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5 from 18 votes

Royal Icing Recipe

Decorate impressive cookies and cakes with this easy-to-make royal icing. Take those baked sweets to the next level!
Prep Time25 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Lil' Luna

Ingredients

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 tablespoons warm water
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder

Instructions

  • Add the powdered sugar, warm water, and meringue powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the mixture until the icing forms peaks, about 7-10 minutes. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
  • For piping, the icing should be about the consistency of buttercream frosting. You may need to add another teaspoon or two of warm water to reach a consistency that is easy to pipe.
  • To decorate cookies, scoop some of the icing into a piping bag with a small writing tip. Pipe a line of icing around the edge of the cookie.
  • For flooding, the icing should be about the consistency of a thick glaze. Add 1 teaspoon of water per cup of icing. To test for the correct consistency, scoop a spoonful of icing and let it run down into the bowl of icing. It should disappear into the icing completely by the time you count to ten. Be careful not to add too much water.
  • To flood the cookies, add the icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Pipe the icing into the outline on the cookie, and use a toothpick to drag the icing slightly to fill any gaps. Alternatively, you can gently shake or tap the cookie to encourage the icing to fill the outline.
  • Let the cookies set for 1-2 hours before attempting to stack them. Depending on the humidity, the icing may need longer to set.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 1867kcal | Carbohydrates: 479g | Sodium: 13mg | Sugar: 469g | Iron: 1mg