italian icing

Photos: heysweetie8

I often find the frosting on cupcakes to be unnecessarily rich. So when an excessively thick layer of frosting has been slapped on to a cupcake, (exceeding the height of the actual cupcake) I'm not impressed. I'm intimidated.

Don't get me wrong - I love buttercream frosting. But seriously, go easy on it! I found this lovely alternative in the FAIRLADY food magazine - the 2011 Baking edition. It's called Italian icing, and it's light, fluffy, and fat-free. Happiness.


Covers 12 cupcakes


1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 egg white
Pinch of cream of tartar


1. To make Italian icing, place sugar, water and lemon juice into a small pot and dissolve gently over a low heat.


2. Once dissolved, increase the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Test syrup consistency by dropping a little into cold water. A soft ball should form. Remove from heat.


3. Whisk egg white until frothy, add cream of tartar and continue whisking until stiff.


4. Continue to beat egg white while adding the warm sugar syrup in a steady stream. Beat until thick and glossy. Ice cupcake immediately.