How To Melt Frosting

Cold frosting can be very difficult to spread over a cake or it may even tear the cake, ruining your decorating efforts. If you use store-bought frosting, you must refrigerate it after it has been opened and homemade frosting can melt if it is left at room temperature. The issue of cold frosting is a difficult one to avoid. However, warming up or melting your frosting can be a simple process that does not need any special equipment or skills. Simply follow these steps below.

Contents

Let Your Frosting Thaw

The first thing you need to do is to place your frosting in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. While you may consider speeding up the process, adding heat to melt the frozen frosting can make the ingredients separate and leave you with a gooey, oily mess. It is best to plan ahead so that you can let the frosting thaw slowly and use any other method to warm and melt it.

The Microwave Method

You will Need

A microwave safe dish
Your frosting

Steps For Melting Frosting

First and foremost take out your frosting from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator
Place your frosting in a clear glass bowl so that you can see the melting taking place
Set your microwave on medium to low heat and put your frosting in there

Take out your frosting and stir,
If you are not happy with the results place the frosting back in the microwave it for 10-second intervals or so, make sure that you do not overdo the microwave heating process
Take note that your frosting will continue to melt once you have taken it out of the microwave.

Ensure that you do not microwave your frosting until it has completely melted. If you do so you risk burning it.

It is important to keep a close eye on your frosting because each microwave is different. It can be tempting to just leave your frosting in the microwave but ensure that you take out your frosting and stir it regularly for the best results. One of the most effective methods of warming up and thawing your frosting is using a microwave. By simply putting your homemade or canned frosting inside a microwave safe bowl and heat it for five to 10 second intervals you will get your desired consistency and temperature. Make sure that you do not cook the frosting too long or it will melt into a thin glaze. The thin, hot glaze will cause your cake or any other baked good to dissolve within a few hours of frosting. You must take care when melting your frosting in the microwave.

The Water Bath Method

Another effective method for melting frosting is through a water bath. This method is considered a lazy way or hands off way of melting your frosting. It is quick and best for melting frosting all at once.

You Will Need

A slow cooker
Mason jars

Your frosting

Follow These Steps

Fill the slow cooker with some hot water

Set your heat on high and leave the lid off
Put your frosting inside your large mason jars
Put your wide-mouth mason jars into the water.

Make sure that no water gets inside your jars
Leave your cooker with the lid off for about 20 to 30 minutes for your frosting to melt
When ready simply take out the mason jars and use your frosting as desired

The Sandwich Bag Method

Also another effective way to warm up your frosting is through a sandwich bag. This method is effective especially if you want to drizzle your frosting.

What You Need

A plastic

Your frosting

Follow These Steps

Place your frosting inside a reusable plastic bag

Seal the bag completely
You can place the plastic bag inside another reusable bag to ensure that water does not sip in
When your frosting has melted, use a scissors to cut a small corner of the bag when you want to drizzle your frosting

The Stovetop Method

Another effective way to warm up frosting is using the stovetop. To do this place a spoon cold frosting inside a small saucepan and stir it consistently while cooking over low heat. It is very important to stir the frosting during this process otherwise it will scorch and stick to the bottom of your pan. If you have a double boiler, you can fill the bottom pan with water and warm the frosting in the top pan to reduce the chances of scorching.

Over The Counter Method

You can warm up or melt frosting over the counter. Store-bought frosting can be left on a warm countertop to warm up after refrigeration, but you must be careful when leaving homemade frosting out. Homemade frosting that is made with perishable ingredients such as cream cheese or whipped cream should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours because bacteria will begin to multiply in the frosting and that may cause foodborne illnesses.

Benefits Of Frosting

Customization – frosting is a canvas for your creativity. You can use it for food colouring or extracts to change the colour or flavour with ease.

Piping – frosting can be used for piping flowers, borders or messages on your cakes and cookies.
Consistency – frosting can be thinned for spreading on cakes or cookies or thickened for piping decorations as well
Convenience – Depending with the type of frosting it is easy to decorate your baked good with canned or tub frosting straight from the container.

Frosting also comes in a range of colours and traditional flavours, such as chocolate and vanilla.
Other frosting such as pouch and tube icings come in a wide variety of colours, so there is no need to make use of icing colours
Dries hard – royal frosting dries hard, making it a great option for cookies or cupcakes that need to be packaged or sent in the mail.