Fillings, Icings, and Decorations

Module Introduction

This chapter covers all sweet preparations used to fill, coat, and decorate bakery and pastry products. For the Red Seal exam, you must master not only the recipes and techniques, but also the underlying scientific principles, conversion calculations, critical temperatures, and applicable hygiene standards. This module represents approximately 12 to 15% of the exam questions, with a strong focus on cooking temperatures, ingredient ratios, and common defects.

Definitions and Classification

Fillings (Garnitures)

Fillings are preparations inserted inside or placed on a product before or after baking. They are distinguished as:

Cooked fillings: pastry cream, compotes, fruit fillings, almond cream.

Uncooked fillings: whipped cream, buttercream, ganaches, fresh fruit.

Fermented fillings: leavened doughs with fillings (raisins, cheese, etc.).

Icings (Glaçages)

Icings are coatings applied to the surface of a product to give it a shiny appearance, protection against drying out, and additional flavour. They are distinguished as:

Royal icing: icing sugar + egg whites, hardens in air.

Fondant icing: cooked sugar + glucose, used at 35–40 °C.

Mirror glaze: shiny coating made with gelatin, used cold (30–35 °C).

Water icing: icing sugar + water or milk, simple and quick.

Chocolate glaze: ganache or tempered chocolate.

Decorations (Décorations)

Decorations are visual and textural elements applied to the finished product. They can be edible (candied fruits, sculpted chocolate, marzipan, pulled sugar) or non-edible (supports, ribbons — pay attention to labelling standards and food contact regulations).

Fundamental Scientific Principles

Sugar Crystallization

Crystallization is the phenomenon by which sucrose molecules group together into an ordered structure. For icings and fondants, you must control:

Supersaturation: the sugar/water ratio. At 20 °C, 100 g of water dissolves approximately 200 g of sugar. Beyond that, the sugar crystallizes.

Glucose or corn syrup: interferes with crystallization by creating impurities that prevent the formation of large crystals. Add 5 to 10% of the sugar weight for a smooth icing.

Acid (cream of tartar, lemon juice): inverts part of the sucrose into glucose + fructose, which lowers the crystallization point.

Formula for calculating sugar concentration:

Concentration (%) = (mass of sugar ÷ total mass of the solution) × 100

Example: 500 g sugar + 250 g water → concentration = 500 ÷ 750 × 100 = 66.7%.

Critical Sugar Temperatures

For the Red Seal exam, you must know the sugar cooking stages (in °C at sea level):

Stage	Temperature (°C)	Use
Thread	103–105	Syrups, beverages
Soft ball (small)	106–112	Icings, fondants
Firm ball (large)	113–115	Fondants, fruit pastes
Soft crack (small)	118–120	Soft caramels, marzipan
Hard crack (large)	121–130	Hard caramels, nougats
Small crack	132–143	Spun sugar, decorations
Large crack	144–154	Pulled sugar, hard caramel
Light caramel	155–160	Caramel, colouring
Dark caramel	165–175	Bitter caramel, intense colouring

Altitude rule: for every 300 m above sea level, the boiling point of water decreases by approximately 1 °C. Adjust your cooking temperatures accordingly. The exam may give you an altitude and ask you for the corrected temperature.

Emulsions

Buttercreams and ganaches are emulsions: mixtures of two liquids that are normally immiscible (water and fat). To stabilize:

Use an egg yolk (lecithin) as a natural emulsifier.

Temper the ingredients: butter should be at 20–22 °C, syrup at 25 °C maximum before incorporation.

Add liquids gradually in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

Emulsion breaking point: if the buttercream "curdles" (separates), fix it by adding 15 to 30 mL of hot water (60 °C) per 500 g of cream, whisking at medium speed.

Pastry Cream and Diplomat Cream

Pastry Cream (Base)

Standard recipe (for 1 L of milk):

Ingredient	Quantity	Role
Whole milk	1 L	Liquid base
Egg yolks	8 (160 g)	Thickening, richness
Sugar	200 g	Flavour, tenderness
Cornstarch	80 g	Main thickener
Butter	50 g	Smoothness, shine
Vanilla	1 pod	Aroma

Critical procedure:

46.Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla.

