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Powdered Sugar Glaze

5 from 15 votes
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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
  1. Powdered Sugar Glaze
  2. Powdered Sugar Glaze Ingredients
  3. How To Make Powdered Sugar Glaze
  4. How To Alter the Flavor of Your Powdered Sugar Glaze
  5. What to Use Your Powdered Sugar Glaze on
  6. Pin this recipe to your DESSERTS BOARD and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
  7. Powdered Sugar Glaze Recipe
drizzling powdered sugar glaze on a cake

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

ingredients for powdered sugar glaze

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.

powdered sugar glaze being poured on a bundt cake

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:

Blueberry Buckle

Cinnamon Spice Upside Down Apple Cake

Lemon Cherry Crunch Cake

Enjoy!

Love,

Karlynn

Pin this recipe to your DESSERTS BOARD and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!

The best powdered sugar glaze that drizzles perfectly for a crackly icing that is excellent for cakes, muffins, cinnamon buns and more!

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Powdered Sugar Glaze

The best powdered sugar glaze that drizzles perfectly for a crackly icing that is excellent for cakes, muffins, cinnamon buns and more!
5 from 15 votes
Prep Time
2 minutes
Course
Sauces
Cuisine
American
Servings
0.75 cup
Calories
1343
Author
Karlynn Johnston

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

Calories: 1343kcal, Carbohydrates: 241g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 135mg, Sodium: 674mg, Potassium: 46mg, Sugar: 235g, Vitamin A: 1521IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg

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.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Julie P says

    I found this recipe while looking for a glaze for a chocolate Bundt cake. Wow-absolutely delicious and got rave reviews! I did have to add a lot more half and half to get the proper consistency and thought it was just a tad sweet but boy was it good! Thank you for my new go to glaze!5 stars

  2. 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!5 stars

  3. 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?!5 stars

    • Amber Ames says

      OMG….Im dying. That was hilarious and because of this review I’m definitely making this right now. 😆

  4. 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!!!5 stars

  5. Jillian says

    Used this glaze on something I baked up and it was delicious! I’ll never buy the store bought glaze again!5 stars

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