I is for Icing on the cake.

     It is an infamous scene and an inevitable one at that. Every event where there is cake I see icing, and its always left on plates, strewn about, after the party has commenced. Shameful. All of that fluffy handcrafted cake-ness, has been eaten without the frosting. It is left there on the plate, sad and alone, full of possibility. It is that sugary delicious frosting that makes a truly good cake experience, in my opinion. It's not an orange friends, you don't peal off the outer layer. Good cake is to be eaten with good icing, it is a unit. The biggest offenders of this food crime is women who always refrain from the even taking a nibble for it may disrupt their figures.
     Obviously, I love frosting. Of all kinds, I do not discriminate. It holds a special place in my "food memories bank". Rubbing elbows with Mashed Potatoes and Top Ramen with Peas.
     I like decorating with it, blending colors together, mixing it with new flavors like orange zest and irish cream, which is amazing. Another new favorite is shredded toasted coconut with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans, or lemon with a touch of strawberry jam, oh forget it, it is just all so good.
     FROSTING! BUTTER CREAM! ICING! GANACHE! PASTRY CREAM! WHIPPED CREAM! Eat, indulge, dive in, lick it off your fingers and for goodness sake eat it with the cake it comes with. Don't try to be dainty, because you just look picky and finicky.
     A pastry chef, is a chef, and therefore there is a reason for the frosting. As with most things, there is a method to the madness, and pushing a major component of the final course of an amazing meal onto the outskirts of the plate in disgust is just like asking for salt at a 5 Star Michelin restaurant. That is how upset it makes me to see frosting left on the plate, only to be thrown away, never to be consumed with its counterpart, cake.
     So my question to those who do not have their cake and eat the frosting too, did you have a bad experience with icing in the past? And if so, have another go at it, I beg you. The prospect of lonely frosting rich and delicious left alone makes me sad. If my sadness over this frosting debacle doesn't make a difference to you, then do me a favor, don't even take the cake that is offered, all you will do is mangle it beyond repair. Seeing the promise of cake deconstructed, broken and leaves me despondent.
    
     With that, it is my dubious duty to give you some frosting making tips. Think of this like a decree from the icing queen: I send you off into the future and wish you good cake and frosting making and eating, with these stipulations:

1. All ingredients require the right temperature to make a smooth icing. Some recipes call for a double boiler, like a 7-minute-frosting. Other require leaving butter out on the counter to soften, which is usually a must when whipping up a butter cream. This goes for egg whites as well, if making meringue, make sure they are room temp. Since the cake, if it is not an ice cream cake, will be eaten at room temperature, it is best to create in those conditions.

2. Baking is usually more scientific than regular cooking, so if using a recipe, follow instructions very carefully. Binding, leavening, emulsifying, creaming, temperature, rise, blend; these are words which actually yield a chemical reaction between the ingredients used, and therefore, to create to correct product, you must add the right amount of reactants together at the appropriate time.

3. When putting the first layer of icing on your cake, firstly make sure the cake is cooled (you don't want to melt the frosting) and secondly add a very thin layer to cover the entire top and outer edges of the cake. This is called a crumb layer. After this is finished, place the cake in the fridge to help solidify this crumb layer of frosting to the cake. This simple step will help to alleviate the issues getting crumbs from the cake into the pristine frosting you have created and will soon envelope the fluffy goodness.

4.  Wether you spatula on the icing or use a pastry piping bag, it is crucial to remember that texture, color and presentation are elements important to create appeal of the cake. Bundt cakes require just a drizzle of lemon glaze and others like 3 layer Red Velvet scream for a basket weave design, and some are just perfect pilled high with thick deep dark chocolate butter cream swirled all over by a small spoon. It's your call to play with it, make it what you want, and to always remember that as much people protest to eating desert they always want to, so it is your job to make it as irresistible as possible.

5.  Very important, enjoy the creation of this sweet treat! There are steps, there is preparation, there are daunting directions, sometimes there is an overwhelming plethora of ingredients, but ultimately you are not alone in the journey to icing heaven. I'll be there with you, hovering over your shoulder as you blend together sugar, butter, vanilla, shortening, anything, everything, and I will personally make sure that everyone eats that cake with the frosting.

Trust me, it's worth it.