I use 1/2 Crisco, 1/2 margarine(always Imprial). It's what I've always done. By weeping I mean around the bottom of the frosting there looks to be a line of liquid all the way around the board. I made my frosting this morning with the Aldi shortening and it is a lot more like what I'm used to. Firmer consistancy and no "weeping". After all these years I automatically contributed my problems to the new formula since I haven't changed anything in the original preparation.

Just wondering if you have ever tried butter instead of margarine. I wonder if it makes any difference?

I am in awe of the sliding issue. I used wilton and all shortening, and half butter, sweetex and crisco.
I never have a problem with icing sliding of the side of the cake. I seen that issue in students that make icing to soft. I live in florida, and humidity is really high. The only difference that I noticed with the crisco is that is more lumpy cause it creates more bubbles. I had a student were a teacher told her to spray water in the cake so she could smooth the cake out..
talk about sliders!... I make my icing in a medium consistency for my crumbcoat and for my second coat is a little bit thicker. And I press my icing well to the cake so it doesnt slide. I am not saying that the reason is this, but check your techniques and how runy is your icing too.
Edna

I use the 1/2 C. Butter & 1/2 C. Crisco in my icing as well. If the icing sits for a day or 2, I will get "puddles" of grease in my container, but when I re-whip it and put it on my cake, it is fine. I have never had a problem with it weeping on the cake.

Thanks for the tip on Aldi's. I am gonna check that out!

TRY THE SAVE-A-LOT BRAND, IT WORKS GREAT! IT SEEMS A LOT STIFFER THAN MOST. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH SLIDING AND HERE IN KY WE HAVE SOME HUMIDITY TOO.

I have never used margarine in my icing, and have always read you should only use butter in buttercream.

I also agree with the person who said it sounds like you are adding too much liquid in your recipe. I also live in the south and although it gets very hot and humid here, I have never had icing slide off the side of my cake. I had a border do that once with a cake that was outside in the heat for hours, but never the icing.

I wanted to explain the weeping issue for those who have asked because I had the same problem as the OP. I too have used the same recipe for many years with no problem, a 1/2 margarine and 1/2 shortening...that is, until Crisco changed the recipe.

I always had a firm icing that never separated or leaked oil. I made a dinosaur cake one day with a volcano on it. On the short drive to the delivery, the icing slid down the volcano. I made the kitty pumpkin cake that is in my photos. You can see the oil seeping in this picture. Look at the bottom of the cake where the icing meets the board.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1155286

The icing was a dream to work with as usual but on another short car ride, this time with my daughter holding the cake to cushion against any vibration, the icing started to slide down the cake. Not only that but as was previously described, after several hours of sitting, all my cakes had a small pool of clear oil around the base of the cake. I could not figure out what I was doing wrong. I started adding more sugar, cutting back on shortening, making it all shortening (thinking the margarine was the problem). I still had the same problem. I heard about the Crisco recipe change online and realized what was going on.

After hearing everyone's comments, I believe that the new Crisco does make a difference but so does the recipe. Those who use milk, butter or meringue powder don't seem to have as many issues as those of us who have a recipe that uses water and margarine. Now that I add Dream Whip, my icing is more stable but since I still use Crisco, I still have some issues with oil pooling at the base of the icing. I'm not willing to give up the lightness of Crisco for the hi-ratio shortenings just yet.

Here is another example. I'm using the bigger pictures in my album instead of posting them here so you can see them better. Almost identical cakes. This one is made with the old Crisco. See the dull smooth finish.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=995623

Look at this cake with the new Crisco. See the sheen and shininess of the icing. That seems to be the oil leaking out.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1052563

That's interesting! I will go back and look at my old cake pictures to see if I can tell a difference. I never even knew Crisco had changed until I read about people's problems on here. Seems like I do have to return my icing bags to the frig more often when I am making flowers. Of course this icing is thinned with corn syrup.

You are right about the shininess of the cakes! I never noticed it, but that is a good observation.

Does the recipe that you are talking about have butter in the recipe?

