Hi All,

So I can't stand the taste of fondant and buttercream is okay but after a tiny bit it makes me feel a bit ill! :-S
My favourite kind of icing is good old icing sugar and water, yumm! The problem is that unless you stick a whole bunch of stuff to the top it's not that pretty. Does there exist any kind of coating or spray or anything at all which makes the very top a little stiff or smooth while keeping the softness of the icing below in order to be able to draw designs onto the cake?

I know it's probably wishful thinking but worth a shot!
Thanks

It sounds like you're looking for a "crusting" buttercream. The surface forms a crust, hence the name, but under the crust the icing is still soft and creamy. Try searching the recipe galleries here for a crusting buttercream.

Also if you don't like a super sweet buttercream, you may like Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue buttercreams.

There are some recipes for those as well on this site, however they don't "crust".

Hm, I'm really looking for a thin coating that coats normal icing (just powdered sugar and water/flavour) but honestly I don't think it exists except in my imagination!
Thanks for the tip though, I think I might try some other types of buttercream and see if I can find something nicer, I haven't tried swiss/meringue buttercream yet, the normal stuff is technical enough for me! lol!

Poured fondant like they do on petite fours might be something you are looking for.