Love,

Love — a magical feeling between a boy and a girl. Roses, chocolates, kisses, and hugs. Is always willing to fall into, be smothered with, and often leads to excessive gazing into each others eyes.

Love — a mother and child. Protection, patience, warmth. Father and daughter and son. Provision, strength, foundation . Easily the most powerful bond between two human beings.



Love – patient and kind. Does not envy, nor does it boast. Never ever self-seeking or easily angered. Keeps no record of wrong. Doesn't delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love – an action, more than words. A choice to make. Both the cause and the effect. And love grows. No matter how small it is, it starts with one, and leads to two, which multiplies to four and who knows where it will go?



What is this girl babbling about? Well, in light of the so called "holiday" that just passed by, I want to share with you my take on love. And hopefully it doesn't sound like boasting on my part, but perhaps it inspires you and urges you to join me in multiplying "love".

SO, last year, I had a special Valentine's Day Cupcake sale to make some extra cash. It went quite well, with more than 10 individual orders, and up to $200 in profit. So this year, I thought I could do the same. I thought, "Hey, more people know about my cupcakes, so maybe it will be an even better turn out." But as it turns out, whether it's the economy to blame, or my lack of advertising, I was wrong. I barely got 5 orders, but nonetheless, I was still really happy to be doing it.



As I was collecting my final orders, I read an article about how there's this guy in the States who wants to somehow ban Valentine's Day (and is trying to take it to court) since it's just another evil money-making day for businesses. Apparently, all it does is make men feel pressured and under-appreciated because of the unreal expectations of women. It's simply about how much dough a man can dish out for his woman. But the article goes on to saying that instead of the cynical view, why not just celebrate this day of Love? Why not have a chance to stop and really appreciate love? And I thought to myself, well, what is love then? Sure, it's emotional feelings towards your mate, but I believe love is more than that. It can make an even greater impact and produce greater fruits than that. So what better way to celebrate love than to show it to those who need it most?



And who needs it more than anyone at this time? Of course, the people of Haiti. I don't really think I need to talk much about the heart-breaking disaster, as I'm sure everyone is aware. With that said, I was moved to give what I have and share my part of love. So, last minute, I decided to donate all the money from the cupcakes, which turned out to be enough to provide TWO families with emergency kits. (Through World Vision). I know it's but a small initiative on my part, however I know every bit counts. It's my first step, and I don't want to stop here.



Andrew and I also started supporting a child through World Vision. His name is Mame, from Senegal. His family barely meets their needs, so I'm really hoping with the monthly donations that we make, it will make a difference in his family's lives. Imagine we could truly change someone's life? Imagine we can help pave a way of hope?



The power of one. Hundreds and millions of people start with one. That's from a song I've recently heard. And I really believe in it. I'm starting with one, but I'm confident it can keep spreading. Just like love spreads. ♥

Merci Danke Arigato

Hello wonderful friends! Hmm today is one of those days where I just can't think of something to write about. Other than the fact that I made some deliciously summery cupcakes for a friend's birthday party, I'm drawing a blank here. But there is one thing I wanted to say... THANK YOU!! I know all those celebrity food bloggers get 19280 comments every post, but I'm squealing with joy whenever I get one comment -- it means you guys like me and that's like a super duper feeling.



I know I've been sorta neglecting my blog lately just being busy n all, but I'm so excited to see that people are still wooed by my baked goodies. And I don't deserve it! :P So I just wanted to give y'all a BIG WARM THANKS and I'm going to try my best to make this an even better blog. Merci danke arigato!



By the way, I made these new key lime cupcakes and they were really really good. My friend only asked for two things: a summery pair of flavors and green + blue for decoration. She trusted me with the rest of the decision making. And that's all I really needed cuz I got so inspired with that request!! Hahah. As silly as it sounds, the first thing that popped up in my head was the brilliantly coloured sprinkles they sell at bulk barn and from that I decided to go with dark chocolate cake and white billowy frosting, along with a fresh lime cupcake.



Of course I used my black magic cake for the chocolate cake. And I used an impromptu cream cheese frosting (I originally was going to make simple vanilla buttercream) that I got to halve from the lime cream cheese frosting. The key lime cupcakes weren't actually key lime since I couldn't get my hands on some real Florida key limes but the Mexican limes did the job. I found the recipe from bon appetite. It's a delightful recipe for a delightful cupcake. The limes are definitely a different taste from lemons but equally lovely. Are you a lime-lover? You should give it a try!!

Key Lime Cupcakes

recipe from bon appetite
makes 12 cupcakes

ingredients

CUPCAKES

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring (optional)
3/4 cup buttermilk

FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/8 teaspoon neon-green food coloring (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fill pan cups 2/3.
2. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
3. For frosting: Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

California Dreamin'

Actually, this post has nothing to do with the sunny state of California at all - only the fact that I seem to be living in "Cali time" nowadays. What I mean is that my "internal clock" or "Circadian rhythm" is set to three hours later than it should be. When it is midnight here, I feel like it's only 9 pm (which would be the present time for western states/provinces). And so even if midnight is usually my sleep time, I am awake and struggling to fall asleep. By the time it is 3 am, I am finally getting some shuteye. But it's not like I'm not getting any sleep either! I'm waking up at noon (haha!) just as if it is only 9 am! Plus I squeeze in some naps here and there. I've been doing this every day for a week now.



My sleeping pattern has definitely changed as all those late work nights have built up over the month. And now all the fatigue from the stress and restlessness is hitting me. I've never been an easy sleeper, but this is getting a bit ridiculous. It doesn't help that I'm done school now and I have no set schedule and so I've been sleeping and waking up whenever I want to. My family has been quite generous and letting me relax a bit after finishing all my school stuff, but it's starting to get a bit embarrassing. My mom once sweetly said, "You know the saying, the early bird gets the worm? Just thought you'd like to know.." Haha.



I think it's about time I get back to Toronto time and get it altogether again! Sometimes, self-motivation seems to be the hardest thing, especially after a long journey already. I'm still terribly worried about my new career situation but I feel tired and unmotivated. :( BUT, life is not just about "feelings". It's about doing the right thing even if it's hard, sowing the seeds, and passing through the tunnel! I really should get out there and look hard! There's bound to be a window open somewhere! I'm sure there is a good place waiting for me... I just need to find it.



Anyways, how self-indulgent of me. I've just been ranting on and on about myself without even telling you about the delicious baked goods you've been eyeing on this page so far. Am I right? Well you're in for a treat! Three treats, to be exact. These three goodies were for a very special picnic for a very special girl: Cheryl! It was my favorite Cheryl's 22nd birthday picnic, ever so sweetly organized by her boyfriend. It was a fantastic picnic with gourmet sandwiches, delicious antipasti, champagne and - you bet - cupcakes. I always like to bring baked goodies as gifts for my friends' birthdays, so this time it was no different. Just times three.



Her boyfriend requested some goodies along with birthday cupcakes for a group of ten or so. I decided that super sweet and sour lemon squares, and a fun and colourful m&m cookie would be perfect for a summery picnic! I also considered blueberry crumb bars as well, but it was just too much to make. Anyways, I'm so excited to introduce you to my new favorite recipe for lemon squares, which were much much much better than my last try. I really loved them because they were super lemony - but beware, the sugar level is crazy in this one. Only people with a true sweet tooth will appreciate this square. It was received very well among many, but my daddy did not approve. Next was my m&m cookie which just needed a terrific cookie dough recipe. I used allrecipe's Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. It wasn't exactly the chewiest, but it was still great with the crunchy candied chocolates. By the way, I looove how it looks on the back of the cookie. The candies look like they were drawn on by colourful chalk! It's so cute!



Lastly, my white chocolate cream cheese frosting on raspberry dark chocolate cupcakes. Well, see, I once tried this most fantastic cake which consisted of a moist deep chocolate cake, raspberry jam, a terrific white chocolate buttercream, and lots of white chocolate shavings on top. This was one memorable cake. I've always dreamed of recreating that with my cupcakes and this was my chance. I really had to investigate different ways I could make this cupcake because there are so many possibilities! I considered putting the raspberry jam right into the buttercream, or making a raspberry mousse to swirl with the buttercream, or to fill the cupcakes with raspberry jam... and it goes on. In the end, I sorta just settled on a easier and simpler method. I simply spread the rapsberry jam (which was DELICIOUS, and should be, because I spent lots of money on it) on top of the cupcake, and then I iced the buttercream on top. It turned out great... until I had to leave it in the hot car for a few hours. O DEAR O DEAR. Bad idea. It was a smoltering day and I should've known!! But baking till 1am did not do me too good so the next day I was a bit slow in realizing I should've kept it cold. The cupcakes were pretty gross looking by the time it was picnic time... but my friends didn't care. So sweet of them, they still ate it with much glee and praise. Thanks guys!!

