Icingtons (also known as French icingtons) are traditional wedding figurines made entirely of

icing sugar Powdered sugar, also called confectioners' sugar, or icing sugar, is a finely ground sugar produced by milling granulated sugar into a powdered state. It usually contains between 2% and 5% of an anti-caking agent – such as corn starch, po ...

. Icingtons are distinguishable from other wedding figurines by their organic soft look. They are placed on top of the wedding cake as a visual and

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

ic mechanism.

Ingredients

Icingtons consist of

royal icing Royal icing is a hard white icing, made from softly beaten egg whites, icing sugar (powdered sugar), and sometimes lemon or lime juice. It is used to decorate Christmas cakes, wedding cakes, gingerbread houses, cookies and many other cakes and ...

, also known as 'hard icing' or 'ready-to-roll icing', or sugar paste.

Origins

The design of icingtons was inspired by classic French cinema of the 1940s and 1950s. They possessed a simple yet elegant

aesthetic Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed th ...

that encapsulated the on-screen sophistication of classic French actresses and actors. While the cake topper became popularized in America during the 1950s as a symbol of union, icingtons distinguished themselves by maintaining their elegance.

Differences between cake toppers

Today, the words 'cake figurines' and 'cake toppers' are interchangeable. Cake toppers increasingly refer to figurines that are made of plastic, porcelain and now polymer clay. Figurines made of icing are traditionally referred to as icingtons. Some adopt the generic term 'sugar paste topper' to describe them, as these days many sugar paste toppers are devoid of any French influences.

Artistry

Icingtons have evolved from the kitchens of patisserie chefs and cake decorators displaying their skills in

fondant Fondant is a mixture of sugar and water used as a confection, filling, or icing. Sometimes gelatin and glycerine are used as softeners or stabilizers. There are numerous varieties of fondant, with the most basic being poured fondant. Others inc ...

marzipan Marzipan is a confectionery, confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into Confectionery, sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzi ...

, and

. Icing sugar creations are considered an art form in itself, and require a great deal of skill and craftsmanship, and may involve

embossing Emboss or Embossing may refer to: Materials The term usually refers to several techniques for creating a raised pattern on a material: *Paper embossing, the raising of paper and other non-metal products using specific tools to accomplish the task ...

, crimping,

broderie anglaise Broderie anglaise (French, "English embroidery", ) is a whitework needlework technique incorporating features of embroidery, cutwork and needle lace that became associated with England, due to its popularity there in the 19th century. History ...

, and Garret frills.Anne Smith, ''The art of sugarcraft: Sugarpaste'', Merehurst Press, 1987 Modern-day icingtons have not strayed too far from the traditional - they still retain the suave, elegant look that mirror the French Classics.

References

{{wedding Wedding food Marriage in France