The Frosting vs. Icing Debate

To me, it's always been frosting. "It's the frosting on the cake!" I frost my sugar cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. In my house, we never iced anything. I've learned now that the use of this term tends to be a regional thing. Take a look at this "Frosting vs. Icing" infographic from Bite Bar - a gourmet bite size dessert bar in Toronto: you can see Michigan is very much in the red: we tend to call it "frosting".

According to the infographic, there actually are a few differences between frosting and icing, and it looks like it does go beyond semantics:

1. Frosting is more of a stiff coating for cakes (and cake fillings, cookies, cupcakes, etc.), while icing is thinner for cakes, cookies, and pastries.

2. Frosting will be fluffy (buttercream) while icing will be glossy (glaze).

3. Because of its texture, frosting will stay put, while an icing tends to spread.

4. Frosting is butter or cream based, while icing is sugar or egg white-based, often thinned with milk (See my recipe for perfect buttercream frosting)...

5. ... therefore, the flavor of frosting tends to be more buttery, while the flavor of icing is more sugary.

frosted sugar cookies
I loved reading this infographic - and not just because I wanted to eat everything pictured in it. If you're interested in the history of frosting; interesting flavor pairings; and some tips for making the best frosting possible, read more of the infographic at Bite Bar, written by Sanjay Agnihotri.

So now, it's time for a poll. What do you call it? Is it frosting or icing?

Is it frosting or icing? FrostingIcingBoth: I use them interchangeablyBoth: they are two different things
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