Royal Icing

429 Ratings
  • 5 74
  • 4 82
  • 3 154
  • 2 88
  • 1 31

This is our go-to recipe for royal icing. We use it for decorating cookies and cakes. To make it especially glossy, mix in a three drops of glycerin (available at drugstores).

Martha Stewart Living, March 1997

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary test

Yield:
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, lemon juice and glycerin (if using); beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Cook's Notes

You can substitute 5 tablespoons meringue powder and 1/3 cup water for raw eggs. Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, or anyone whose health is compromised.

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Reviews (20)

429 Ratings
  • 5 74
  • 4 82
  • 3 154
  • 2 88
  • 1 31
Martha Stewart Member
12/12/2018
the glycerine makes the world of difference.. this is the simplest and most delicious of all royal icing.. use fresh lemon juice!!
Martha Stewart Member
12/23/2012
This was very easy (except for grinding sugar in the coffee grinder because I didn't have powdered sugar), and it came out perfectly for my gingerbread house.
Martha Stewart Member
12/22/2012
Loved it! Have to say I love farm fresh eggs moreso over the bleached store brands. I don't think once in the past few years have I gotten a actual white egg haha. Usually they are red, blue, green, dirty ecru etc, and the yolks are so dark and rich. One reason I hate being back in NJ miss my eggs. But over all this recipe is a winner came out perfect!
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Martha Stewart Member
07/02/2012
this recipe was really good it had the perfect consistency but it was really sugary and griddy overall it was ok
Martha Stewart Member
07/02/2012
this recipe was really good it had the perfect consistency but it was really sugary and griddy overall it was ok
Martha Stewart Member
12/12/2011
I'm so glad Martha offers this recipe as an option; meringue powder is not easily found in my small town, but I always have eggs on hand. It's a great base to start with stiff icing for piping -- add water in small amount to get smoother icing for flooding. I enjoyed the hint of lemon flavor on the gingerbread as well. Happy decorating!
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Martha Stewart Member
12/08/2011
sorry - posted my gingerbread snowflakes review on this page by accident - but I did use this icing for them as directed, and it piped very well.
Martha Stewart Member
12/08/2011
I made this recipe for smaller star-shaped cookies, following the recipe exactly. I had my doubts about the pepper too, but the taste is really good & spicy. To decorate as shown is VERY time consuming (3-4 mins. per cookie?) but this recipe is worth doing if you need some "wow" factor for a gift-box of cookies: you can just put a few on top of the stack and they will class up the gift. I wish I had made a half batch, which would have been plenty for several dozen normal-size cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
07/26/2011
can you subsuite the lemon juice for almond or vanilla extract?
Martha Stewart Member
02/23/2009
I wouldn't bleach your eggs, eggs have a semi permeable membrane and bleaching them could be harmful to you and your family. If you wouldn't normally consume it-don't use it on your eggs. If you buy unpasteurized eggs, wash them thoroughly to remove any potential lingering salmonella.
Martha Stewart Member
12/14/2008
I used "All whites" 100% liquid egg whites. They are pasteurized. Martha has an icing recipe with meringue powder, but at my grocery store it was $7.78. That;s why I chose to use the liquid egg whites.
Martha Stewart Member
12/14/2008
well if bacteria come from the outer shell then can I put the eggs in bleach for a min or 2 to killed any bacteria then pull them out of the bleach then in water and let air dry?
Martha Stewart Member
11/28/2008
I am a pastry chef; salmonella is not contained in the egg, it is located on the outer shell, if there at all. We are taught very little about the bacteria, just that it comes from raw eggs...in reality, if you do not allow your egg to touch the outer shell; you will NEVER get sick from raw egg. It is also rare that it will be on your eggs at home. Do the research. If you're still paranoid, just pasteurize the egg.
Martha Stewart Member
10/29/2008
While lemon juice may curdle the egg, it does NOT kill salmonella, the bacteria responsible for most food poisonings.
Martha Stewart Member
09/11/2008
Actually...the lemon juice "cooks" the eggs.. you don't have to worry about food poisoning
Martha Stewart Member
12/19/2007
I bought some Wilton's Meringue powder at Wal Mart in the cake/baking section of their craft department.
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2007
Where do I find "meringue powder"?
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2007
Meringue Powder comes out with a more predictable consistency, is easier than separating eggs and finding something to do with the yolks, and is food-safe, because you don't bake the frosting, so you would be eating raw eggs.
Martha Stewart Member
12/14/2007
I haven't made this yet- however, I've noticed that the recipe in the MSmagazine calls for "meringue powder", instead of eggs. I guess I'll have to run the experiment through the oven in order to find what works best.
Martha Stewart Member
11/13/2007
I used this recipe for my halloween sugar cookies. This was also my first time making icing. 100% perfect. I don't like gobs of icing, but I thought the hint of lemon will be a surprise and it was. By far the biggest hit of the party. I guess I have found my 'signature' icing.
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