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13
Icings, Glazes,
and Sauces

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• Egg whites and sugar whipped to create a light, stable foam.
• Used to top and fill cakes and pastries, or flavored and dried in
the oven to make cookies.
• Basic ratio is 1 part egg white: 2 parts sugar.
• Best practices:
– All utensils must be clean and dry, with no fat or residue.
– Add a small amount of acid to stabilize the meringue.
– Use room temperature egg whites.
– Prepare the meringue just before use, so it does not collapse.
MERINGUES

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Common
(or French)
Swiss Meringue Italian Meringue
• Whip egg whites
and gradually add
sugar.
• Simplest to prepare.
• Least stable.
• Should not be
eaten, unless used in
a baked item.
• Heat egg whites and
sugar to
165°F/74°C before
whipping.
• Many uses: dried,
decorative, or as
aerator in mousse.
• Sugar is cooked to
soft ball stage
before being added
to whipping egg
whites.
• Most stable.
• Used in mousses,
buttercreams, and as
décor.
Types of Meringues
MERINGUES (CONT’D)

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• Each stage of meringue is best suited for specific applications.
• Soft peak: clings to the whip, but does not form pointed peaks.
– Used in soufflés.
• Medium peak: peaks will form, but will droop slightly.
– Used to lighten mixtures, such as creams and batters.
• Stiff peak: Sharp points will form and remain.
– Best choice for piping and décor work, as it holds its shape.
Stages of Meringue: Soft, Medium, and Stiff Peaks
MERINGUES (CONT’D)

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Stages of Meringue: Soft, Medium, and Stiff (cont’d)
MERINGUES (CONT’D)

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• There are four types of buttercream: Italian, Swiss, German, and
French.
• Each has different characteristics that make them best suited for
dinner applications.
• Buttercream layers should be even and thin.
• Allow buttercream to come to room temperature before using
and whip with a paddle until smooth and spreadable.
BUTTERCREAM

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• Made with meringue, butter, and
flavorings.
• The use of egg whites results in a
relatively white-colored product that
is very light in texture.
• Method:
– Whip an Italian meringue until it
is room temperature, and
gradually add soft butter and
vanilla.
Italian Buttercream
BUTTERCREAMS (CONT’D)

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• Made with meringue, butter, and flavorings.
• Meringue is stabilized by the dissolved sugar.
• Commonly used for wedding cakes and other pastries where
white buttercream is desired.
• Method:
– Whip a Swiss meringue until the meringue is cool, and add
butter and vanilla.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
BUTTERCREAMS (CONT’D)

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• Combination of pastry cream, butter, and flavorings.
• Has a pale yellow color and a rich texture, due to the whole eggs
in the pastry cream.
• Has a short shelf life and should be made in small batches to be
used at once.
• Method:
– Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
– Gradually add pastry cream until incorporated.
German Buttercream
BUTTERCREAMS (CONT’D)

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• Made with either whole eggs or egg yolks, butter, cooked sugar
syrup, and flavorings.
• Rich in flavor and yellow in color.
• Method:
– Whip eggs and slowly add soft ball sugar syrup.
– Whip until cool and then gradually add butter and vanilla.
French Buttercream
BUTTERCREAMS (CONT’D)

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• Many different flavorings are compatible with buttercream.
• Make a large batch of buttercream and flavor small portions as
desired.
• Flavorings should be added at room temperature for proper
incorporation.
Flavoring Buttercream
BUTTERCREAMS (CONT’D)

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WHIPPED CREAM
• Use cold cream and a chill bowl.
• Cream must contain at least 30 percent fat, for best
incorporation of air.
• Used to fill, ice, and decorate cakes, tarts, and pastries, and as an
accompaniment to many desserts.
• Flavor whipped cream with extracts, liqueurs, or fruit purées.

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FONDANT
• Traditional glaze for petits fours, éclairs, and doughnuts.
• Must be warmed until it is liquid enough to flow readily
(105°F/41°C).
• Small items are dipped, while large items have the fondant
poured, ladled, spooned, or drizzled over them.
• Fondant can be thinned with corn syrup or other liquids, such as
liqueur.

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VANILLA SAUCE
• Also known as crème anglaise.
• Stirred custard made with the same ingredients used in a baked
custard.
• Used as a sauce accompaniment to many dishes, or as the base
for Bavarian cream and ice cream.
• Method:
– Combine milk and heavy cream with half of the sugar and
bring to a boil.
– Temper the hot liquids in to the egg yolks and remaining
sugar and return to the pot.
– Cook, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon.

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SABAYON
• Rich sauce of foamed egg, sugar, and wine.
• Can be made ahead, but is usually made to order.
• May serve as the base for a mousse and can be stabilized with
gelatin and used as a filling.
• Traditionally served with fresh fruit or berries.
• Method:
– Whisk the ingredients over a hot water bath until it is
thickened and very foamy.
– Once it reached, 180°F/82°C, transfer it to a mixer and whip
until cool.

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CHOCOLATE SAUCE
• Use the best-quality chocolate available to ensure a smooth, rich
sauce.
• For intense flavor, add cocoa powder—but adjust the sweetness
with sugar.
• Method:
– Make a syrup with sugar, water, and corn syrup, and slowly
add to cocoa powder.
– Add melted chocolate, blend, and strain through a sieve.

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FRUIT SAUCES
• Two categories of fruit sauces:
– Coulis: smooth puréed mixture made using fresh or frozen
fruits.
– Compote: chunky mixture made using either dried, fresh, or
frozen fruits.
• Select the highest-quality, ripest, most flavorful fruits.
• May be used as a base for soufflés, to flavor Bavarian cream,
buttercream, or other fillings and frostings.

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• Two types of caramel sauce:
clear and enriched.
– Clear: made by cooking
sugar to a deep caramel
and adding liquid.
– Enriched: sugar is
cooked to deep caramel
before adding butter and
liquid dairy to add
richness.
CARAMEL SAUCE

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REDUCTION SAUCES
• Prepared by simmering juices, wines, or other alcoholic
beverages to thicken and develop flavor.
• Concentrating can bring out undesirable flavors, so choose
liquids carefully.
• Some ingredients do not reduce successfully.