I am new to decorating & know only what I learn in the Wilton class - learning a lot more from CC!

Anyway, I've only made the Wilton BC, but have seen many of you use bc recipes that call for butter & shortning but no merangue (sp?). Does BC w/o merangue still crust or does it get real soft?

I need to decorate a birthday cake tonight to be served at a party tomorrow at 3pm. Just didn't know if the butter bc would hold up that long unfridgerated??

Thanks for your advice.

I didn't know what merinque powder was for until I came to this site a year ago. never used it. Here's a thread with the recipe I use ... you can also see what other CC'ers think of it. http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-491583-0.html

I use a crisco-only recipe and it sits on my counter for days and days ... lasts just fine.

Thanks, Indydebi. I don't have any dream whip, but I will purchase some this weekend & give it a try!

I use the wilton recipe with 1/2 butter 1/2 shortening and have never used meringue powder. I did once and didn't notice a difference. I don't really understand what it is for as the BC still crust w/o it. Maybe it just takes a little longer but it does.

meringue powder does not cause the crusting in buttercream. Crusting is caused by the fat to sugar ratio. More sugar/less fat=more crusting. I don't really know what the meringue powder is supposed to do. Perhaps it helps to make the icing fluffy (like egg whites)??

Alana -
meringue - egg whites - fluffy -- that does sound right, I think I was way off about meringue causing crusting. I did use a butter/crisco w/o meringue last night & it did turn out fine.
Thanks all!

I think the meringue powder causing crusting is a common misconception. I'm not sure if that's what Wilton teacher tell their students or where the idea came from, but you were certainly NOT alone in your thinking.

Does anyone have any feedback as to WHY we'd put meringue in the icing? I had only learned the Wilton way until I saw sugarshack's DVD...now I am wondering as to the purpose of the meringue at all???