Yummy M&M Cookies

adapted from allrecipes

makes 3 dozen

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups mini or regular m&ms

directions

1.Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Squares

makes 30 squares

ingredients

CRUST
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
6 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

FILLING
6 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

GARNISH
about 3 tbsp of confectioner's sugar

directions

Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on low speed until mixed. Add butter and continue to mix until the butter is the size of small peas, about 30 seconds. The mixture will be very dry. Gently press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then flour. Pour the filling on top of the crust.

Bake until the lemon filling is set, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for an hour or keep at room temperature for three hours before cutting. Cut into squares, about 2 1/4 inches. Dust tops with confectioner's sugar.

Note: The squares can be made a day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Lucky

I feel lucky that I have a hobby that makes other people happy too. My mom was realllly craving my lemon pound cake and has been asking for it for quite some time. I made it for her, and it made her very happy! What a great feeling! The thing I love to do is not just for me, it's for sharing with those around me. I'm so lucky.







I've made this pound cake before, and the recipe is here. But just to make it a TINY WINY bit different, I added some tangerine juice/zest. It didn't make much of a difference, but it did in my mind! I also used two mini loaf pans instead of one, which is always more fun! Anything miniature is fun. :) I was once again impressed by the recipe, though. The cake is so soft and has a perfect density from the cream cheese. It's phenomenal right out of the oven and delicious the day after too! I love this pound cake, and no wonder my mom craves it time to time. :D

Strawberry Fields Forever

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever. - The Beatles



Hmm.. unfortunately, I believe that most things are real and there are lots of things that we do get hung about, but today, I just wanted to say that despite all that, there is so much to celebrate! Like my friend Helen's birthday! Life might not be strawberry fields forever, but there definitely are sweet moments to delight in!



Happy birthday to Helen! She's so special to me because it's not about the outwardly appearance or words that make our relationship, but the heart-to-heart connection. We've gone through a lot over the years, and she's blessed my life in lots of ways. It wasn't the good times that brought us closer but the tears and hurts that let us open up. I think that kind of friendship is so precious and priceless.



So in light of that, I've baked some cupcakes for her--I guess I've sorta made myself the designated baker for parties. She loves my strawberry cheesecake, but I hadn't had enough time to bake it, so I went with strawberry cupcakes. It was a compromise: it had strawberries and cream cheese in it! I found a FANTASTIC recipe from speedM on Flickr. The icing tasted literally like Strawberry Haagen Daaz ice cream, or Strawberry Pocky!



It was simple to make and just gorgeous! I'm actually a huge non-fan of strawberries. I don't like em at all. I love fruits but strawberries--blegh. But these cupcakes were great. I'm glad I tried this recipe! You should too! As for decoration, I didn't want to do a typical strawberry topping, so I did a modern looking chocolate piece. I just melted the white chocolate and spread it thin, dusted some cocoa powder on it, then froze it, then broke it into pieces. It was nice against the pale pink of the frosting.

Strawberry Cupcakes

makes one dozen

ingredients

STRAWBERRY SAUCE
2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half and stem removed
sugar to taste

CUPCAKES
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry sauce
1/4 cup milk

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
approximately 1/4 cup of strawberry sauce

directions

STRAWBERRY SAUCE
1. Soak strawberries with about 1-2 tbs sugar for 15 minutes. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness. With a blender, puree until you get the desired smoothness or chunkiness. Cool before using in recipe.

CUPCAKES
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers. Whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Measure out milk and strawberry sauce together. Set aside.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
3. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add about one third the milk/strawberry sauce mixture and beat until combined. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes). Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add half of the sugar, beat until combined. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor, making sure not to add too much or the frosting will be too soft. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

when life gives you lemons...

make lemon pound cake!

sorry.. i know that's totally cliche, but it's so true. what's better than lemonade? a soft, slightly tangy, moist pound cake! and it makes your whole home smell so delicious! well, that's a valuable lesson, isn't it? making the most out of what you have. although.. i think lemons are perfectly fabulous.



i have another lesson learned from this delightful pound cake! mistakes are a "portal to discovery"! the first time i made this recipe (from williams-sonoma.com) i made a mistake by adding THREE too many tablespoons of lemon juice into the pound cake. but it actually turned into a super discovery! i love MY mistake version of this cake. it's up to you if you want to try it! :)

