For those of you who use Rich's Bettercream I could use some advise.

This was my first time working with it and while I love the taste Im not to thrilled with my first experience (I think I like working with PermaIce better!). I am icing a wedding cake with this later in June so I wanted to do a practice run. I iced some cakes in white and then colored some (Americolor gel, very pastel) to ice another cake. The white icing was smooth and creamy in texture but the colored icing got very thick and kept picking up off the cake, definitely not smooth. Was this because I colored it or because it came to room temp? or something else? (The colored cake was the last one I did). I cant figure it out. Also, my DD put her hand in one so I tried to fix but it does not "fix" like BC does. ARGH!

One more qustion, Can you use this under fondant?

Any suggestions, tips, or thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!

Thanks!

Iam not sure why the colored didn't work. I just take enought out to frost my cake and leave the rest in the fridg. and take what i ned and color it right then and back in it goes (fridg.). I also use dry powder coloring to color it. As for using it under fondant it is not thick enough to hold the weight. It doesn't have Crisco in it to hold the weight up. As for fixing little hand marks ( I have three little boys and every cake has had a finger in it so i have gotten good at fixing them). let the cake come almost to room temp. and fill in the marks and smooth as best you can then spray a fine mist of h20 and lightly smooth. good Luck and keep trying.

I find with the bettercream that once it is about halfway to room temperature it becomes very difficult to work with. The air in it starts to warm up and expand and makes it very airy.

However for the coloring I have found it is easiest to color right before using or it can overtime become a little harder than the white, but it should have still been flexible enough (is that the right term?) to spread over the cake.

HTH

Thanks, that definitely helps! One more question, do you keep your cakes iced with Bettercream in the frig or once they are decorated can you leave them out at room temp? I know its non dairy but I didnt know if it would mess with the consistency of the icing.

Thanks!

You can leave them at room temp., but personally I think they taste much better if they are stored in the fridge. (the texture does get airy when its left at room temp.)

I wonder if you whipped it too much when adding the color...if so, you can just add a little more Bettercreme and it will restore itself to the previous consistency after beating it in.

I just read my carton of Bettercream and it says it can stay on product non-refrigerated 5 days. I have used Bettercream quite a bit lately and I have been keeping it out of the refrigerator (after it's on the cake) and it's been fine.

It's always nice and smooth and creamy for me when it's white, but as soon as I add color it seems to thicken and become difficult to work with in a short amount of time. If I work quick enough it's okay, but since I'm not that experienced at decorating and it takes me a long time, usually I can't work fast enough. When it does become thick, I have still put it on the cake and had success using a hot spatula to smooth it.

I guess that was another questions I forgot to ask you. Did you buy the bettercreme pre-mixed or in liquid form and you had to whip it up?

The only experience I have had is with the stuff that is pre-mixed and ready to use out of the bucket.

If it is the other stuff, there may have been something else involved too.

When I worked at the bakery we weren't allowed to even take wedding cake orders with whipped icing(the whipped icing will slide right off the side of the cake). We would do the main cake in buttercream and the sheet cakes in whipped. Whipped icing does not get along with edible images(it absorbs the colors from the edible image) fondant, and alot of colors(colors bleed on whipped icing and it fades other colors). My experience is based on using Rich's bettercream in the bakery for the last 3 and a half years.

Its a 15lb bucket of the ready to use icing. I had been looking for it for a while and finally thought to ask the local grocery store bakery dept, sure enough they have it. She said they used to use the Rich's bettercream that you have to whip but it is less stable and breaks down much faster. Since I havent used either before today I dont know if thats accurate or not but Im sure learning about the ready to use! I like working with BC and fondant MUCH better!

You guys have been a great help!

yep that it does. Riche's bettercream does get all crumbly n dry when you add colors. Except for red for some reason it gets runny then.
If it's the carton then you have to be very careful not to overwhip it. It dries out really quickly and not in a nice way. Also once it's on the cake you have to smooth it right away there is no goin back to fix anything except to scrape it off and doing it over again. It's best when used right out of the bucket and fresh. Any longer than 3 days in the cooler and it starts to get crumbly. Personally, I don't like the flavor i think it has a weird aftertaste to it and I don't like that you can't fix booboos.
One way I have found to smooth it is with a hot, wet, icing spatula. And to make sure the blade is clean after every swipe.

cupcakegirl27 that is great to know!
I was really having 2nd thoughts about using Bettercreme.

This cake is actually for my BF's wedding and it has been a nightmare from the start. I have had 3 different taste testings for her (differnt homemade fillings and cake flavors that I dont even offer paying clients, this cake is free, my wedding gift to them). She tried my champagne cake and said it didnt taste like the one at the store that she likes.... I called to see how they make it and low and behold they said theirs is just white cake colored pink...they just call it champagne cake but it really isnt.... sigh...so after telling her this she wants to go with white but with a custard flavored filling.
The last tasting (today) she asked me to make 2 different cakes (each with a different filling) so she could get the full effect..... DH is getting a little frustrated, Im just getting worn out (will be glad to get this one over). And, she wants the Bettercream but the fondant look... anyone have ideas on that one?

I will tell you this, I learned my lesson, from now on if it isnt on my flavor list (and the list is pretty big) I dont make it!

Hun to tell ya right now, there is no way in this life to get whipped aka rich's to look like fondant. If she is hellbent on whipped you might try a half n half recipe of half whipped n half bc so you get the benefits of both. It has been done. I don't have the particulars but I can ask around.
p.s. do like duff does for his friends freebie cakes. You make what you want and they have no say in what they are getting because it is a gift from you afterall and you want to do your best. Not have a science experiment on your hands.
o heck, wanted to add one more thing i hate about whipped icing. IT FARTS!! yep it does. There you are tryin to get your lovely shell border all perfect and the dang stuff gets a bubble n FARTS all over your cake. ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

chaptlps- that is exactly what happened today (crumbly and cant go back and fix anything). Your second post made me laugh... after today I needed that. Thank you!!
I think I need a glass of wine to end this day

Here's some info on working with Pastry Pride:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-181061-.html

Pastry Pride & Rich's Bettercreme threads:
(General info, decorating and recipes.)

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-1814171-.html

HTH