. 22. The cake will then be covered with a plain white icing that will be sufficient in itself or that may serve as a basis for any desired ornament. If coconut, fruit, or nuts have been used between the layers, sprinkle the same over the top, as shown in Fig. 23, while the icing is still soft.

Sometimes, after the icing has been spread, it may be found that the surface is not so smooth as it should be. Any roughness that may occur, however, may be removed as soon as the icing has become entirely cold by dipping a clean silver knife into hot water and, as shown in Fig. 24, running it gently over the entire surface. This treatment takes only a little time and greatly improves the appearance of the cake.