Recipe: Simple Glaze

the appetizer:

Making miniature desserts at home is easy with Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen, featuring recipes for Coffee Pecan Pound Cakes and I Scream, You Scream... (Ice Cream Cupcakes), plus supporting recipes for Mint Chocolate Chip Cream, Pound Cake, and Simple Glaze.

Simple Glaze

Yield: 1/2 cup

When you are looking for an easy way to finish off a Bundt cake, pound cake, or even a cupcake, just whip up a batch of this glaze and you have yourself a dessert you'll proudly make your table's centerpiece. The icing is gooey and sweet, but let it sit and a thin, hard crust will form over the cake, sealing in moistness and adding an extra sweet kick to every bite.

We flavored the glaze with coffee, but there are myriad other flavors to choose from. Substitute lemon juice, orange juice, or milk, in the same proportions, for the hot coffee. This is really as simple as you can get.

Sift into a bowl:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus additional as needed

If the icing is too thick, add more liquid; and if it is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.

Use the glaze immediately or place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the glaze. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week .

Slowly whisk in:

2 tablespoons hot coffee, plus additional as needed

Simple Glaze on a Cake or Cupcake

To achieve this look we recommend using the Simple Glaze recipe above.

While the cake or cupcake is still hot, with a rubber spatula or even a soup spoon, dollop the glaze on top (1 tablespoon for a cupcake or muffin and 2 to 3 tablespoons for a mini Bundt cake). Swish the spatula or spoon around until the glaze begins to run over the edge. Let the cake cool and the glaze will form a thin, hard crust as it sets.

For a different look, drizzle the tops of cooled (un-iced) cakes. The glaze should not run and will hold a linear form. Just keep in mind that if you want the cake to stay fresher longer, it must be kept wrapped in an airtight container.

from:
Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse
Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and Other Mini Treats
by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen
Clarkson Potter, 2008
Hardcover, 176 pages; $24.95
ISBN: 0307382826
ISBN-13: 978-0-307-38282-5
Recipe reprinted by permission.

Buy Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse