How to Make a Glaze Icing

Lemon Bundt Cake

Glazes are a wonderful tool. They will convert your homemade baked goods into something elegant that looks as if you brought it home from the store. And they are also very easy to make. Most glazes are as simple as mixing a few ingredients and pouring them over the baked good. There are also cooked glazes that you brush on before you put your bread, cake or pie into the oven. They are just as easy. A few simple ingredients and a little bit of time will make you look like an expert. And, really, you will be---because one of the differences between an amateur and an expert is knowing how to make something look finished and beautiful.

Things You'll Need

• Powdered sugar
• Water, milk or juice
• Semisweet chocolate chips
• Butter
• Light corn syrup
• Cream
• Sugar
• Egg yolk
• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds

Instructions

Glazes for Baked Goods

1. 

   Glaze a cake or a donut instead of frosting it. Just combine powdered sugar with a small quantity of water, milk or juice to make a pourable or spreadable glaze. Pour and spread while the cake is still warm. The warmth helps the glaze spread easily, ensuring an even coat and a pretty finish. A lemon glaze makes the flavor of a lemon cake pop.

2. 

   Make a rich chocolate glaze. Combine 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 3 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. light corn syrup in the top of a double boiler. Heat over simmering water. Stir until glaze is smooth, then add 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract. Spread this glaze over the top of your cake while it is still warm. Let some drip down the side as an accent.

3. 

   Brush a simple glaze on a pie crust before you bake it to add color and shine. The simplest is just cream or milk. Almost as easy is a combination of an egg yolk and a bit of milk, with or without a sprinkle of sugar. That same glaze, without the sugar, works well for refrigerator biscuits or crescent rolls. It works on brown and serve rolls, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Add any flavors you like to your glazes to complement the flavors of your food. Sprinkle glaze with sugar for additional sweetness and crunch. Sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds for an extra bit of flavor and crunch.

• Baked glazes can burn, so keep an eye on your food. If the glaze is getting too brown before the food is cooked, put a loose covering of foil over it. Don't overdue your glaze, cooked or uncooked. It's meant to add to the food it decorates, not take over the show.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Cake Decorating Step-by-Step
• The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
• Nordic Ware 12 Cup Bundt Pan