Friday, August 5, 2022

FROSTING OR ICING FOOD DEBATE

On Friday in the past we have done a "Friday Food Debate" where we tackle some burning questions of the culinary world, ha. We have expanded it now to other fun and different regional uses of words in addition to food related words.

We haven't done one in a while and figured it was a good time to bring it back. 

This week, the burning question is:


Some might argue that the best part of a luscious cake is the covering that is all over the outside.  Fluffy, creamy, sweet, tangy, thick, soft, neat, rustic, it takes all forms but no matter what form it is, there are really only two names for it:  Frosting.  Or icing.

Now after a little research, there IS a technical difference. Frosting is thicker while icing is thinner, almost like a glaze.  Makes sense when you think about it from that perspective but over the years, both words have been used interchangeably and now they have become a more or less regional way of saying the same thing about the cake decor.  Most Southerners say "icing" no matter what it technically is.  

So what do you call it?

Frosting?  Icing?


18 comments:

  1. Actually; both for me.
    When decorating cookies, it's icing, cakes, it's frosting

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  2. Both here also. Cookies-icing, cakes-frosting

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  3. Frosting for cakes ... I don't bake cookies that need icing or frosting!

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  4. Icing and a Pennsylvanian - Mary

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  5. Here in Australia it is icing. And I very rarely make biscuits that require it.

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  6. i think of frosting as more complex whereas icing is confectioners sugar and milk or cream.

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  7. It’s always been icing for me and everyone around me. Glaze to us is the thinner version of icing.

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  8. I think of frosting as being a little fluffy and what I use on cakes. Icing is thicker and holds its shape better. Glaze is thin enough to pour instead of using a knife or piping bag.

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  9. I use the word frosting, but ironically, I just like plain cake or cookies. I usually remove the frosting/icing when I'm eating the goodies. I even remove the filling from the Oreo cookies because it's too sweet. I know that sounds weird, but that's my world.

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  10. I remove the insides of Oreo cookies, too because it is too sweet--sugar and Crisco.
    I call the stuff on cake frosting. I understand icing and may have used that term. Tommy said he uses the term "frosting." This is in Alabama.

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  11. It all depends on how thick it goes on. Thick that holds its shape = frosting, medium that doesn't hold its shape until it dries = icing, thin that might soak in a bit = glaze.

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  12. Icing when I was growing up but now frosting

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  13. In Scotland it's icing frosting was something that came from America with cupcakes ,the craze for which seems to be fading.

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  14. Then comes the glaze, of which I use on homemade donuts/ donut holes, fruit handheld pies, lemon pound cake, etc., etc.,etc.

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