Caramel frosting adorns a cupcake.
One aspect of baking which often proves tricky is keeping frosting soft, and caramel frosting is no exception. The longer air is contact with frosting, the more it will dry and harden. Even the most expertly crafted frostings will harden if exposed long enough. Many bakers prefer to prepare frosting the night before baking or the entire baked good, start to finish, the night before presentation. There are several clever tricks for keeping your caramel frosting soft until you serve it.
Instructions
1. Prepare the frosting with enough butter to keep the finished product moist. If the ratio of butter to sugar is not adequate, the frosting has no hope of maintaining the appropriate consistency. This may be hard to discern if making the recipe for the first time.
2. Beat in a little extra butter to soften the frosting if it is crumbly or begins to harden almost immediately after mixing.
3. Cover the bowl of frosting in a damp, but not dripping, washcloth or paper towel. Minimizing the air exposure with something damp will help keep the frosting moist until you frost the cake or cupcakes.
4. Apply a generous amount of frosting. The thinner your layer of frosting is, the sooner it will dry out. Do not drown cake in frosting to keep it moist, just avoid tissue-thin frosting application.
5. Store iced cakes or cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If there is some way to cover the top of the container (under the lid) with a damp washcloth or paper towel, do that, as well. Make sure there is no way the cloth or towel will come in contact with the frosting.
Tags: caramel frosting, contact with, contact with frosting, frosting soft, night before
