Has anyone ever topped cupcakes with royal icing? I'm making red velvet cupcakes topped with royal icing and I'm wondering how to keep the royal icing thin enough to spread neatly but thick enough so that the red velvet doesn't show. Anyone have some tips?

I'd also like to keep the royal icing from getting too hard. I've heard that adding glycerin helps with that. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks!

Anybody??

Rather than spreading it, why not pipe it? Then you won't have to worry about swiping it too thinly with the spatula.

I add a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup per pound of sugar to my royal to keep it from get getting crumbly rock-hard. I've never iced a cake or cupcakes with it, tho.