I usually buy the premix and add water to my royal icing, but today I made the Wilton royal icing recipe and holy cannoli, I couldnt pipe it to save my life. I had to add more then my 6 tablespoons to get it to even go through my tip. Not to mention I broke two disposable pastry bags. Did I do something wrong?????

Uhh.. what recipe did you use ? Never had that problem before.

I used the recipe in the Meringue powder can. I had to have done it wrong. I ended up adding a total of 8 tablespoons of water and it finally worked out. Maybe I didnt mix it long enough with my KA? Who knows, Im going to try it again tomorrow for the top tier of my cake..so im crossing my fingers..LOL

I used the recipe in the Meringue powder can. I had to have done it wrong. I ended up adding a total of 8 tablespoons of water and it finally worked out. Maybe I didnt mix it long enough with my KA? Who knows, Im going to try it again tomorrow for the top tier of my cake..so im crossing my fingers..LOL

okay, i use that recipe all the time. did you take a knife and LEVEL the tbs. of meringue powder? I found that out the hard way, the very first time I made it. (a very long time ago)

I use this recipe for my royal icing all the time and it works great. Think of making royal like you do buttercream. There's different consistencies (stiff, medium, thin) so if it appears to be too think, add some more water. You don't want to blow through your bags and give yourself wrist cramps!

Here's a couple things to keep in mind:

- Be sure to mix for at least 8-10 minutes (the royal icing should start to lose its "sheen" when its been mixed long enough)

- When you measure in cups instead of by the pound you can end up with varying amounts of powdered sugar so sometimes you need to add more or less water to compensate for this. I always weigh my sugar to get more consistent results.

You'll develop a good feel for the consistency with practice.

thank you both for the advice, I definitely didnt mix it long enough and I did use cups. I will do it different tomorrow and see how it goes. Thank you again!

Alot of things factor in to your royal icing. 4 cups of powder sugar is really more than a pound of powder sugar, plus it depends on how much you get in a cup. If you measured out 4 cups of sugar several times you will end up with different amounts.

Another thing is when you are filling your measuring spoons with water you can add more or less with out realising it. Water will actually build up and round over the spoon before it spills over.

If using meringue powder you want to fluff it up before you measure out your tablespoons of it as well, because it does settle into the container.

The weather also plays a factor. If it is very dry you may need to add more water. If it is a humid day, then it will probably take less water than it usually does.

So because of all of those things when you make royal icing it comes down to adjusting the consistancy as needed.

As a WMI, I can have a class make royal icing at home, and of 8 people, no two people come in with the same consistancy though they all follow the same recipe at home. And from week to week the same people will come in with different consistancies.

If you are using a hand mixer I would mix it the full 10 mins and maybe a little longer. I have had the sheen remain with a hand mixer and the icing still be good. With a stand mixer you can usually go closer to the 7 min mark though I usually just go 10 anyway.


If the icing is not mixed long enough, it will appear to be very thick, (unless you thinned it down alot to begin with), but it will not hold its shape at all. It will just melt back into its self.

You are looking for an icing that will holds its 'peak', but that you can also pipe with. To me when royal is first made it looks alot like toothpaste. After it sits for a little while, it gets a marshmallow fluff look to it.

Royal should never kill your hand. If you do need to thin you royal, then you want to start added drops of water in slowly. If you are close but need it just a little thinner you can use a spray bottle to sprizt some in, or stick your spatula in a cup of water, which will only pick up a small amount of water for you to play with.

I make my royal icing the way Earlene Moore does. With real eggwhites, lemon juice and powdered sugar a little at a time hand mixing with a spoon

I measure & mix my meringue powder & water then add my powder sugar which I do NOT measure I add and mix till I get it the thickness I like. If your batch is too stiff just add water till you get the desired consistency, you should be able to squeeze it out without injuring yourself ;o)

The recipe I have for RI (that I use for cookies) calls for 6 Tbsp of water, but I frequently add 8 or even 10 or 12 to get the consistency that I need.

I absolutely do not believe in following recipes "to a T" ...... they rarely turn out right!

The last ingredient in ANY recipe should be "One large dose of common sense!" Meaning if it's too thick, add more water.

thanks all, I have to admit as sad and embarrassing as it is...... I did injure myself!!!! I couldnt pipe a thing today. I must have pulled something in my wrist... but if anyone asks I will never admit it was because of royal icing..LOL I will give a go at it again tomorrow...