Buttercream icing Buttercream is a type of light, fluffy icing made by beating together icing sugar and butter. Buttercream icings differ depending on which base is used: meringue (used in Italian or Swiss buttercream), egg yolks (used in French buttercream), butter (used in simple buttercream) or shortening (used in decorators’ buttercream) are the most common bases. Flavourings from cocoa powder to fruit purée can be easily incorporated into the mixture.
Icing Icing is a sugar-rich coating usually used to glaze or decorate cakes, buns, biscuits and pastries. Soft, creamy icings are used to top or fill sponge cakes while stiffer icings can be rolled and used to cover fruit cakes, or shaped into decorations. Butter, water, fruit juices, cream cheese and egg whites can all be mixed with icing sugar to create different icings, while food dye adds a splash of colour.
Royal icing Royal icing is a sweet, fluid paste made from whisked egg whites, icing sugar and lemon juice that sets solid. It is traditionally used to cover and decorate dense fruit cakes such as wedding and Christmas cakes.
Fondant icing
Marzipan A thick paste (also known as almond paste) made from ground almonds, sugar and whole egg or egg whites and used in making cakes and pastries. It's used as a topping for simnel cake or as a base for the icing on a Christmas or wedding cake.
Honeycomb Honeycomb is a brittle sponge-like toffee made from sugar (usually brown sugar), corn syrup or molasses and bicarbonate of soda. The defining characteristic of honeycomb is its abundance of air bubbles and lattice-like 'chambers', that resemble the structure of true honeycomb. These are formed by the chemical reaction of the bicarbonate of soda with the rest of the ingredients. Honeycomb toffee is also known as cinder toffee, yellowman, sponge toffee, puff candy. It’s covered in chocolate in commercial chocolate bars. Honeycomb also refers to honey in its most natural form. It's what the bees make in the hive to store honey for themselves.