When it comes to cake decoration, there is probably no element that is more important than the kind of icing you choose. Icing comes in all colors, flavors, consistencies and textures. You can choose the right kind of icing no matter what sort of cake decoration you are working on. Here is a brief overview of the most common type of icings that you have to choose from. As you notice, there is a world of cake decoration icings that you can choose from.



Rolled fondant icing: this type of icing is smooth and pliable and has a similar consistency to play dough. It can be rolled out like regular dough. Rolled fondant is indeed often rolled out like dough and then used to mold over the cake. Rolled fondant tends to retain its own shape. You can use it to mold over a cake and snip out the pieces you don't need or want. Most kinds of rolled fondant icing will remain pliable and soft on top of the cake. What does this mean? This means that the rolled fondant will never become very hard and it will never fly off of the cake. In order to work with rolled fondant, you will need to use special tools. These tools are used to mark designs on the dough and to roll the icing. You can use special textured rolling pins in order to achieve a special and unique look.

Poured fondant icing: this is still basically fondant, but it begins in liquid form and you can pour it onto the cake. It is considered to be one of the easiest types of icings to work with, so if you are a novice, you may definitely want to consider using poured fondant icing on your next culinary creation. Poured fondant icing is often an easy way to ice an entire cake in one stroke.

Stabilized whipped cream: this is a very light whipped cream icing. It has a soft texture and will remain soft while on the cake. This is a great choice of an icing if you are creating a fruit cake of some kind. Stabilized whipped cream icing works well with fruit, including nectarines, strawberries, peaches and passion fruit.

Butter cream icing - Butter cream icings have been most used with cake decoration from the very start. Butter cream icing has a buttery, sweet flavor. The texture of a butter cream icing is creamy and smooth. Butter cream icings tend to be favored by many pastry chefs. They are popular because they are so easy to work with. Butter cream has a strong overall consistency. This makes it a favorite icing base for many pastry chefs. Butter cream can be thinned or thickened according to use. Avoid butter cream icing if you are going to make a dessert that will be sitting in warm weather, as it tends to run and melt in warm weather.

Royal Icing - Royal icing is another of the most popular icing types. Royal icing is made using meringue powder. It has a characteristically sweet taste and flavor. However, butter cream is very different from butter cream icing in that it dries much hard and dries a lot faster. A good example of royal icing is the type of icing that is usually used to decorate cookies, write on cakes and is used to glue together ginger houses. Royal icing is very popular for creating mold figures and for doing intricate lace work. Royal icing is also popularly used to do figure piping. Royal icing is also used for creating unique flower decorations and for making filigree designs. You can use royal icing to achieve small details and delicate borders. Royal icing has the tendency to harden and it can 'hold' parts together, as in a gingerbread house.