I use the Wilton Buttercream frosting recipe, but the petals o my roses all tear and rip. They don't look smooth at all and it's driving me CRAZY.

I've tried using all shortening versus 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. I've tried opening my tips with a knife. I've tried going slow as I spread the petals. I've tried going faster... I seriously think it's the buttercream recipe I'm using. Perhaps because Crisco doesn't have trans fats now? I don't know but I'm getting frustrated fast.

How can I make a rose with all smooth petals? If you can make roses with smooth petals, what buttercream recipe do you use? Thanks!

Katie

have you tried to add Karo syrup to your BC?

Nope, does it help? How much do I need to add and is it in place of water? Thanks.

Katie

i add about 1/2 c karo and 1/4 c water to my bc

I must be the ONLY person on the earth that LOVES rose4s w/torn edges!
A beginner always has gtrouble w/this. There are several things that will help:
Thin your icing as suggested w/Karo or piping gel... but not too much! It must stiff enough to hold those petals up. Another way is to add a bit more fat (butter or Crisco) to you icing....you want it creamy and smooth, not thin.
Still another probelm most beginners have is they are not working fast enough. You have to turn the nail while piping out the petal. If you don't move it fast enough it will result in the ragged edges.
Lastly, *sometimes* the #104 comes w/the opening of the tip pinched together too much. Push your cake spatula in there & wiggle it back & forth to spread the opening just a bit.

Thanks everybody, I will try these suggestions and see what happens.

Katie

I use piping gel in my buttercream for roses and find it works well. If the petal look torn the icing is to thick.

See, you don't have to be soooooo upset w/torn edges on your roses....
Many of us think it gives them a more natural look. Nothing in nature is **perfect!**

I am buttercream rose challenged as well! They always have ragged edges! I recently went to sit in on a Wilton class when they were learning the rose. The instructor told me that I wasn't putting enough pressure on the bag with my LITTLE finger, which is near the top where the icing comes out of the small end of the tip. I watched her do it and the icing came out smooth. When I tried it, it was ragged! I guess it just takes practice!!
She also recommended only using a parchment bag or a featherweight bag because the disposable bags stretch.
Good luck! I feel your pain

I have had that problem too and used the corn syrup - it helped!

Thanks for the encouragement everybody. I don't mind a few ragged edges, but mine were so dry and bad and the frosting felt really hard to work with.

So I went on a hunt for a great, smooth frosting. After literally hours and hours during the last 2 days of searching I stumbled across the Buttercream Dream recipe (no water, all crisco, butter, sugar and vanilla). I made it tonight, tried my roses and SUCCESS! They are far from perfect, but I honestly think they could go on a cake and look great.

It was the Wilton recipe that was causing my frustration... so why does Wilton use that to teach roses? Anyway, I made my husband try the frosting and he likes it better than the Wilton 1/2 butter frosting, so I guess for now I've got a new buttercream recipe.

Does anybody know if the Buttercream dream recipe will be okay to harden? Will my roses start to melt at room temperature? I was just practiceing, so I had dumped my nice roses and begun cleanup before I thought "that was dumb... I should have saved one to test it's durability at room temp".

Thanks!

Katie

If you let them air dry they won't "melt". Melting occurs when a liquid (or mostly liquid) item is frozen to a solid. When removed from the freezing temp, it returns to room temp and returns to a liquid (or pre-frozen state).

Air dried roses have had the moisture evaporated right out of them.

You can leave them on the counter for weeks and they'll be fine.

Wow great topic!! I am practicing making buttercream roses and have gotten very frustrated. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas and hints. I will have to Buttercream Dream recipe also.