I really need a good buttercream recipe for roses. The recipe I was using makes my roses either tear along the edges or the pettals droop! Please help. A friend told me once that I needed to use a recipe that has meringue powder in it. Any good suggestions out there? Any help would be great, My Aunt wants me to do her wedding cake so I have to get this rose thing figured out and FAST!!

Try adding some piping gel to the royal icing. It helps keep the edges smoother. 1 tsp piping gel per cup of stiff royal icing.

If I use royal icing won't I have rock hard roses when they dry?

Royal does dry hard, but still edible. You can also add piping gel to your buttercream. that will help soften the edges so the petals don't appear ragged.

oops sorry! You are right about drying hard with royal icing. I misread your original post. For some reason I missed the BC part. What type of BC are you using?? I know that with the 1/2 crisco 1/2 butter recipe I use I can still add a little piping gel (same as I would for royal) to keep the edges flowing a bit better. It works great.

The recipe I use is
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup crisco
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/3 water
flavoring

This just doesn't seem to work

It should be 1 cup shortening! And I don't know why there is flour in there!
Where is that recipe from?

It looks to me like you are a little light on the fat which would explain the tearing in the petals. Drooping petals usually means your icing is too thin to hold it's shape.

I use:
1 lb icing sugar
1/2 cup crisco
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp flavoring
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp meringue powder
pinch of salt

This makes stiff consistency icing.

Now I never add the meringue powder as I like the taste better without it and it doesn't change how it works IMHO. I often will still add a little piping gel for smooth edges.

try this
1 tsp vanilla or butter extract
4 TBsp water
1 cup shortening
1 TBsp meringue powder
1 lb sifted 10x confectioners sugar, pure cane

a drop of light corn syrup will help smooth out the petals, but too much will make them droopy

this one is really good for flowers

now White Buttercream Icing
  

This buttercream icing has an ideal consistency for frosting cakes. It is usually not necessary to thin this icing for frosting cakes. Do so accordingly if you prefer a thinner consistency for spreading. It has a firm quality making it good for wedding cake decorations and flat surface or flower nail flowers. Air dry decorations for 24 hours.
Ingredients:

* 2/3 cup water
* 4 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
* 12 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 3 lbs.)
* 1-1/4 cups shortening
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon No Color Almond Extract
* 3/4 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
* 1/2 teaspoon No Color Butter Flavor

Combine water and meringue powder; whip at high speed until peaks form. Add 4 cups of sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition at low speed. Alternately add shortening and remainder of sugar. Add salt and flavorings; beat at low speed until smooth.

YIELD: 7 cups icing.

Recipe may be doubled or cut in half; however, if cut in half, yield is only 3-1/2 cups.

http://www.wilton.com/recipes/recipesandprojects/icing/snow.cfm

I got the recipe that has flour in it from my mother in law. She got in from a wilton cake dec class years ago. They told her to add the flour to cut the crisco taste. I always have rave reviews on my frosting flavor using that recipe. People like it because it isn't overly sweet or greasy. It does great for everything except those darn roses!!!

Where would I get the piping gel from? I live in a small town and have limited options.

I wonder if you added 1 tbsp of flour instead of the meringue powder in the one I use - if it would have the same effect on texture. I think I will try it next time. The recipe I wrote for you is the Wilton recipe they give us in class now. It makes about 3 cups of icing. You could probably ice the cake in your usual icing and then use a different one for the roses.

That's what I want to do, continue using my recipe for the frosting of the cake, I just need something for the roses that is tried and true and will hold up.

What kind of piping gel? How is is sold? Is it in a tube?

You can purchase piping gel by the tub at www.countrykitchensa.com

Thank you everyone so much for your help. I can't wait to try these new recipies and get it right. You have all been so much help. I knew I could count on all of you!!!!