Icingtons (also known as French icingtons) are traditional
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
figurines made entirely of
icing sugar. Icingtons are distinguishable from other wedding figurines by their organic soft look. They are placed on top of the
wedding cake
A wedding cake is the traditional cake served at wedding receptions following dinner. In some parts of England, the wedding cake is served at a wedding breakfast; the 'wedding breakfast' does not mean the meal will be held in the morning, but ...
as a visual and
symbolic mechanism.
Ingredients
Icingtons consist of
royal icing, also known as 'hard icing' or 'ready-to-roll icing', or
sugar paste
Sugar paste icing is a sweet, edible sugar dough, typically made from sucrose and glucose. It is sometimes referred to as sugar gum or gum paste.
Though the two are both used in cake decorating, sugar paste differs from fondant icing
Fond ...
.
Origins
The design of icingtons was inspired by classic French cinema of the 1940s and 1950s. They possessed a simple yet elegant
aesthetic 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
Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
and now
polymer clay
Polymer clay is a type of hardenable modeling clay based on the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It typically contains no clay minerals, but like mineral clay a liquid is added to dry particles until it achieves gel-like working properties, and s ...
.
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,
marzipan, and
royal icing. Icing sugar creations are considered an art form in itself, and require a great deal of skill and craftsmanship, and may involve
embossing,
crimping,
broderie anglaise, 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