Basic royal icing

Method

1. Put the egg whites in a bowl and add the icing sugar bit by bit, stirring until you get a thick dropping consistency.
2. Use a whisk to beat the mixture until it starts to form peaks, then stir in the glycerine. If you like, stir in a tiny drop of food colouring.
3. Smooth the icing all over the cake with a palette knife. Once it’s covered, wet the cleaned knife in a jug of hot water and use it to give the icing a smooth surface. Stick any edible decorations around the base or onto the cake. Leave the icing to dry overnight before attempting to decorate it with other icings.