Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1636

1462 mix it up into rather a thick cream, beating it up well with a wooden spoon, adding the water gradually to the sugar until the proper consistency is obtained, then use as previously directed.

This icing will dry rather quickly, with a good gloss. It can be flavoured with any kind of essence, and coloured with vegetable colours as may be required.

Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, icing sugar, 6d. per lb. Sufficient for 1 cake.

Ingredients.—To every lb. of loaf sugar allow the whites of 4 eggs and 1 oz. of fine starch.

Method.—Beat the eggs to a stiff froth, and gradually sift in the sugar, which should be reduced to the finest possible powder, and gradually add the starch, also finely powdered. Beat the mixture well until the starch is smooth; then with a spoon or broad knife lay the icing equally over the cakes. These should then be placed in a very cool oven and the icing allowed to dry and harden, but not to colour. The icing may be coloured with strawberry or currant juice, or with prepared cochineal. If it be put on the cakes as soon as they are withdrawn from the oven, the icing will become firm and hard by the time the cakes are cold. On very rich cakes, such as wedding, christening cakes, etc., a layer of almond icing (No. 3458) is usually spread over the top, and over that the white icing as described. All iced cakes should be kept in a very dry place.

Average Cost, 1s. per lb.

Ingredients.—¾ of a lb. of icing sugar, the whites of 2 eggs, orange-flower water.

Method.—Beat these ingredients as in preceding recipe, and while the cake is still warm, pour and smooth the icing evenly over it; then dry in a moderate heat to harden, but not to colour the icing.

Average Cost.—Icing sugar, 6d. per lb.

Ingredients.—1½ lbs. of confectioner's icing sugar, the whites of 6 eggs, the juice of 1 lemon.

Method.—Icing sugar can now be obtained from almost every grocery store in the kingdom, or failing that, a pastrycook would supply the quantity required. Having procured the sugar, take a very clean basin and spoon, turn in the sugar, and carefully break in the whites of the eggs; add a small pinch of blue, and then proceed to beat up the icing. When well beaten and smooth, add the strained juice of