I just traveled all the way to Australia with half a suitcase full of cake decorating supplies only to discover that there's no Crisco here! (Well, it's available for $20/lb by mail order.)

I'm quite new to all this and I don't know how to make a crusting BC that will hold up for flowers and be easy to smooth with a hot spatula.

Any suggestions?

I don't do eggs, so I use BC in place of RI for flowers, which means something that has to dry not melt, will I be able to do this without Crisco or meringue powder?

Thank you!

I bet one of the CC members from Australia will be able to suggest something appropriate.

So here's a bump

Is there a cake decorating shop you could call?

Gee, I wish you would have searched the archives before venturing out there. There have been quite a few threads in the past regarding Crisco not being readily available out there. They use copha, which is a form of coconut oil. Unfortunately, it is not useable for your purposes. There are a couple of stores in AU which sell Crisco, or something similar, but since I am in the US, and do not use shortening at all, I do not keep information on those threads.

Theresa

I believe something called "camphor" or like that which is coconut oil hardened is what they use. HTH

Check out this tread, maybe you can PM one of these fine CC's and get some info:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-456683-.html

the topic is calling all aussies!

Good Luck

Yeah, I can't believe I just assumed they had it and never bothered to research. I had sent an email to someone asking, but never received a reply. Then you know how it goes, got busy preparing for the trip and just took off without knowing what I was getting into!

Yeah, there is Crisco available by mail order from the other side of the country, but we're only here for a month, so it takes a bit long to get here and also it is so expensive to buy and ship.

Well, do you think I'd be able to use an all-butter BC for the same effect - crusting and making flowers, basketweave, & borders?

Thanks for all your input.

Radha

Being southern, I just cant grasp how theres no crisco or vegetable shortening in that part of the world...

Hey, what's a gal from WV doing all the way in Australia?!?!?!??!?! And decorating a cake??? Haha! I'm from WV too, so I was just wondering. I'd love to go to Australia! Good luck with the icing issues.

Substitute for shortening in AU threads:
(Actually you can buy shortening. Gives the brand names and stores that carry it.)

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-4462943-.html

HTH

Jan you are great.

How do you keep track of all of these??

I started a list in a private message which I update all the time, but you are really fast.

Good Luck

Yeah, southrnhearts, that's what I'm wondering. . . it's so humid here! I think they use mostly fondant/marzipan and not so much buttercream.

Lilmansmum, my husband's mother is Australian, so we're here visiting the grandparents. . . they haven't seen us for a couple of years, so they bought us tickets to fly over! I've been sending them cake photos, so I was hoping to make some cakes for them while we're here.

Thanks, JanH, I'll check out the thread and let you know how it goes.

gateaux, I have five 3" ringbinders with CC info.

what state and suburb are you staying in Aus..... ?? I can give you some cake supply shop addresses...if they don't have crisso they have crisco substitues......... also as far as I know David Jones In Sydney sells crisco


Welcome to Australia

USA Foods in Melb sells Crisco too... but I am sure that the DJs in Melb sells it.

USA Foods is $11 for the 3lb can
DJs is $7 for the 1lb can

I believe that the other substitutes are ones that are in wholesale volume, so like 15kg... I presume you don't need THAT much!

Personally, I pretty much just use butter... but use more icing sugar to make it firmer. I do have Crisco for the recipes I use that are from the US.

you can get meriengue powder it is called pavlova magic and is in an egg shaped plastic container near the custards and such

Thank you all.

I'm in Perth and have been in touch with Feefs, who has pointed me towards some cake supply shops in the area. Hoping to get there tomorrow.

I'll try the buttercream with butter only. I've used it before and I hope it'll be OK if I make it stiffer.

Also, I bought some sort of fondant-like almond paste at Cole's yesterday. I suppose I can use that to make flowers as well? I don't have many ideas or tools for fondant cakes, but will try to use that as well.

Any other suggestions would be a great help.

You Aussies are too nice!

one of the cake decorating stores I go to in sydney sells a product called "so lite" its like a white fat and its used for making white buttercream. If you want to make flowers I can give you a recipe for modelling paste or you can buy it ready made at the cake decorating shops. Enjoy your stay in the land of oz