How to Make Icing with Icing Sugar and Water
Serves 12
20 mins prep
20 mins total
The EASIEST tutorial on how to make icing with just icing sugar and water! With just 3 simple ingredients, this smooth & glossy icing is perfect for decorating sugar cookies, brownies, bundt cakes, and quick breads in a pinch! Makes 1/2 cup icing, enough to ice about 12 sugar cookies.
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Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons water (luke-warm), ⅛ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (oil-free for quicker drying time) in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until smooth.
Add more water or powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency. If using a piping bag, about 2 tablespoons of water is best (you want the icing to be about the consistency of pancake batter). If dipping or drizzling the icing, 3 tablespoons of water will likely be needed. See notes below for storing and freezing notes.
Drying time: Depending on the temperature and humidity of your house, drying time will vary. For a thin glaze (dipped), I typically find that it takes 6-8 hours on the counter (uncovered) to fully harden. After about 3 hours, the outside is "set" but the inside will still be soft. You can place a fan nearby to help speed up the drying time.