Consistencies

One of the most unique features of Royal Icing is it's ability to achieve a wide range of consistencies (different thicknesses) allowing you to achieve a totally thin/flat surface (with a flood consistency) or stiff flowers (piping consistency). Each technique uses the same base icing - just the thickness changes.

ONE CONSISTENCY TO RULE THEM ALL,

ONE CONSISTENCY TO FIND THEM,

ONE CONSISTENCY TO BRING THEM ALL

Remember: always start with base, stiff peaks consistency icing and then thin it down into the desired consistency. "Base consistency" means the icing you get right out from the mixing bowl. There is no such a thing like special recipe for each type of consistency.

Defining the correct RI consistency isn't an exact science - it's more of a "feel" and you become more familiar with it as you do your icing projects and observe how this medium behaves under different thicknesses.

Types of consistencies:

  • Stiff RI is for making flowers, leaves, ruffles, brush embroidery, and decorations that need to perfectly hold their shape. You may also use it for assembling gingerbread houses. If you cut through the icing with a knife, it won’t melt back together and the cut will stay visible.

  • Piping RI is for borders and outlines, decorative details like dots, lines (lettering) and waves (basket wave). This consistency should be similar to toothpaste and when dropped back onto itself, it should disappear in about 25 seconds.

Elements piped with piping consistency

  • Medium RI falls between piping and flood consistency. Use it when the design is all one base color and you don’t need a border or an edge or when you want a “puffy” look. With Medium Royal Icing you can flood and outline at the same time. It should be like ketchup, and it should disappear back into itself in about 15 seconds.

  • Flood RI is for filling in between outlines of cookies and resembles honey. You may also use it for wet-on-wet technique. You want it to smooth out easily, but not be so thin that it drips off the edges. When dropped back onto itself it should disappear in 6-8 seconds.

Flooding cookies with flood consistency

Thinning

  • Always thin your base consistency with the fluid used as an ingredient for your icing (liquid egg whites for recipes based on liquid egg whites, water for recipes based on water and meringue powder). For small batches of icing, when greater level of accuracy is needed, use spray bottle for water and dropper for liquid egg whites.

Thickening

  • Sometimes while decorating you may need to convert medium or flood consistency icing back to piping thickness. To do this, add a small amount of powdered sugar to the flood icing. Keep adding and mixing powdered sugar by the teaspoonful until you get the desired thickness and structure (make sure to remove any lumps that can plug your piping bag).

     

If you prefer visual explanations over reading, watch this video by The Graceful Baker explaining main RI consistencies prepared in one mixing bowl.