Even though both are used for decorating cakes, pastries and other delectable desserts, there are some major differences between the two. Icing is a thin, sugary glaze that hardens on cooling. Frosting, on the other hand, is a thick, fluffy coating of cream or butter. They are both used for decorating cakes, muffins and pastries.
Ingredients
Icing is usually made with a sugar base, although it can also be made with butter, egg whites or cream. Any coloring is added to the base before it hardens up.
Frosting is typically made with a cream or butter base. Colors are added to the base prior to any decorating.
Appearance
Icing is glossy and thin. In most cases, not all, icing is opaque. It has a liquid like texture to, yet hardens when dried out.
Frosting is thick and gooey, and fluffy. It is opaque. It can also hold a multitude of shapes, like shells and rosettes. It is creamy and soft to the touch.
Uses
Icing is used when glazing cakes and pastries.
Frosting is usually used on cakes. Like when you apply a buttercream to the top of a cupcake or birthday cake.
Popularity
Although you can interchange icing and frosting, some general and popular uses of icing or frosting are:
- Cookies – icing
- Cinnamon Buns and Rolls – icing
- Birthday Cakes – frosting
- Cupcakes – frosting
Equipment
There is an endless supply of equipment used for applying both icing and frosting – From, piping bags and cones, offset spatulas, cutters, stencils etc that are available. It’s a good idea to play around with as many as possible in order to find the ones that suit your style best.