Reliable icing or frosting is key to the shelf life and desirability of baked goods. The shelf life must be as good as whatever is underneath it, and its appearance must remain appetizing and intact. If you are trying to improve the nutritional profile to address the health trend, it can be even more of a challenge.

One reliable solution? α-Cyclodextrin. Here’s how a unique, multi-functional ingredient developed at WACKER that can give you a clean label, heat-stable icing.

WACKER produces nature-identical cyclodextrins in a patented biotransformation process. Cavamax W6 alpha-cyclodextrin is composed of six glucose units. It has a bucket-shaped form with a hydrophobic interior and hydrophilic exterior. The cavity attracts and interacts with selected molecules, such as fatty acids from oil or fat. As a result, complexes of CAVAMAX® W6 and fatty acids can stabilize oil and fat in various food matrices.

CAVAMAX® W6 is a free-flowing white powder with no taste or odor. In foods, it has emulsifying, whipping/foaming and stabilizing properties.

Creating heat-stable icing

In both icings and frostings, CAVAMAX® W6 has impressive results. Most varieties, such as buttercream, royal icing and boiled icing are mainly composed of sugar and fat with a small amount of water. CAVAMAX® W6 helps to form a stable emulsion. It also allows the finished product to have a thermal stability and consistent viscosity that’s spreadable at ambient and refrigerated temperatures.

A few key benefits include:

• Superior heat stability: Icings retain shape and integrity even at temperatures as high as 80°C
• No fat leaching
• Readily spreadable icings, even at refrigerator temperatures
• Texture modulation: Icing texture can be adjusted to meet requirements e.g. firm or whipped frosting
• Easy to use and simple to store

Healthier baking

Aside from its functional benefits,  CAVAMAX® W6 can also improve the nutritional profile. Indeed, it’s unique functional properties enable the creation of icings with healthy vegetable oils instead of traditionally used hard fats. For example, soybean oil could be used without impacting the final texture or taste. The substitution of hard fats allows for the reduction of saturated and trans fat.

CAVAMAX® W6 is vegan, kosher and halal, and there’s no allergen labeling required.

Learn more about CAVAMAX® W6 and it’s many other uses!