Hi Everyone!

I need to make a display cake for a bridal fair. Since buttercream only cakes are making a comeback, I wanted to showcase one. I was thinking of using royal icing as the buttercream. Has anyone done this already and have some advice for me? Did it look ok?

Thanks!

You can do royal if you want to. But you can also cover a dummy cake in buttercream as well.

I find royal soooooo hard to smooth/work with
WHY NOT B"CREAM? I use it all the time - yes for dummys and orders. Take a look at my pix. There are many, many b'creamed dummy in there.

Perma Ice is artificial icing for dummies. Spackle from the hardware store works as well, especially if you want it to last for a long time.

I tried spackle once, never again will I do that.

I also tried royal.

Still prefer buttercream, since I can smooth it the way I smooth the icing on my cakes.

Thanks ----------------I should add that I have to leave the cake in the hands of other people for a photo shoot. I've been asked to leave it the day before the shoot. If they mess up the icing, then my cake won't look good. I thought I should use royal icing to make sure the decorations stay in place. I'm piping rosettes all over the cake. Do you think I'm worried for nothing???

If you do the cake early, the icing will be hard.

But it is your choice. If you are concerned, go ahead and use royal. The one time I tired it I couldn't get it smooth enough and sanding it was a PITA.

Yes, it's the hardness I'm worried about. A rosette could fall off. I think I'll take your advice and use real buttercream but I'll make it out of shortening and powdered sugar only - no butter!

Thank you!!

Yes I would use shortening instead of butter. If you do it a week or two ahead of time, it will be pretty hard. Maybe not royal icing hard, but it will have crusted and dried out pretty well.

Lightweight spackle at the hardware store is sooooo easy to use - easier than buttercream, because it is light and fluffy. It dries fast and hard. Plus, it keeps and cleans well. Just color the spackle as you would buttercream.

TexasSugar said: .........I tried spackle once, never again will I do that. I also tried royal. Still prefer buttercream, since I can smooth it the way I smooth the icing on my cakes...........

I totally agree.
I've also used the lightweight speckle - still prefere b'cream