Plain Icing

Break the white of an egg upon a clean cold platter. Allow a scant cupful of powdered sugar for each egg. Put a tablespoon-ful of sugar upon the egg and begin at once to whip it in with sidelong sweeps of fork or egg-beater, folding, rather than stirring, in the frothing egg. Beat them together from the first, adding lemon-juice or other flavoring as you go on. Beat until you have a smooth, stiff meringue.

Pour the icing upon the middle of the cake, and smooth it with the wet blade of a knife over top and sides.

Boiled Or Fondant Icing

Put a pound of granulated sugar and half a cupful of water over the fire and let it boil slowly (without stirring) until a little dropped from the tip of a spoon looks like spun silk, or a hair. Set aside until a little more than blood-warm, when begin to stir steadily, always in one direction, and keep it up until you have a smooth, snowy cream. Apply as above directed. If properly made it will harden by the time it is on the cake. Flavor to taste, while stirring.

This icing can be kept for several days or longer, and may be softened for use in a vessel set in boiling water.

Chocolate Icing

Add to a cupful of fondant or boiled icing a tablespoonful of grated chocolate, and stir smooth.