Thank you KathysCC...I thought it was just me. I do us margarine and I do use milk and you are absolutely right about the shiny quality of the new stuff. The texture is just WRONG. I was comparing the batch I made today using the Aldi brand and a bowl I had in the fridge that had beenin there for about a week. After being out of the fridge for just a short time I could have poured that stuff out of the bowl. I would love to say it's just a lack of experience but I have been making and decorating cakes for almost 30 years....it was like therapy until this past year.........now I'm ready for a therapist...........

No, Debbie, it's not you...I have had the same problem. And the same with taking it out of the refrigerator--separated! And I have been using Indydebi's recipe since I got back from ICES--same problem.

I agree, it is the shortening--Walmart and Crisco. Kroger does better for me.

I'm just very put out with our government (local and state) making the changes for the good of our health. Pooh--they need to concentrate on the other vices that are deadly. Here in our city, they have banned smoking in public places (esp where children go). If you want to have smoking allowed in your building, no children can come in or you have to have a special room and air equipment. Crap--unless the city is making the payments on my business--they shouldn't be able to tell me what I have to do! Just my soap box. Oh--and I am NOT a smoker!

By the way KathysCC.........I checked out your two photos, definately saw the difference and your daisy's are FABULOUS. Do you use royal icing when you make them?

I have had the same issues with both crisco and then with the walmart brand as well. I switched to the high ratio but it is a lot more expensive!!!

Barbara

I second that!

Amen, Kathy!!! You crack me up!!!

cake dont leave as much tax earnings as alcohol does i guess...

I don't have the icing sliding problem, but after I finished my Elmo cake, DH looked at it and said "it looks like he's sweating". Same with the Razorback cake. There is a distinctive "glisten" and it does puddle oil in the bowl if you have leftover BC sitting around for a day or two (or more). This happens because the number one ingredient is plain old soy bean oil, which is NOT solid at room temperature!

The whole Trans Fat thing is just another bandwagon. I wonder how long it will take until we're not allowed to eat any fried foods or any red meat or <insert latest evil food item here>. The simple fact is that most foods are not harmful except when comsumed in excess. But the government can't control our brains (yet) to tell us to stop eating too much, so they regulate it so we don't have access to it. Smaller government, and getting the whole government out of the intricacies of our daily lives are things I fight for... but there you have my political philosophies, which this thread was not intended to discuss.

Here's my thoughts on transfat.....besides it being a necessary ingredient for great frosting..... people who use Crisco (myself included) and eat cake aren't too concerned with the minute amount of transfats on their plates. Pick on some other group that doesn't bring joy to the lives of their customers and family....leave us decorators alone. So there. There's nothing like a pretzel dipped in leftover frosting.........yum. Just ask the people I work with........they would skip the cake and just eat the frosting....many with a spoon.

When I worked for the "cake shop", we used Crisco.. and found all kinds of problems with the New Stuff. I use Alpine at home and have never had a problem. I tried talking the shop into using Alpine and he even got the local restaurant supply to carry it. He prefers the Crisco. I now get Alpine locally and I'm in Tennessee. The cost for 50 lbs is almost $60. You can call your restaurant supply and if there is a big enough demand (weekly sales) they will bring it in. It is distributed by ACH in Arkansas.

People say that Sugar Shacks Icing isn't affected by the trans fat. I haven't tied it yet but I've heard it's good.
And yes, the government needs to stay out of our daily lives!
Jen...

Can anyone tell me where you get the high ratio at. I have looked and looked thanks.

Restaurant supply stores, some cake supplies stores, sometimes sam's, or cosco.
In the internet, into the oven, I think global art sells it but not in summer. There are plenty of places.
Most famous brands are Sweetex and Alpine
Edna

Thanks Edna, I checked out Sams and the cake supply store in my area with no luck. I will check out the internet, with the brand names I am sure to have more luck. thanks again

Check restaurant supplies stores too..

Sweetex usually comes in big blocks(I think like 50 pounds) But I saw this place that sells it by pounds. Of course sweetex is more expensive than crsico. And if you do a lot of cakes is a good idea to buy bigger amounts. Just in case I am leaving the link.


http://www.shopbakersnook.com/m5_view_item.html?m5:item=1628

Edna

This is a question for all the people that have been having problems with their icing weeping.

When making your icing are you using pre-measured Crisco or are you having to scoop it and measure or cut it from the 1 pound brick?