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Sugar Cookie Frosting: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Icing

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Smooth, creamy sugar cookie frosting perfect for decorating. Easy to color and customize for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups (approximately 1 pound) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup milk (whole milk or 2% recommended)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but adds a lovely flavor)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Food coloring (gel or liquid, your choice of colors)
  • Sprinkles and other decorations (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cream the Butter: In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the softened butter until it is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Make sure your butter is truly softened, but not melted. If it’s too cold, it will be difficult to cream, and if it’s melted, the frosting will be greasy.
  2. Add the Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar to the creamed butter, one cup at a time. Beat on low speed to prevent a sugar cloud from erupting in your kitchen. After each addition, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined. If you add the powdered sugar too quickly, it will be very difficult to incorporate smoothly.
  3. Incorporate the Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and salt. This ensures the extracts are evenly distributed.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture while beating on low speed. Once all the liquid is added, increase the speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes, or until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and light. Be careful not to overbeat, as this can incorporate too much air and make the frosting less stable.
  5. Adjust the Consistency: The consistency of your frosting is crucial for decorating. If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until it thickens up. Remember that the frosting will thicken slightly as it sits. For flooding cookies, you’ll want a thinner consistency than for piping detailed designs. A good test is to lift a spoonful of frosting and let it drizzle back into the bowl. If the ribbon of frosting disappears back into the bowl within 5-10 seconds, it’s likely a good consistency for flooding. For piping, you’ll want it to be a bit thicker so it holds its shape.
  6. Coloring the Frosting: If you want to make multiple colors, divide the frosting into separate bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl. Gel food coloring is generally preferred because it’s more concentrated and won’t thin out the frosting as much as liquid food coloring. Start with a small amount of coloring and gradually add more until you achieve your desired shade. Remember that the color will deepen slightly as the frosting sits. Use a clean spoon or spatula to mix the food coloring into the frosting until it’s evenly distributed. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure there are no streaks of color. If the color is too light, add a few more drops of food coloring. If it’s too dark, you can try adding a small amount of plain frosting to lighten it. However, be careful not to add too much plain frosting, as this can change the consistency.
  7. Decorating Your Sugar Cookies: Make sure your sugar cookies are completely cooled before you start decorating. There are several ways to decorate sugar cookies with frosting. You can use a piping bag with various tips for creating detailed designs, or you can simply spread the frosting on with a knife or spatula for a more rustic look. For flooding, you’ll want to use a piping bag to outline the cookie with a thicker frosting, then fill in the center with a thinner frosting. If you’re using a piping bag, fill it with the desired color of frosting. Twist the top of the bag to seal it and prevent the frosting from leaking out. Practice piping on a piece of parchment paper before you start decorating your cookies. This will help you get a feel for the pressure and control needed to create different designs. You can pipe dots, lines, swirls, flowers, or any other design you can imagine. For flooding, outline the cookie with a thicker frosting using a piping bag. Then, thin out the remaining frosting with a little milk until it reaches a flood consistency (as described earlier). Fill in the outlined area with the thinned frosting. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to pop any air bubbles and spread the frosting evenly. While the frosting is still wet, add sprinkles, edible glitter, or other decorations. The frosting will act as a glue to hold the decorations in place. Once you’ve decorated your cookies, let the frosting set completely before stacking or storing them. This usually takes several hours, or even overnight. The frosting should be dry to the touch and no longer sticky.

Notes

  • Sift the powdered sugar for a smooth, lump-free frosting.
  • Use softened butter, not melted.
  • Don’t overbeat the frosting.
  • Adjust the consistency with milk or powdered sugar as needed.
  • Gel food coloring is recommended.
  • Let the frosting set completely before storing cookies.
  • Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Re-whip before using.
  • Troubleshooting:
    • Too thick: Add milk, 1 tbsp at a time.
    • Too thin: Add powdered sugar, 1 tbsp at a time.
    • Grainy: Ensure powdered sugar is sifted. Add milk and beat longer.
    • Separating: Chill and re-whip.

Find it online: https://mmmflavors.com/sugar-cookie-frosting/