47.Whisk the yolks with the sugar, then add the cornstarch.

48.Pour the hot milk over the mixture while whisking (tempering).

49.Return to the heat, bring to a boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly.

50.Off the heat, incorporate the butter. Cool quickly on a tray, with plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Target temperature: the cream must reach a minimum of 85 °C to inactivate the amylase in the egg yolk (an enzyme that breaks down starch and makes the cream liquid after cooling). Do not exceed 95 °C to avoid a cooked egg flavour.

Common defects:

Defect	Cause	Correction
Cream is liquid after cooling	Insufficient cooking (< 85 °C)	Re-cook to 85 °C with a little diluted cornstarch
Lumps	Cornstarch poorly dispersed or added too quickly	Sift the cornstarch with the sugar
Egg flavour	Cooking > 95 °C or yolks too old	Control the temperature, use fresh eggs
Skin on the surface	Cooling without plastic wrap	Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface immediately

Diplomat Cream

Pastry cream + gelatin (10 g per litre) + whipped cream (30% of total weight). The gelatin must be hydrated in cold water (5 times its weight in water), then melted in a bain-marie at 50 °C maximum before incorporating into the pastry cream cooled to 40 °C. Then fold in the whipped cream in two additions, using a spatula, with circular motions from bottom to top.

Buttercreams

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Egg whites: 250 g

Sugar: 500 g

Butter: 500 g (temperature 20 °C)

Procedure: heat egg whites + sugar in a bain-marie to 60 °C (pasteurization), whip until completely cooled (25 °C), then incorporate the butter in pieces. The final temperature should be 22–24 °C for good piping.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Egg whites: 250 g

Sugar: 500 g

Water: 150 g

Butter: 500 g

Cook the sugar and water to 121 °C (hard crack). Pour in a thin stream over the egg whites already whipped to stiff peaks. Whip until cooled (30 °C), then incorporate the butter.

Verification calculation: the syrup must reach 121 °C. If you are at 1500 m altitude, the boiling point is reduced by approximately 5 °C, so aim for 116 °C.

Pâte à Bombe Buttercream

Egg yolks: 200 g

Sugar: 250 g

Water: 75 g

Butter: 500 g

Cook sugar + water to 118 °C, pour over the yolks, whip until cooled, incorporate the butter.

Buttercream comparison:

Type	Texture	Heat Stability	Use
Swiss	Dense, silky	Medium	Filling, piping
Italian	Light, airy	Good	Fine decoration
Pâte à bombe	Maximum richness	Medium	Showpieces

Ganaches

Chocolate Ganache — Principles

Ganache is an emulsion of chocolate and cream (sometimes butter). The chocolate/cream ratio determines the texture:

Type	Chocolate : Cream	Use
Light ganache	1 : 2	Coating, mousse
Medium ganache	2 : 1	Filling, centre
Firm ganache	3 : 1	Truffles, modelling

Critical temperatures:

Cream brought to a boil (95–100 °C), poured over chopped chocolate.

Emulsion at 40–45 °C for a homogeneous mixture.

Cooling to 20–22 °C for filling, 25 °C for coating.

Defects:

Defect	Cause	Correction
Grainy ganache	Chocolate overheated (> 50 °C) or water added	Start over with tempered chocolate
Ganache separates	Cream too hot or added too quickly	Add 10% cold cream and blend
Ganache too soft	Cream ratio too high	Add melted chocolate at 35 °C

Chocolate Tempering

Tempering is the process of controlled crystallization of cocoa butter. Stable crystals (Form V) give chocolate a shiny and snappy finish.

Tempering temperatures (dark chocolate):

Step	Temperature (°C)
Melting	50–55
Cooling	27–28
Reheating (working)	31–32

For milk chocolate: melting 45 °C, cooling 26–27 °C, working 29–30 °C.

For white chocolate: melting 40 °C, cooling 25–26 °C, working 28–29 °C.

Tempering test: place a small amount on a knife. If the chocolate sets in 3 to 5 minutes with a shiny appearance, it is tempered. If it remains soft or shows streaks, start over.

