What ingredients are in icing?

Icing ingredients can vary depending on the type of icing you're making, but here are the most common ingredients:

Basic Icing:

* Confectioners' sugar: The primary sweetener and thickener.

* Milk or water: Liquid to thin the icing and create a smooth consistency.

* Butter or shortening: Adds richness and helps the icing spread smoothly.

* Vanilla extract: Adds flavor.

Other Common Icing Ingredients:

* Cocoa powder: Used in chocolate icing.

* Flavorings: Extracts, liqueurs, spices, etc. can be added for different flavor profiles.

* Food coloring: Used to color the icing.

* Cream cheese: Used in cream cheese frosting.

* Egg whites: Used for royal icing and meringue buttercream.

* Powdered sugar: Can be substituted for confectioners' sugar, but may require more liquid.

* Salt: A pinch of salt can enhance the sweetness of the icing.

* Lemon juice: Used to add tanginess to some icing.

Specific Icing Types and their Ingredients:

* Buttercream frosting: Butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla extract

* Cream cheese frosting: Cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract

* Royal icing: Egg whites, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract

* Chocolate icing: Cocoa powder, butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla extract

* Fondant: Confectioners' sugar, shortening, water, flavorings, food coloring

These are just examples, and there are many variations and recipes for icing. You can find many recipes online or in cookbooks.