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This recipe for a simple powdered sugar glaze is not only easy to make but delicious and incredibly versatile as well.
Use this on my cream cheese pound cake, ricotta cookies or try my Lemon Icing glaze for a lemony zing!
Table of Contents
Powdered Sugar Glaze
The best part of any good cake or muffin is usually the sugar glaze on top, so why not make your own? This recipe uses cream, or half & half, as well as melted butter, to give a smooth, creamy and delicate consistency that clings to cakes and crackles instead of hardening into a single crunchy layer.
The butter in the recipe is what gives it that crackly finish! It’s the secret ingredient for the perfect glaze!
Powdered Sugar Glaze Ingredients
Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts, as there are a few fiddly ingredients here.
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Cream, half & half, or whipping cream
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Melted butter
How To Make Powdered Sugar Glaze
• Combine all the ingredients in a measuring cup and stir until there are no lumps
• Alter the consistency using cream to your liking using cream
How To Alter the Flavor of Your Powdered Sugar Glaze
This recipe will make a good standard sugar glaze for use in all kinds of recipes but really only provides a basic, vanilla-forward flavor.
For something a bit more interesting, you could add all kinds of different flavorings. For an orange kick, you could add some orange juice and zest, or even some Cointreau liquor.
For something with a more delicate, macaroon-like flavor, you could add an equal amount of almond extract. It won’t make it taste like almonds but will provide a really interesting, unique flavor in addition to the vanilla.
Feel free to play around a bit with the additions, like using different types of citrus zest or other crazy flavors; just don’t vary too much from the base recipe.
What to Use Your Powdered Sugar Glaze on
This powdered sugar glaze is extremely multi-purpose, as you can use it in whatever recipes you like. This sugar glaze is simple but helps to amplify and expand existing flavors.
Use it on a baked dessert recipe, cakes or glaze a favorite muffin recipe, or even just use it as a sort of dipping sauce for something sweet like monkey bread to give you a big hit of sugar.
This will store pretty well in the fridge as well, as long as you keep it covered.
Looking for more delicious Dessert recipes? Try these out:
• Cinnamon Spice Upside Down Apple Cake
Enjoy!
Love,
Karlynn
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Powdered Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar aka confectioners or icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream half and half or whipping cream
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup and stir together until there are no lumps.
- To adjust the consistency, add more or less cream until desired consistency has been reached.
- Drizzle on cakes, muffins, cinnamon buns and more!
Recipe Notes
- you can omit the salt and use salted butter instead
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Made this recipe?
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Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Judy Sandifer says
You said the icing would be CRACKLY but what if you wanted the icing to stay SOFT? What do I need to add or omit to make the icing stay soft and not crackly? Thanks!
Kelly says
* make at your own risk*
I made raspberry & lemon bread and found this gem of a glaze recipe. I ended up adding strawberry essence & butter vanilla for flavoring & I “almost” regret it. It’s so amazing I could have eaten the entire loaf of bread. I’ll just say this once bc I’ll never admit it, but my husband thinks I packed away half of the bread to send home with my sister….. Just the flavoring together was incredible & although I will now add this to everything & anything I can, I stand behind my decision. You only live once amiright?!
Patrice says
When you say “Cream” what do you mean?
Ashley says
OMG!!! This is the best glaze I have ever had! I put it on top of my 7up cake and it was delicious!!!
Jillian says
Used this glaze on something I baked up and it was delicious! I’ll never buy the store bought glaze again!