Icings

Royal Icing

Icing sugar: 500 g

Egg whites: 100 g (or albumen powder: 15 g + 85 g water)

Lemon juice: 5 mL (optional, for whiteness)

Consistency: royal icing should form a ribbon that disappears in 10 seconds. For fine decoration (piping bag), it should be thicker: the ribbon disappears in 20 seconds.

Drying: hardens in air in 2 to 4 hours depending on humidity. Do not cover during drying.

Fondant Icing

Sugar: 1 kg

Water: 300 g

Glucose: 100 g

Cook to 115 °C (firm ball). Pour onto a cold surface, work with a spatula until it whitens and becomes opaque. Cover with a damp cloth. Use at 35–40 °C in a bain-marie, never directly over heat.

Yield calculation: 1 kg sugar + 300 g water + 100 g glucose = 1.4 kg fondant. To ice a 25 cm diameter cake, plan for 300 g of fondant.

Mirror Glaze

Water: 150 g

Sugar: 300 g

Glucose: 300 g

Sweetened condensed milk: 200 g

Gelatin: 20 g (hydrated in 100 g water)

White or dark chocolate: 300 g

Procedure: cook water + sugar + glucose to 103 °C, add the condensed milk, then the melted gelatin, then the chocolate. Blend without incorporating air. Use at 30–35 °C for a thin glaze (2–3 mm). The cake must be well chilled (4 °C) before glazing.

Decorations

Marzipan

Almond powder: 500 g

Icing sugar: 500 g

Glucose: 100 g

Water: 50 g

Bitter almond (extract): 2 mL

Proportions: 1:1 powder/icing sugar. The paste should be pliable but not sticky. For modelling, add 5% potato starch.

Spun Sugar and Pulled Sugar

Sugar: 1 kg

Water: 400 g

Glucose: 200 g

Cream of tartar: 2 g

Cook to 155 °C (light caramel). For spun sugar, let cool to 140 °C then flick with a whisk. For pulled sugar, pour onto an oiled surface, fold until the mass becomes satiny (working temperature: 60–65 °C).

Safety: cooked sugar reaches 155 °C. Wear heat-resistant gloves. Never add water to overheating sugar — risk of violent splattering.

Decorative Chocolate

Chocolate leaves: temper, spread in a thin layer (2 mm), let partially crystallize, cut before complete setting.

Ribbons: spread tempered chocolate on a strip of acetate, let set for 2 minutes, wrap around a tube.

Curls: spread 3 mm, let crystallize, scrape with a spatula at 18 °C.

Standards and Regulations

Canadian Electrical Code, Part I

For bakery equipment (ovens, mixers, refrigerators), electrical installations must comply with the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (CE Code) (CSA C22.1 standard). Relevant rules include:

Rule 8-200: calculation of electrical load for branch circuits — each fixed piece of equipment must have its own circuit.

Rule 26-700: requirements for commercial cooking equipment — minimum spacing of 150 mm between equipment and combustible surfaces.

Rule 26-702: ovens must be equipped with a door locking device if the internal temperature exceeds 60 °C.

CSA B149.1 — Natural Gas and Propane

If your oven operates on gas, the installation must comply with CSA B149.1 (Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code):

Article 5.4: ventilation of rooms — a combustion air supply of 0.36 m³/min per 10 kW of power.

Article 6.2: exhaust ducts must be inspected annually.

Article 7.3: connection hoses must be replaced every 5 years.

Canada Food Safety Regulations

Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA): traceability requirements for allergens (eggs, milk, gluten, nuts).

HACCP Plan: fillings and icings containing eggs must be maintained at ≤ 4 °C or ≥ 60 °C. The danger zone is 4 °C to 60 °C.

Shelf life: pastry cream: 48 h at 4 °C. Buttercream: 5 days at 4 °C. Ganache: 7 days at 4 °C.

Practical Calculations

Recipe Conversion

To adapt a recipe from 10 portions to 35 portions:

Factor = (35 ÷ 10) = 3.5

Multiply each ingredient by 3.5. Example: 200 g sugar × 3.5 = 700 g.