Lemon Pound Cake

serves 8-10
adapted from williams-sonoma.com

ingredients

1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbs. cake flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
9 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

directions

1. Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
2. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Line with parchment and grease loaf pan.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. (Please do the full 4-5 minutes because this makes the cake really light and fluffy.) Increase the speed to medium-high and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and 2 Tbs. of the lemon juice. (Here, I added 5 instead!)
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, beating each addition until just incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon zest.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.

making the lemon glaze (I actually omit this glaze because I don't like it too sweet. So instead of the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice here, I put it in the cake)
7.Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the remaining 3 Tbs. lemon juice and the 1⁄4 cup sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

my big debut

Okay.. maybe it's not much of a BIG DEBUT, but still I've had a very exciting moment in my life! It was my first cater order for cupcakes! After a few months of waiting for a call, I ecstatically received my first bridal shower order. It was for such a lovely friend too, so the pressure was on as well! She had a lot of trust in me-- don't want to let her down!



She ordered 36 cupcakes: which offers a choice of two cakes and two frostings. She chose vanilla on vanilla and red velvet with cream cheese. And her colors were purple, orange and silver. I thought this would be my chance to try some different decoration techniques (since I always just do the usual swirl, and occasional sprinkles). After much much much scratching the head and debating what I should do, I thought I should try out royal icing flowers to put on top of each cupcake. And that's what I did! I guess it was easy for an easy flower... but I think it would be a lot more challenging to make it super nice. Next time I'm going to adventure even more in cake decorating.



It was a lot of fun although I'm not sure if I made that much money off it. My friend was kind enough to give me more than I charged, though!! I wasn't expecting that at all!! Overall, this cupcake catering will probably be more of a hobby than a lucrative business, but that is A-O-KAY by me! People around me have been really supportive so I'm soo very thankful. My friend Alicia even got me a CUPCAKE STAND as a "first order" congratulatory gift!! I'm sooo lucky! So, I'm just going to be joyful in all I do!

Brand Spankin' New

Yay! I have finally revamped my blog. It's always nice to brush up on my old css/html skills. (Woo-hoo, 4 years of graphic design schooling did make a difference!) Anyways, a lot of new and exciting things have been going on with my life, so I thought a new look for this website was appropriate.

First off, I am starting my mini cupcake catering business!!
I am but a humble amateur baker at home, but I have a big heart for those delicious little treats. After many years of "free baking" and many many suggestions to start charging money for them, I have decided to dip my little feet in the grand world of cupcake catering. All I offer is lovingly hand-baked cupcakes with the best quality ingredients I can get my hands on-- all for a price WAY more reasonable than those expensive bakeries downtown. Mine taste just as good--if not better! Haha. Okay. Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I think this is an exciting new beginning for me. Who knows where this will take me? I'm just open to venturing into a new baking era. I still have much much much to prepare but I'm just letting the world know for now! :D

So, the catalyst to this decision? Redwood. :)
Redwood was the design company I was interning at for six weeks. And as it usually happens, I got the reputation as a baker in the office. During that time, I brought in some of my baked goods a few times. On the final day of my term, I baked my specialty: cupcakes! And were they well-received indeed!! People really really loved and raved about my cupcakes and I had to hand out business cards! I was considering this for a long time but was sort of hesitant about going official with this, but I guess I gained a lot of confidence now. So that's how it happened. And I am very excited for my new side baking career.

Sorry for that long intro! Let's get to the good part: the cupcakes. I baked vanilla vanilla cupcakes and Red Velvet Cupcakes. Obviously, the Red Velvet were a huge hit, especially with the Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. After a very looooooooong search for a good recipe, I decided to just stick with the Magnolia Red Velvet Cake recipe and I think it turned out pretty nicely. One thing though...I am a HUGE over-beating paranoia freak. Haha. I really really make sure I don't overbeat. But this time, I sort of underbeated the color...so the cake looked more like Red Velvet Marble. The brown and red were a bit splotchy. The people didn't notice it, but next time for sure, I'll get the color right. ;) The rest of the cake was good: moist and fluffy.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes about three dozen cupcakes
from Magnolia Bakery

ingredients

3 ⅓ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line pans with cupcake liners.
3. In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
5. In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.

6. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

7. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 14-17 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

8. When the cake has cooled, ice the cupcakes with frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Enough for about three dozen cupcakes

ingredients

1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

directions

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating continuously until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate icing for 2 to 3 hours, but no longer, to thicken before using.