Here's one for those who are health conscious, vegan, and/ or have egg allergies. It is from the BBC Food's website and was used with great success in the Hoppo Bumpo Great Eggless Royal Icing Experiment.
By Michelle Berriedale-Johnson of Foods Matter Magazine
500g/1lb 2oz icing sugar, sifted 2 lemons, juice only 3-4 tsp glycerine (available from most supermarkets and and health food stores)
1. Put the icing sugar in the bowl of a mixer. 2. Gradually add the lemon juice and the glycerine, beating continually, until the texture and the flavour are as you want them. 3. To ice the cake, spread a thin layer of a jam of your choice over the cake. 4. Roll out the marzipan (using icing sugar to stop it sticking to the rolling pin) and lift it onto the cake. Patch as needed and, if necessary, just take pieces of the marzipan and press it out on the cake. 5. Use a spatula to spread the royal icing over the marzipan, and a fork to 'fluff' it up so that it looks snow-like - then decorate.
I use a product called "no Egg" and works well as an egg substitue in royal icing recipes.
Dec 12, 2010 Rating
Vegan glycerine by: Anonymous
And just as an aside, you can get vegan (plant based) glycerine. You will just have to read the labels and look for one that either stipulates that it is plant based, or has the vegan symbol. Perhaps try a health food store? Hope this helps.
Dec 12, 2010 Rating
Apparently it does harden by: Anonymous
Hopeful V, have a look at the Hoppo Bumpo royal icing experiment:
http://hoppobumpo.blogspot.com/2008/12/great-eggless-royal-icing-experiment.html
This recipe seems to have come out as the best (despite the glycerine!) and seems to harden well. Hoppo Bumpo used it as a glue to hold together a gingerbread house. I'm going to try this recipe myself today. Fingers crossed! :)
Aug 16, 2010 Rating
Help - vegan royal icing needed! by: Anonymous
I thiught this recipe was the answer to my troubles until I saw glycerine in the list of ingredients. Any suggestions for a smooth hard royal icing that is fully vegan would be appreciated
