Home baking often results in a surplus of sweet frosting after decorating cakes or cookies. Facing a bowl of unused icing presents a common dilemma: how to avoid wasting this valuable ingredient. This guide provides practical methods for preserving the freshness of various frosting types and offers innovative ways to transform the excess into new, delicious treats.
Proper Storage for Maximum Freshness
The appropriate storage method and duration depend heavily on the specific ingredients used. Buttercreams, such as American or Swiss meringue, which rely heavily on fat, store well when kept away from air. In an airtight container, most buttercreams last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer preservation, they can be frozen for up to three months, provided they are tightly sealed to prevent freezer burn and odor absorption.
Using a container that limits air exposure is paramount to preventing staling and crusting. Before sealing, press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the icing to create an additional barrier against moisture loss. Always label the container with the date and the type of icing for accurate shelf life tracking.
Frostings made with perishable ingredients, such as cream cheese or fresh cream, require immediate refrigeration. Due to the high moisture and dairy content, these types should not be kept for more than three to four days, even when properly contained. Freezing is generally not recommended for cream cheese icing, as the emulsion often breaks upon thawing, resulting in a grainy or watery texture.
After refrigeration or freezing, buttercream must be brought back to room temperature before use. Re-whipping it with a paddle attachment restores its smooth, light texture, as the fat and liquid components tend to separate during chilling. If the mixture appears curdled after thawing, continued beating will usually emulsify the ingredients back into a stable consistency.
Thin glazes and traditional royal icing, which are primarily sugar and liquid, are more stable at room temperature. These should be stored in a sealed container away from direct sunlight and heat for up to two weeks. If the glaze has a high egg white content, it is best to refrigerate it after the first few days to maintain quality.
Creative Ways to Repurpose Icing
Leftover buttercream is an excellent base for quick, no-bake fudge or truffle filling. By melting chocolate chips with the icing over low heat, the mixture thickens into a pliable candy base. The fat in the buttercream emulsifies with the cocoa solids, creating a smooth, stable candy matrix. Once cooled, this rich mixture can be rolled into truffles or pressed into a pan to set as simple fudge squares.
Frosting serves as the primary binder when transforming cake scraps into cake pops or donut holes. The icing’s stickiness moistens the crumbled cake and holds it together when rolled into balls. This binder function relies on the sugar dissolving into the moisture of the crumbled cake, forming an adhesive sugar syrup that sets firmly once chilled.
Thinned-down icing can be repurposed as a sweet dipping sauce or a simple fruit glaze. By whisking a tablespoon of milk or water into the frosting, it achieves a pourable consistency suitable for drizzling over scones or fresh berries. The addition of liquid reduces the viscosity, transforming the opaque spread into a translucent, glossy sheen when applied to warm pastry.
The structure of a slightly stiff buttercream or cream cheese icing makes it perfect for sandwiching cookies or filling macarons. Using a piping bag allows for precise application between the two layers of baked goods. For macarons, the filling must be firm enough to resist squeezing out but pliable enough to adhere to the delicate shell, a balance met by stable buttercreams.
Even small amounts of excess frosting can be used to create simple decorative elements. Stiff buttercream can be piped into small flowers onto parchment paper and then frozen until solid for later use on cupcakes. Parchment paper allows the piped designs to be easily peeled off once hardened, providing ready-made garnishes for future projects.