Why it works: Sugar and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Glacé Icing
Ingredients
Directions
Sift the icing sugar.
Put 1 tablespoon of water into a small non‑stick or enamel saucepan with the icing sugar.
If a mild lemon or orange flavour is required, add the juice at this stage.
Warm very gently, without making the pan too hot to touch on the underside.
Beat well with a wooden spoon.
If the icing is too thick, add the extra 5 millilitres of water.
If the icing is too thin, add a very little extra sifted icing sugar.
Add colouring, if liked.
Use the icing immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Icing sugar
- Provides the sweetness and the body that thickens into the icing.
- Water
- Dissolves the sugar so it forms a smooth, pourable glaze.
The step that matters
Warm very gently. Heating too fast or too hot can make the icing grainy or runny and can scorch the sugar on the pan base. Gentle warmth dissolves the sugar smoothly while keeping the glaze glossy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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