How to Store Royal Icing

Transfer your unused royal icing to a large, clean mixing bowl. Use a clean spoon or spatula to put your royal icing into a glass or stainless steel bowl. If your leftover icing is in a piping bag, simply pipe it into your storage container. If it’s still in the mixing bowl from when you first made it, it’s okay to leave it in there, too.^[1]

• Always make sure to use clean utensils and bowls when working with royal icing.

Place a clean, damp dishcloth overtop of the mixing bowl. Take a clean dish rag and wet it thoroughly with water. Wring it out so that it isn’t dripping wet, then lay it overtop of the bowl. Ideally, it should not touch the icing at all.^[2]

• The damp dishcloth helps keep the icing soft and prevents it from forming a hard crust.

Use plastic wrap to cover the bowl if you don’t want to use a cloth. Take a large piece of plastic wrap and press it down into the bowl so it is touching the icing. Then secure the edges of the plastic wrap around the rim of the bowl. If you do this, there is no need to use a damp dishcloth, as the moisture from the cloth won’t benefit the icing through the plastic wrap.^[3]

• Laying the plastic wrap flat against the icing helps keep it from coming into contact with the air.

Put the lid or a large dinner plate overtop of the container. Depending on how thick your towel is, you may need to just place a heavy plate over the bowl to hold it in place. If your storage container has a lid that will fit, secure it on the bowl.^[4]

• If you are using plastic wrap, try to use a container that has an air-tight lid to help your royal icing last longer.

Keep royal icing made with egg whites in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Replace the hand towel with a clean and damp one every 4 or 5 days to keep the icing moist and fresh. There is no need to replace the plastic wrap unless you notice that it has come loose. If there are strong foods in the fridge, like cut onions, try to store them as far away from the icing as possible.^[5]

• Put a piece of masking tape on the container with the “prepared on” date, to remind you of how long the icing is good for.

Store icing made with meringue powder in the fridge for up to 1 month. If you used a damp towel, replace it with a clean and damp towel every 4-5 days to keep the icing moist and fresh. If you used plastic wrap, you shouldn’t need to replace it unless it has come loose.^[6]

• If you used meringue powder instead of eggs, you could also store the royal icing at room temperature rather than in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Make sure to label the storage container with the “prepared on” date so you remember how long it’ll be good for.

Allow the icing to come to room temperature before you remix it. Once you’re ready to use the royal icing, take it out of the fridge, leave it covered, and let it come to room temperature. It should take about an hour for the icing to warm up, but leaving it out overnight might give you the best results. Then, use your mixer to remix the icing and ensure it’s at the right consistency. After remixing the icing, if it isn’t smooth and has an off consistency, chances are it has gone bad and needs to be discarded.^[7]

• If you used the mixing bowl that goes with your stand mixer, all you have to do is pop that bowl into place, and you’re ready to go! Otherwise, you will need to use a clean spatula or spoon to transfer your icing into a clean mixing bowl.