Orange cake icing

Name: Orange cake icing
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 cake (about 12 slices)
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 200 g icing sugar (sifted); 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice and 1 tsp finely grated untreated orange zest; 1 tsp butter or 1 tbsp cream for shine; 1 pinch salt; 1-2 tbsp hot water for thinning

Time: 10 min1 cake (about 12 slices)approx. 70 kcal / serving (estimated)

Orange glaze is a quick home version of the classic pastry-shop fondant glaze. Older recipes first cooked a sugar base (fondant), which needed a sugar thermometer and a practised hand. Today you can make a perfectly glossy glaze from icing sugar in a few minutes. The fresh orange fragrance lifts chocolate cakes and almond sponges.

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Ingredients

200 g icing sugar (sifted)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice and 1 tsp finely grated untreated orange zest
1 tsp butter or 1 tbsp cream for shine
1 pinch salt
1-2 tbsp hot water for thinning

Method

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Sift the icing sugar through a fine sieve into a small saucepan or heatproof bowl so no lumps remain. The cake should be completely cool, with the top levelled.
Stir the orange juice and grated zest into the icing sugar until smooth. Strain the juice to remove any seeds.
Warm the saucepan over low heat or over hot steam, stirring constantly, to no more than 40-45 °C (a finger should still tolerate it comfortably). Any hotter and the glaze turns dull and loses its shine.
Melt in the butter or cream, then add hot water a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thick but flows slowly off the spoon in a ribbon. If it is too thin, sift in more icing sugar.
Pour the glaze in one go onto the middle of the cake, then spread it evenly with the flat of a knife so it runs nicely down the sides. If you want the sides covered too, first brush them thinly with buttercream or jam.
Let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes until it forms a glossy skin, then slice. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it before each cut so the glaze does not crack.

Based on: Malatinszky Fanny szakácskönyve (a classic Hungarian cookbook), modernised. Calories and protein are estimated.

Tips

Pour the glaze while lukewarm over a fully cooled cake, ideally one that has rested overnight, so it does not melt into the filling.
Always sift the icing sugar, otherwise the finished glaze will be lumpy and matte.
Only grate the zest of untreated or well-washed oranges, and only the coloured part; the white pith is bitter.
The shine comes from the little butter or cream, so do not skip it.

Frequently asked questions

Can the glaze be made ahead?

Making it ahead is not recommended because it forms a crust. If you must, seal it airtight and re-warm it gently over steam, stirring, before use.

What if the glaze cracked or turned matte?

It was too hot or too stiff. Stir in a teaspoon of hot water and re-warm gently, below 40 °C.

How can I make it more orange-flavoured?

Stir in a teaspoon of orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier), or replace half of the juice with reduced orange juice.

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