Icing Is Frosting, Depending on Where You Bake
Icing is a sweet coating for cakes. Britain and America use different words, and in ice hockey icing means something else entirely.
Icing is a sweet coating spread over cakes and biscuits. Britain says icing, America usually says frosting, though Americans keep *icing* for thinner glazes. In ice hockey the word means something completely unrelated: a rule violation where a player shoots the puck from behind the halfway line across the opponent's goal line untouched. *The icing on the cake* means a desirable final addition, something pleasant but not essential.
- A cake coating. *Royal icing.*
- Frosting — the American word. *Chocolate frosting.*
- A hockey infringement. *Called for icing.*
- Icing sugar — powdered sugar. *Sift the icing sugar.*
- Icing on the cake — a bonus. *The icing on the cake.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (UK) | icing | Royal icing. |
| Noun (US) | frosting | Frosting. |
| Verb | ice | Ice the cake. |
| Compound | icing sugar | Icing sugar. |
| US term | confectioners' sugar | Confectioners' sugar. |
- Spread the icing while the cake is cool.Baking.
- The play was stopped for icing.Hockey.
- That was the icing on the cake.Idiom.
Types of icing
- Royal icing — egg white and icing sugar, sets hard
- Buttercream — butter and sugar, soft and pipeable
- Fondant — rolled sheet icing for smooth finishes
- Glacé icing — sugar and water, thin and glossy
- Ganache — chocolate and cream, not strictly an icing
From *ice*, Old English *is*, because the white coating resembles frozen water.
Is icing the same as frosting?
Broadly yes. Britain says icing for all of it; America uses frosting for thick coatings and icing for thin glazes.
What is icing in ice hockey?
A violation where the puck is shot from behind the halfway line across the opponent's goal line without being touched.