Powdered sugar is a staple ingredient in most icing recipes. The reason is that thanks to its extremely thin and powdery consistency it blends easily with the other ingredients. If you are left without, you can make it at home by pulverizing the granulated sugar with the help of a blender or food processor. Generally, to prepare the icing with normal sugar instead of icing sugar it is necessary to use the stove. Be that as it may, you can get several varieties of great icing even if you don't have icing sugar available.
Ingrediants
Homemade Powdered Sugar
- 220 g of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) cornstarch (optional)
These doses allow you to prepare about 250 g of powdered sugar
Glaze with Flour
- 75 g of flour
- 240 ml of milk
- 220 g of butter or cream cheese, at room temperature
- 220 g of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of vanilla extract
Glaze with cane sugar
- 220 g of brown sugar
- 220 g of granulated sugar
- 120 ml of cream or evaporated milk
- 115 g of butter
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla extract
Meringue Style Icing
- 190 g of granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 1 pinch of salt
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Making Powdered Sugar with Granulated Sugar
Step 1. Take regular sugar
If possible, use the white granulated one. Alternatively, you can use brown or even coconut sugar. However, it is best to pulverize only 220g at a time.
- Refined white sugar, once pulverized, has the consistency closest to that of powdered sugar.
- Trying to pulverize more than 220 g of sugar at a time will not result in a uniform consistency.
Step 2. If you want, add a tablespoon of cornstarch
Mix it with granulated sugar if you don't intend to use homemade icing sugar right away. Corn starch (also known as cornstarch) is an anti-caking agent able to keep it dry and free of lumps.
- If you intend to use homemade powdered sugar immediately, there is no need to add cornstarch.
- If you're short on cornstarch, you can add just a teaspoon of it.
Step 3. Grind the granulated sugar for about two minutes
Pour it into your blender or food processor. Add cornstarch as needed. Grind the sugar in short intervals for a total of about two minutes.
- Alternatively, you can try using a spice grinder or coffee grinder, but be aware that the sugar may absorb the flavors of previously ground ingredients.
- It would be best to avoid using a blender with a plastic cup because, although unlikely, the sugar crystals could scratch it.
- If your appliance has several functions, choose the "pulse" or "mince" mode.
Step 4. Mix the sugar with a spatula
Slide it along the inside walls of the container. Mix well to get a uniformly textured powder.
Step 5. Continue grinding the sugar for another 2-3 minutes
At the end, turn off the appliance, unplug it from the socket, then take some sugar with your fingers to test its consistency. Grind it again if it is still grainy, until it becomes a very fine powder.
Homemade icing sugar is ready when it reaches the same fine and light consistency as the one on the market
Step 6. Sieve it and transfer it to a bowl
Mix the icing sugar with a fork. Place a sieve over a bowl. Transfer the sugar to the sieve with a spoon, then tap the edge repeatedly to drop the sugar into the bowl.
- Sifting the sugar serves to make it lighter, softer and to eliminate possible lumps.
- If you don't have a sieve, you can use a very fine mesh strainer. Alternatively, you can simply mix the sugar with a small metal kitchen whisk.
Step 7. Use homemade powdered sugar as directed by the recipe to make the icing
You can use it exactly like the one you buy ready-made. For example, to make icing for a cake, using butter or cream cheese, or for cupcakes, using peanut butter or berries. Or you can build a gingerbread house after making the "royal icing".
To make a simple glaze, simply mix 220 g of powdered sugar with a tablespoon (15 ml) of milk and ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice, rum or a dessert extract of your choice, such as vanilla
Method 2 of 4: Make the Glaze with Flour
Step 1. Heat the flour with the milk
Pour the two ingredients into a small saucepan and mix them with a whisk. Heat the mixture over medium heat to make it thicken. Keep stirring until the consistency is comparable to that of a pudding or thick batter. When it's ready, remove it from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
- This technique that uses flour instead of icing sugar can be used both to prepare buttercream and cheese icing.
- The doses indicated allow you to prepare the icing for about 24 cupcakes or for two cakes of about 20 cm in diameter.
Step 2. Whip the butter or cheese with the sugar
You can use the electric whisk or the food processor. However, mix the ingredients at high speed for about 5 minutes or for the time necessary to obtain a smooth, homogeneous and light cream.
If the only tool you have is a hand whisk, mix the mixture with a little patience and lots of elbow grease
Step 3. Combine the two preparations
When the milk and flour mixture has reached room temperature, add the vanilla extract. At this point you can add it to the buttercream and resume whipping the ingredients with the whisk or food processor, for another 6-8 minutes. Stop the whisk from time to time to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then turn it back on until you get a creamy mixture.
The glaze is ready when the ingredients are well blended and has taken on a soft and light consistency, similar to that of whipped cream
Step 4. Use the icing immediately
Spread it immediately on cupcakes, pancakes, cake or any dessert you prefer. Alternatively, put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until you are ready to use it.
You can keep it in the refrigerator even for a whole night, but before using it you will have to wait for it to come back to room temperature and then whisk it again to reach the desired consistency again
Method 3 of 4: Make the Icing with Brown Sugar
Step 1. Blend the two sugar varieties with the cream and butter
Combine the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and heat them using a moderate flame. Keep stirring to prevent the sugar from burning and crystallizing.
If you want, you can replace the cream with evaporated milk
Step 2. Bring the mixture to a boil
As soon as it starts to boil, start the kitchen timer: 2 and a half minutes is the required cooking time. Don't stop, keep stirring as the ingredients boil. When the timer rings, immediately remove the pot from the heat.
The indicated cooking time allows the sugar to start caramelizing
Step 3. Add the baking soda and vanilla extract
Now whip the ingredients at maximum speed with the electric whisk, for 6-8 minutes or until the glaze takes on a smooth, fluffy and light consistency. At that point it will be perfect to be spread on any type of cake or dessert.
- The function of baking soda is to prevent the sugar from hardening.
- You can also make the icing with a food processor. When the cream, butter and sugar mixture boils, add the baking soda and vanilla extract, then transfer the ingredients to the container of the robot to whip them.
Method 4 of 4: Make a Meringue Style Glaze
Step 1. Blend all the ingredients required by the recipe
Pour the sugar, egg whites and salt into a medium-sized bowl and start mixing with a whisk. Remember that the bowl must be heat resistant because you will need to heat the icing in a double boiler.
- If you have a food processor that cooks, there is no need to use the bowl. Pour, mix and heat the ingredients directly inside.
- In this recipe the function of the salt is to mask the flavor of the egg whites so that it is not perceptible by eating the glaze.
Step 2. Heat the mixture in a double boiler
First, pour 2.5-5 cm of water into a medium-sized pot, then bring it to a simmer. When the water is boiling, place the bowl on the saucepan to heat the glaze in a double boiler. Stir continuously for seven minutes.
The icing is ready when the eggs are uniformly hot and have taken on a more liquid and diluted consistency
Step 3. Finish by whipping the icing
Remove the boule from the heat and immediately start whipping the icing at maximum speed. Continue until it becomes thick and light. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
