Proper consistency is the key to making decorating icing
that will shape the petals of a flower, show the details of
a border or cover the surface of a cake. It's important that
you use the recommended icing and consistency for any technique.
As a general rule, flowers require a stiff icing consistency,
borders a medium-stiff consistency and writing or leaves a
slightly thinned consistency.
Icing that can peak to an inch or more is stiff, less than
that is medium consistency. Icing that flows easily from a
tip is a thin consistency. Every Wilton icing recipe is tested
for taste and other important qualities. This chart will tell
you each recipe's qualities, so you can determine what is
the right one for your cake.
| Icing
Type |
Flavor/Description |
Consistency |
Best
Used For… |
Coloring |
Storage/Freshness |
Special
Information |
Buttercream
(Wilton Mix or homemade) |
Sweet,
buttery flavor. Tastes the best and looks beautiful for
most decorating |
Thin-to-stiff
consistency depending on the amount of corn syrup or sugar
added (sugar stiffens). |
Icing
cakes smooth, borders, writing. Most decorations including
roses, drop flowers, sweet peas and figure piping. |
Yields
all colors. Most colors deepen upon setting. Let icing
set 2-3 hours for deep color. Some colors may fade sitting
in bright light. |
Icing
can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 weeks. |
Iced
cake can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. Flowers
remain soft enough to be cut with a knife. |
| Snow-White
Buttercream |
Sweet,
almond flavor. Ideal for wedding cakes. |
Thin-to-stiff
consistency depending on the amount of corn syrup or sugar
added (sugar stiffens). |
Icing
cakes smooth, borders, writing, flowers. Most decorations. |
Yields
truer colors due to pure white base color. Creates deep
colors. Most deepen upon setting. |
Icing
can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 weeks.
Iced cake can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. |
Air-dried
flowers have translucent look. Flowers remain soft enough
to cut with a knife. |
Wilton
Decorator White
(Ready-to-Use) |
Sweet,
vanilla flavor. Convenient, ready-to-use spread icing.
Pure white color is ideal for coloring. |
Medium-to-stiff.
Make roses right from the can. |
Shell,
stars, flowers-use from container. Roses-may stiffen with
confectioner’s sugar. Icing cakes, writing, leaves-thin
with milk, water or corn syrup. |
Yields
truer colors due to pure white base color. Creates deep
colors. Most deepen upon setting. |
Leftover
icing can be refrigerated for 2 weeks. Iced cake can be
stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. |
Available
to purchase through Wilton Yearbook or any authorized
Wilton retailer. |
Wilton
Decorator Chocolate
(Ready-to-Use) |
Sweet
chocolate flavor. Convenient ready-to-use spread icing.
|
Medium-to-stiff.
Make roses right from the can. |
Shell,
stars, flowers-use from container. Roses-may stiffen with
confectioner’s sugar. Icing cakes, writing, leaves-thin
with milk, water or corn syrup. |
Recommended
when black icing is needed. Add a little black icing color
to chocolate for a better tasting black icing. Use when
brown icing is directed. |
Leftover
icing can be refrigerated for 2 weeks. Iced cake can be
stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. |
Available
to purchase through Wilton Yearbook or any authorized
Wilton retailer. |
| Royal
(Made with Wilton Meringue Powder) |
Very
sweet flavor. Dries candy-hard for lasting decorations.
|
Thin-to-stiff
consistency depending on the amount of water added. |
Flower-making,
figure piping, making flower on wires. Decorating cookies
and gingerbread houses. |
Yields
deep colors. Some colors may fade sitting in bright light.
Requires more icing color than buttercream to achieve
the same intensity. |
Icing
can be stored in airtight, grease-free container at room
temperature for 2 weeks. Air-dried decorations last for
months. |
Bowls/utensils
must be grease-free. Cover icing with damp cloth to prevent
crusting. |
| Rolled
Fondant (Wilton Ready-to-Use Vanilla or Chocolate
or Homemade Rolled Fondant) |
Rich,
sweet flavor. Covers cakes with a perfectly smooth, satiny
iced surface. Easy and fast to use. Knead in flavor of
your choice. |
Dough-like
consistency that is rolled out before applied to cake.
Stays semi-soft on cakes. |
Any
firm pound or fruit cake. Cutting molding and modeling
decorations. |
Yields
pastel to deep colors. |
Excess
can be stored 2 months in an airtight container. Do not
refrigerate or freeze. Iced cake can be stored at room
temperature for 2-3 days. |
Prior
to applying fondant, cake must be covered in apricot glaze
and/or buttercream icing to seal in freshness and moisture.
|
| Quick-Pour
Fondant (Homemade) |
Very
sweet flavor. Covers cakes with perfectly smooth, satiny
iced surface. Coats baked goods and seals in freshness
with a shiny, smooth surface. |
Pours
and dries to a semi-hard, smooth surface. |
All
cakes, petit fours and cookies. |
Yields
pastels. |
Use
immediately. Excess fondant may be refrigerated, reheated
and poured again. |
Prior
to applying fondant, cake must be covered in apricot glaze
and/or buttercream icing to seal in freshness and moisture. |
Whipped
Icing Mix
(Wilton Mix) |
Light,
delicate taste in Vanilla and Chocolate flavors. Holds
it shape like no other mix. Easy to make. |
Perfectly,
velvety consistency for decorating everything from stars,
roses and borders to garlands and writing. |
Icing
cakes. Most decorations, topping on pies, pudding, tarts
and more. |
Vanilla
mix yields any color. |
Icing
can be refrigerated in airtight container. Iced cake can
be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. |
Exclusive
Wilton formula. Available to purchase through Wilton Yearbook
or any authorized Wilton retailer. |
| Fluffy
Boiled Icing (Homemade) |
Marshmallow-like
flavor, 100% fat free. |
Very
fluffy consistency, sets quickly. |
Icing
cakes smooth and fluffy. Borders, figure piping, writing,
stringwork. |
Yields
pastels and deep colors. |
Use
immediately. |
Iced
cake can be stored at room temperature. Serve within 24
hours. |
| Stabilized
Whipped Cream (Homemade) |
Creamy,
delicate sweetness. |
Light,
thin-to-medium consistency. |
All
cakes but especially those decorated with fruits. Borders,
large tip work, writing. |
Yields
pastels only. |
Use
immediately. |
Iced
cake must be refrigerated. Texture remains soft on decorated
cake. |
|
