Ok I need some help. I am taking wilton's course 2 and am working with royal icing. When I make my flowers they seem to turn into a big glob. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I tried making the leaves and they just look like green blobs same with the apple bloosoms and violets. Can anyone help me before my next class which is tuesday night. I have not made up the icing yet just in case I need to tweek my recipe.
Add more confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, until it stands in nice peaks!
It sounds like it is just too thin. Add a little at a time.
I agree that you have to make sure all of your bowls and tips are completely grease free. The friend who took course 2 with me made her royal icing in a plastic bowl that she usually put popcorn in. When she got to class, all of her icing was ruined. Our instructor told us to only use glass bowls and to wipe them and our tips out with a paper towel soaked with a little vinegar. I use a q-tip with vinegar to clean out my tips. I only use a stainless steel bowl to make the icing in and store and mix colors in glass bowls, and only use my stainless spoons, nothing plastic that could hold grease.
thanks for the help. The funny thing about it was that it was a brand new bowl, mixer and containers. I did not want to take any chances. I blew out my mixer the day before so I had to go out a buy a new one. I think I will trying to add more sugar thanks for all the help.
There is an easy way to check if your icing is the right consistency. Simply touch the icing with the back of a teaspoon then pull it up sharply so a peak is formed
If the peak disappears back into the icing it's too thin
If the peak bends over at the top it's the correct consistency for coating
If the peak holds for a couple of seconds then bends it's the right consistency for piping lines, shells etc.
If the peak stays upright it's the right consistency for pipng flowers
In all cases make sure the icing is really well mixed
Thankyou Miss! I made my first batch of cookies last week and couldn't figure out the perfect consistency for coating.
I agree, that it does sound too thin. You did mix it more than 7 mins right? If it is undermixed it can melt like that too. And as others said grease can affect it. Did you use plastic bags or parchment paper. I have had luck using plastic bags, but never storing or leaving it in them. I have had a student that her icing was always fine until she put it in the plastic bag.
To thicken it up, add cornstrach. It will help absorb the extra liquid. Mix some in and then let it sit for a little while. 
It definately sounds as though your consistency is too thin. The thing that's tough about royal is that it feels right initially- but then when you do a flower and it sits for a minute or two - it seems to just ooze together a bit. Always make the royal icing a little thicker than you would normal buttercream (using a consistency comparison only). I tell my students to make it so that's it's so close to a stiff consistency that you might as well call it stiff. It it always easier to thin royal than to thicken it. Have your instructor check your icing before class - you'll get the hang of it and once you do - you'll get it right everytime. 
Glad I saw this post today, getting ready to make my second batch of royal icing for roses on a wedding cake. MissBaritone, your tips on how to check consistency with a spoon are great!
Hi all. I am a new cake decorator. I dont have much knowledge about it. I just completed my Wilton course 1 and it helps me. I am thinking about to take more courses. I love to decorate the cake. I think I got nice place to get the help about decorating from all of you.
Thanks for helping and shearing all about cake.
Welcome Nitu! There all lots of great people on here who are all willing to help you out! It is extremely rare to find any negativity, it is a very friendly site. The moderators are very active and are really helpful.
Glad I saw this post today, getting ready to make my second batch of royal icing for roses on a wedding cake. MissBaritone, your tips on how to check consistency with a spoon are great!
No problem. We seem to use a lot more royal icing over here than you do so the first thing we learn in our classes is how to mix royal icing and how to tell it's consistency. I just need the courage to try coating a cake with buttercream now.
Welcome, Nitu! You will really like all the helpful tips you pick up on this site...it's great to take classes, but this site helps fill in the cracks. MissBaritone....what medium did you use/ do you use now, to cover a cake? We start out with buttercream, and then usually venture into fondant. Do you use royal icing to cover your cake? Never thought of trying that for a covering.
Most of our cakes are fruit cake covered in marzipan and either royal icing or fondant. Sponge cakes on the rare occasion that we use them tend to be covered in fondant.
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