The Icing vs. Frosting Debate
From left: icing; frosting. Or is it the other way around?!
Is this an issue of semantics? Like jimmies versus sprinkles? And banana peppers versus pepperoncini? Cakespy says the terms are ultimately interchangeable, but a little research in Cake, the new Williams-Sonoma cookbook, proves "an icing is generally thinner and glossier," while frosting is "a thick, fluffy mixture, such as buttercream, used to coat the outside of a cake." Then there's glaze (oy!) which is more slippery and thinner than the other two.
Where do you stand on the debate? Don't fret too much. At the end of the day, our veins are full of sugar and happy cells.
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25 Comments:
It might be a cultural thing, kind of like the "soda", "pop", "cola" debacle, just without the huge internet survey. I always heard "frosting" in North Florida.
Jikuu at 8:19PM on 01/14/09
I always thought of them as three separate entities, just like they are described above.
saelha at 8:30PM on 01/14/09
Yep. Icing is thin, frosting is thick.
eg:
Icing-- confectioner's sugar mixed with milk.
Frosting- buttercream.
That's what I was told!
meg3j at 8:35PM on 01/14/09
Ok here it goes what about you ice a cake with frosting or you frost a cake with icing. I often just call it buttercream.
JerzeeTomato at 8:45PM on 01/14/09
If you prefering icing, the terrorists have won.
WestIndianArchie at 8:50PM on 01/14/09
Just give me the cake and leave the icing/frosting/glaze for someone else.
Delinia at 10:09PM on 01/14/09
This is like the stuffing/dressing debate. Whatever you grew up with is "right". A vote for icing; frosting was considered a "fancy" word in the small town in which I grew up.
lemons at 11:26PM on 01/14/09
It's simple. You either ice the cake with frosting. Or you frost the cake with icing. It's the rare cake that gets frosted with frosting or iced with icing. Too redundant. And who want a redundant iceting or frostice?
PerkyMac at 12:15AM on 01/15/09
I grew up calling it frosting until I read about the distinction in terms. Unless I'm thinking about it, I generally revert to just calling it frosting.
omarac at 1:20AM on 01/15/09
In my (not so) humble experience, Frosting is thicker, heavier and more sugary, sometimes obnoxiously so. Icing is less full, sharper ( the flavors being more concentrated), and thinner. I picture what goes on top of a bundt cake as an example. Frosting would be unnecessary, icing (perhaps called glaze?) is just right.
beersnob at 2:43AM on 01/15/09
I know they are used interchangeably, but it is helpful to have the distinction when describing a dessert, to get an idea of the final result.
HeartofGlass at 5:51AM on 01/15/09
A proper black and white cookie has icing, hard and shiny. The stuff in between the layers of a layer cake is frosting, soft and fluffy. Glaze is a thin syrup that is poured over the top, or perhaps the cake is dipped in, as in glazed donut.
overw8 at 7:15AM on 01/15/09
I've always been led to believe that icing (icing sugar and water/lemon juice) is what we have on top of fairy cakes in the UK and frosting (buttercream/cream cheese frosting etc) is what is on top of cupcakes or between the layers of layer cakes!
Iheartcupcakes at 8:20AM on 01/15/09
I use the two interchangeably. Glaze is a different thing, though.
IndyGal at 8:22AM on 01/15/09
Perky -
I will happily take reduntant frosting. Especially if it's cream cheese based. In fact, I think I will start requiring redundant amounts of frosting on cakes in the future.
stratusgd at 9:45AM on 01/15/09
I've always gone with the same thing that Williams-Sonoma says, but honestly I think that they are practically interchangeable at this point. I'll eat it either way!
Laurel E at 10:24AM on 01/15/09
icing is thinner and cracklier and is almost always too sweet.
frosting is thick and creamy and wonderful in correct amounts.
the only people who prefer icing to frosting are arsonists and liars. so there.
thursdaynightsmackdown at 10:34AM on 01/15/09
I'm a frosting girl all the way!
AlisonEats at 11:00AM on 01/15/09
I am a frosting kind of guy.
FrostyGhost at 12:45PM on 01/15/09
I agree with the cookbook, if we're going to get technical. You drizzle icing over a coffee cake; you spread frosting on a yellow cake. But it's really not a profound enough distinction that I'd ever correct anyone. It's not like using "good" as an adverb.
peachypear at 12:55PM on 01/15/09
I'm with WS on this. And a bananna pepper is not a pepperocini!
sailordave at 4:02PM on 01/15/09
Frosting is something you can lick (as in cupcake) or spoon (as in cake) off the top. I agree that the icing is the thin or drizzly stuff.
MMinNYC at 5:52PM on 01/15/09
I'm with Williams and Sonoma on this one.
Frosting is what I'd use to cover my cake while icing is what I'd use to write 'Happy Birthday'.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 6:24PM on 01/15/09
If it tastes good, I don't care.
I do however hate some of the bakery cakes that have that tasteless, thick layer of iceing on their cakes. Then you have Fondant. Yuck!
Fondant may look pretty and all, but it tastes like crap. I personally think it's cheating, when it comes to cake decorating. I'm sorry to cake artists and those who enjoy 'Ace of Cakes'. I would rather have a fondant free cake, and feel that a great looking cake can be made without it.
Raiders757 at 6:54PM on 01/15/09
I have been told that icing is cooked, and frosting is not. Also frosting is made with confectioners sugar, but icing can be made with regular [crystal] sugar or confectioners sugar. Glaze is very thin, may be cooked or not , and can be made with either type of sugar depending on whether it is cooked or not.
peticook at 12:02AM on 01/16/09