Royal icing sounds intimidating, but it's easy to make with simple ingredients. If you have a stand mixer, the whisk attachment does all the work. There is no meringue powder in this recipe ...

Royal icing lends regal beauty to the grandest cakes and humblest baked goods. But does it have any connection to royalty? Read on to find out.

Mix all the ingredients together and beat with an electric beater till stiff peaks are formed. 2. Spread over the cake. 3. If you want coloured icing, add the colour before you start beating the mix.

For the royal icing, beat the icing sugar and a tablespoon of water together until thick and smooth, adding extra water if necessary. Put a third in a separate bowl and mix in a little yellow food ...

particularly if you want to experiment with different nuts and flavourings (as Dan Lepard does in this recipe). Just icing the top with marzipan and royal icing is low effort, but very effective ...

Christmas cake is a type of fruit cake loaded with dry fruits, caramel and brandy. In this recipe, it is topped with an almond paste and royal icing.