Note: baking times are not linear. A larger cake bakes longer but at a reduced temperature of 10 °C.

Calculating the Amount of Icing

Surface area of a round cake 25 cm in diameter and 10 cm high:

Top surface: π × r² = 3.1416 × 12.5² = 490.9 cm²

Side surface: 2 × π × r × h = 2 × 3.1416 × 12.5 × 10 = 785.4 cm²

Total surface: 490.9 + 785.4 = 1276.3 cm²

For a 3 mm layer of icing: volume = 1276.3 × 0.3 = 382.9 cm³ = 383 mL.

Corrected Temperature for Altitude

Formula: T_corrected = T_recipe − (altitude ÷ 300)

Example: recipe at 118 °C, altitude 900 m → T = 118 − (900 ÷ 300) = 118 − 3 = 115 °C.

Pitfalls to Avoid

172.Confusing tempering temperatures: dark 31–32 °C, milk 29–30 °C, white 28–29 °C. The exam will give you a chocolate and ask you for the working temperature.

173.Forgetting the plastic wrap on the surface: any cream or ganache being cooled must be covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin formation.

174.Adding water to overheating sugar: steam explosion, severe burns. Cool it down or discard it.

175.Using untempered chocolate for glazing: dull appearance, white spots (bloom). Bloom is caused by the migration of cocoa butter or sugar to the surface.

176.Cooking pastry cream below 85 °C: it will liquefy after cooling due to amylase.

177.Incorporating whipped cream into pastry cream that is too hot (> 40 °C): the whipped cream melts and the mixture deflates.

178.Neglecting altitude in sugar cooking calculations: the exam often includes a question on this point.

179.Confusing the sugar stages: memorize the temperature table — it is an almost systematic question.

180.Using unpasteurized eggs for uncooked icings: risk of salmonellosis. Use pasteurized whites or a meringue cooked to 60 °C minimum.

181.Forgetting the resting time for ganaches: a ganache must rest for 12 h at 4 °C for optimal texture before use.

Summary

Fillings: pastry cream (cooked to 85 °C), diplomat cream (gelatin + whipped cream), buttercreams (3 types), ganaches (chocolate/cream ratio according to use).

Icings: royal (icing sugar + egg whites), fondant (sugar cooked to 115 °C), mirror (gelatin, used at 30–35 °C), water (simple).

Chocolate tempering: dark 31–32 °C, milk 29–30 °C, white 28–29 °C. Spatula test to verify.

Sugar stages: from 103 °C (thread) to 175 °C (dark caramel). Adjust for altitude: −1 °C per 300 m.

Standards: Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (Rules 8-200, 26-700), CSA B149.1 (gas), SFCA (food safety, allergens).

Calculations: conversion by factor, surface/volume for icing, altitude correction.

Hygiene: danger zone 4–60 °C, shelf life: pastry cream 48 h, buttercream 5 days, ganache 7 days.

Self-Assessment Questions

193.You are cooking a syrup at 121 °C at sea level. At 1200 m altitude, what temperature should you aim for?

→ 121 − (1200 ÷ 300) = 121 − 4 = 117 °C.

195.A ganache "separates." What is the most likely cause and the correction?

→ Cream too hot or added too quickly. Correct by adding 10% cold cream and blending.

197.What is the minimum cooking temperature for pastry cream and why?

→ 85 °C, to inactivate the amylase in the egg yolk.

199.You need to glaze a rectangular cake 30 cm × 20 cm × 8 cm with 3 mm of mirror glaze. What volume should you prepare?

→ Total surface = 2×(30×20) + 2×(30×8) + 2×(20×8) = 1200 + 480 + 320 = 2000 cm². Volume = 2000 × 0.3 = 600 mL.

201.Which article of CSA B149.1 addresses room ventilation for gas appliances?

→ Article 5.4.

This chapter covers the entire "Fillings, Icings, and Decorations" domain for the Red Seal exam. Review the temperature tables, ratios, and standards — these are the most frequently tested points. Good luck with your preparation.

Fillings, Icings, and Decorations