Now that you’ve downloaded our free ‘The Cupcake’ recipe sampler, we thought we’d share some thoughts on three alternative icings to the more usual buttercream frosting. Each of these will give an attractive, professional look to your culinary creations, so why not try them out!

Glacé icing:

This is simply made from icing sugar and water. It gives a lovely smooth finish to cupcakes and sets softly in about 30 minutes. It’s easy to flavour and colour and can be used to create pretty feathering or fanning effects or can be simply drizzled over cupcakes. 

To colour glacé icing, add a few drop of liquid food colouring or a very tiny amount of paste colouring on the tip of a cocktail stick and stir until thoroughly mixed. 

For 12 cupcakes:

175g/6oz icing sugar

5-6 tsp warm water.

1. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the warm water and beat well with a wooden spoon. Continue adding the water a little at a time until you have a smooth and thick icing that will coat the back of the wooden spoon.

Royal icing:

This is a smooth, fluid icing made from egg white and icing sugar. It’s perfect for piping intricate decorations as it hold its shape well and sets hard. It’s also useful for attaching decorations to fondant icing or for making pretty run-out designs to decorate cupcakes. 

A few drops of glycerine added with a few drops of lemon juice will stop the icing from setting too hard.

Makes about 165g/5¾oz:

2 tbsp egg white

150g/5½oz icing sugar, sifted

a few drops of lemon juice (optional)

1. Place the egg white in a bowl and, using a fork, whisk until just frothy. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, gradually beat in the icing sugar until the mixture is stiff and stands up in peaks when the beaters or spoon are lifted. To get the desired consistency for piping, beat in a few drops of lemon juice.

Chocolate granache:

Chocolate granache is the ultimate chocolate icing for cupcakes. Made from good-quality plain chocolate and double cream, it has a beautifully glossy sheen and is ideal for piping in large swirls on top of cupcakes. 

For a pouring glaze to cover the tops of cupcakes, use immediately. For spreading, allow the ganache to cool for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. For a firmer piping consistency, leave to cool for 5 minutes, then beat with an electric mixer until the ganache has cooled and thickened and is the consistency of softened butter. 

For 12 cupcakes:

150g/5½oz plain chocolate

200ml/7 fl oz double cream

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until almost at boiling point. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. 

For more tips and useful information, plus 80 delicious recipes, check out ‘The Cupcake’.