Glaze icings pair well with dense cakes, like pound cakes or butter cakes.  They’re very easy to make and embellish; you could use orange juice as an alternative to the lemon juice below, or omit the citrus and stir in some cocoa powder for a chocolate glaze.

The most important part of a glaze icing is its consistency, which needs to be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough to set.  Remember that you can always add more liquid to make the icing thinner, so start with the smallest amount and gradually stir in more liquid until you’ve reached the desired consistency; if you do add too much liquid, add one additional tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to thicken it.

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-4 tablespoons water

Preparation

Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons water in a large, 4-cup glass measuring cup.  Continue adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency; glaze should be drizzly, but not too thin.  Pour or drizzle over cake, allowing glaze to drip down the sides.