Hi! I tried my 2nd attempt at making Buttercream Roses last night--just practice--and the buttercream must be too thin. I pipe the cone & when I pipe the first "petal" (center), the cone starts to tip over! (Okay, breathe! )

Anyway, I make Wilton buttercream (makes 3 cups)
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening (Crisco)
1 lb. confectioner's sugar (I weigh it in an accurate scale & sift after measuring)
1 tsp. pure vanilla (I don't mind the slight tint)
2 Tbsp. milk or water (I use 2% milk)

Cream butter & shortening; add sugar 1 cup at-a-time. Add vanilla & milk. Beat for a min. or to desired consistency. It doesn't matter whether I use my KA 325 watt or KA hand-held mixer. Oh, yeah, I even tried refrigerating icing, but after one or two roses it was too thin (or soft?)again. Also, the 1st & 2nd roses would flatten some after they "warmed" to room temp.

So, does anyone have a tried & true buttercream recipe that they use for roses?

BTW, the buttercream tutorial says make cone bottom as wide as ring on flower nail. Does that mean the whole top of the flower nail? There are only 3 small dots in the center of my nails. Of course, doesn't the cone (bottom width) depend on the size rose you're wanting to make??? Hopefully, someone will understand this because now I'm really confused.

Thanks,
bakersofcakes

I only use the Wilton class buttercream recipe for making roses:
1 cup Crisco
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS milk or water (I use water)
1 LB confectioner's sugar
1 TBS meringue powder
pinch of salt

Cream together the Crisco, vanilla and water. Add the sugar, meringue powder and salt. Mix well.

This is very stiff but I do not add any more water to it to make my roses. I've never had any fall over when I've used this recipe.

mjw15618 gave me this recipe specifically for BC roses last night. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to

HTH

2 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp water or milk (plus more for thinning)
3 lbs confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
1 tsp salt

Cream butter and shortening well. Add flavoring and salt. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. Add meringue powder. (The mixture will be VERY dry) Add the water and beat for about 8 minutes or until light and fluffy, adding more water as needed.


Lazy_Susan

We were taught to outline a nickle with permanent marking pen-if you use waxed paper on the base- when making the roses and that is supposed to be the best size...? for your base. Smaller coins for different flowers etc.

I use the exact recipe as thyterrell just gave. I've never had any problem with the roses not being stiff enough either. And Ditto for jscakes, the base should only be about the size of a nickel (around). Try giving the all Crisco recipe a try, use a cup of that instead of half butter and half crisco, maybe the butter is making yours a little softer. Good Luck!

Ditto on the above.....dime (or penny) size ring on the nail, and the all crisco Wilton class buttercream.....sometimes I even need to add a more powdered sugar depending on the humidity of the house that day. It has to be really stiff to make the roses.

Actually, the coin to trace on your #7 flower nail is a dime. A nickle is too large.

While you are learning to make roses, I do not recommend using a buttercream icing with any butter in it. Butter melts too quickly which thins your icing. For best results, stick with an all-Crisco recipe while you are learning. Once you're fast, you can graduate to butter-based icings.

Thanks so much!!!

Since several of you mentioned the butter melting, we also have a wood heater in the kitchen, so I guess that's making the icing melt even more.

I will definitely try the "new" (to me) recipes you suggested soon! I think my flower nails have a "9" on them, but I'll check again. I've never really used them before. In any case, I'll try the coins.

The tutorial said to make the cone about 1-1/2 x's the petal opening. I think that's right?

Thanks, everyone, for your speedy help!!!

That's right...using tip 12, the base is as large as a dime and the height is 1.5x the opening of tip 104.

If I'm not mistaking i think you can just add more powdered sugar to ur existing recipe?

You can, but you won't be able to work around the very low melting temperature that butter inherently has.

Sorry! That's right, it should be dime sized.

Yep - dime it is....changed my reply too. (DUH!) Another tip that I always keep in my mind is that the base of the rose should be about the same size as a hershey's kiss....and there are some folks that actually use that as their base.

Well, I do know that your icing has to be stifer to make roses. Some tips for the cone part: you can make cones ahead of time with royal icing. These can be made well ahead of time then just pull them out to use. Attach w/buttercream to the nail & pipe. Also, for the cone you can use a hershey kiss as the base. Again attach it to the cone w/buttercream.

Whenever I make the Wilton buttercream, I use all Crisco and add butter extract ... every time I've made it, it has been so thick I had to thin it down.

Whenever I make the Wilton buttercream, I use all Crisco and add butter extract ... every time I've made it, it has been so thick I had to thin it down.

For most people, the results are better with the all Crisco recipe for their buttercream roses. After you obtain success with them, you will soon be able to adjust your half butter, half shortening to get good roses but starting out, you are better off with class buttercream.
Here is an air-drying buttercream for making roses and decorations that must sit or rest on the sides of cakes without falling off. Not meant to ice your cake with, just for decorations. It is another option.
Air Drying Buttercream (for decorations only)

1/3 cup water
3 Tbsp. meringue powder

Beat this to a stiff peak, then add:

1/2 cup shortening
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. clear vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Whip for 3 minutes. Store well covered.

Sounds like the extra merinque is probably what makes that one huh? Squirrelly, do you know how many cups that recipe makes? Is it about the same?

bakersofcakes,
When I make my icing, I reserve some before I add my liquid. It's very very stiff (yes I use the half n half recipe) and I don't have any probs with it when making roses. Then with the rest I continue with adding my liquid (I use evaporated milk) until it's the right consistency for icing the cake.
Hope this helps a little.