is it safe to use eggs in icing

The other day I was making cookies and I ran out of icing. I was almost finished with the set of cookies I was working on, but I had a small problem, I didn’t have any meringue powder. Since I live in the middle of the woods it’s not easy going to the store. You have to stop what you’re doing and spend half the day buying eggs. So what do I do? I make my egg white royal icing recipe. Normally I make royal icing with meringue powder because it’s safer than raw eggs. Sometimes when we don’t have meringue powder it’s good to know we can use egg whites if we needed.

The reason meringue powder is safer to use is that there is a slight risk of getting salmonella or another food-borne illness from eating raw eggs. As kids, we would fight over who got to lick the spoon when my mom or grandma would make a cake, icing or other desserts that contained raw eggs. In all my years, I have never got sick from them and I don’t know of anyone else who has become sick from eating icing or licking the spoon of some amazing cake batter.

Have you ever had food poisoning? I had it after eating a slice of cheesecake from a very popular food chain that specialized in cheesecake and it made me want to give up cheesecake forever. It is the sickest I’ve ever been in my life and I don’t want anyone else to feel like that so, I want to make sure you understand that raw egg whites can be a bit tricky before you use my or any other egg white royal icing recipe.

The risk is slight, but it is certainly possible for raw egg whites to contain food-borne pathogens, such as Salmonella. Fortunately, you can prepare royal icing using two different methods with little to no risk by using meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites.

Egg White Royal Icing RecipeMake royal icing with egg whites for decorating cookies and gingerbread houses.

• 6 cups of confectioners sugar that is about 750 grams but you may need more depending on how thick you want your icing
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar- this is used to stabilize the egg whites)
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or the flavor of your choice

• Place the confectioners sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer.
• Separate the eggs.
• Add the egg whites to the sugar, vanilla, and Cream of TarTar. Mix on low-medium speed until the icing is smooth.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. It is good for up to one week if kept in the fridge.

Egg White Royal Icing Recipe Video:

There are a few tips that you should know about using raw egg whites that can help keep your food safe.

• When you make this egg whites royal icing recipe, you should use pasteurized eggs.
• According to reachers salmonella tends to found in the yolk of the egg. It’s also possible for it to be in raw egg whites so be careful when working with them.
• If you don’t want to take a chance on eating raw eggs there are other choices you can use to make your royal icing such as meringue powder. If you’re looking for a recipe for royal icing made with meringue powder here is a recipe and post for Antonias Royal Icing and Half a Batch of Royal Icing.
• Egg substitutes are pasteurized. Do you know how they pasteurize eggs? It’s pretty simple. The eggs are gently heated in their shells to kill all the bacteria. They don’t actually cook the eggs. They just heat them enough to kill bacteria so it’s safe to use them for uncooked or partially cooked food. Isn’t that interesting?
• Don’t store the eggs in the door of the fridge because when the door is open it lets in heat. Eggs need to say cold so place them on a shelf and not in the door.

Now let’s see how to put this recipe together.

I used my big girl mixer in my recipe videos, but I want you to know you don’t have to have a stand mixer to make royal icing. I made it with a hand mixer for years before investing in a KitchenAid. As a matter of fact, I made a post pm How to Make Royal Icing with a Hand Mixer to show how simple it is to make. It is easy and I promise the icing will taste the same no matter what mixer you use.

How to Pasteurize Eggs 2 Ways

FAQ

Is buttercream with egg whites safe?

How do you make egg whites safe?

Is it safe to consume raw egg white?

Does icing have eggs in it?

Should you buy pasteurized eggs for royal icing?

Our Test Kitchen’s tried-and-true royal icing recipe relies on meringue powder. If your royal icing recipe calls for raw egg whites, opt for buying pasteurized eggs. This means the eggs were partially sterilized and more likely to be rid of any food-borne illness. You’ll be able to find a pasteurized label on eggs at most grocery stores.

Is it safe to drink egg yolk?

I would recommend that you avoid consuming raw egg yolk because there are no added benefits to consuming raw vs consuming it cooked. There is also a high risk that you can get salmonella from raw eggs, so it isn’t even worth the risk. So please, don’t consume raw egg yolk, however, it is fine if you get eggs sunny side up or have a runny egg yolk, just avoid consuming completely raw egg yolk.

Are room-temperature eggs better than cold eggs for royal icing?

Room-temperature eggs will incorporate into the royal icing easier than cold ones, but it’s not absolutely necessary for this recipe. Cold eggs are easier to separate, so if you have the time, go ahead and separate the egg whites from the yolks, then let the whites come to room temperature.

Should you use egg white for frosting?

But Bruhn, for one, doesn’t like to take chances. “I would advise those people who are risk-adverse and love the people they cook for just to buy those little cartons of [pasteurized] eggs,” she says. “They can always use the egg white in other dishes like omelets or other cooked dishes later on if they don’t use it all for the frosting.”