# Frosting or Icing?



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Yesterday a neighbor brought over a small tray of treats as a holiday gift, and amongst the items was a big piece of cake. This morning I had a little taste of the cake, and then wondered about the creamy stuff between the layers and on top of the cake. Is it called frosting or icing? Are the terms interchangable, or does each have a specific meaning?

shel


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## shoemaker (Sep 20, 2007)

Good question  I've always called it "icing," as I dislike the word "frosting" (for no good reason....just bugs me...heh). I see them as essentially the same thing.....that is, of course, if the stuff betwixt the layers was the same stuff on top - or was it "filling" ? 
FWIW, a quick web search at Yahoo Dictionary for "frosting" turned up this gem...

*" frost·ing * (frô







st







ng, fr







s







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ng)

 *NOUN:*  
 Icing, as on a cake.
* Regional Note: * 
Although both _frosting_ and _icing_ are widespread, people in New England, the Upper Midwest, and the Western U.S. tend to put _frosting_ on cake. In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Lower Midwest, and all of the South, the preferred term is _icing._ There is some overlap, especially in upstate New York, Michigan, and California, but the regions in which the two words predominate are surprisingly distinct. A few people in the South call it by a third name, _filling,_ even when it goes on top. "

So, I guess it depends on where you're from ? Appropriately enough, I was born and raised in PA, so perhaps that explains my preference for the term "icing" !!!


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Thank you, ShoeMaker. Pretty much what I thought, but I wanted to be sure ...

Happy Holidaze,

shel


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Interesting, shoemaker, my distaste for the word "icing" is similar to yours for 'frosting" - i don;t know why but it bothers me - and i'm from new england.


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## ghettoracingkid (Feb 19, 2007)

being a Long islander. I go by this.Frosting - usually on cakes very light and fluffy sweet stuff. liek butter cream, whipped cream or dare i say it, the stuff in the plastic canicing - usually on cookies, donuts etc... thick liek a syrup nice dense and thick!!


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## bughut (Aug 18, 2007)

frosting to me is soft, icing however, hardens.


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## pgr555 (Aug 3, 2007)

I'm with bughut


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