I noticed that some cupcakes have what appears to be a liguid frosting that is poured over the top and then hardens leaving a very smooth flat surface. Can someone tell me what this is called and how to do it?

I think it might be a piece of fondant instead of icing.
I'd like to know if it's icing, though, because I'd like to try it instead of using fondant.

It might be poured fondant, It dries hard, and is said to leave a smooth glossy finish.

I have taken my buttercream and melted it in the microwave. Then take your cupcake and dip it in the melted buttercream. When you lift it out it will level off, dry, and leave a perfectly smooth cupcake. It is somewhat like a glaze though.

I would say this is either a piece of fondant, as someone mentioned earlier, or possibly glace icing (not sure if the name is different in USA as I'm from UK).

The recipe I have for this is:

225g/2 cups icing sugar
2-3 tbsp warm water or fruit juice
food colouring if required (no quantities given)

Sift icing/confectioners sugar into a bowl then gradually add water/juice until consistency is like heavy cream. Beat until smooth and coats the back of a spoon.

This frosting can be drizzled onto cakes and can be used to make lovely spider web patterns (cover cake top in one colour then drizzle circles from middle of cake getting bigger as they go out, then use a toothpick to 'pull' the circles out to make a spiders web).

It should dry off but wont go completely solid like fondant would.

Hope this helps!!

It's poured fondant. Cake Journal has directions on the website.

http://www.cakejournal.com/?s=poured+fondant

I tried the poured fondant, and it dries SO hard. It's borderline jawbreaker hard.

I agree with the poured fondant, it's also what's used to cover petit fours. If the cooking temperature is accurately regulated it won't turn to hard candy like the previous poster's experience, it was just cooked too long.

A[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3288712/width/200/height/400[/IMG] how about this?

AI saw this photo one of my fb friend and she said she doenst use fondant.. But she does t share her techniques.. Pls help guys.. [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3288713/width/200/height/400[/IMG]