Hello Everyone, I'm new to making decorative cakes. Whenever I made home made cakes I used the already made in the container icing like betty crocker. Is that still okay to use on speciality cakes or do you recommend something else?

For example I will be making an Elmo cake with the Wilton Elmo pan and a homemade steelers cake. What icing should I use??

Thank you.

Checkout the recipe section on this site. There are tons of recipes for buttercream icing. Once you go buttercream you will never do the can stuff again.


Good Luck & Welcome.

Hi Butterfy kissez,

Welcome to CC!! You will find in the long run that making your own icing will be cheaper and taste better.The store bought icing is okay in a pinch but can become very expensive to ice a larger cake and all the chemicals and such...I'm sure your homemade would taste better!!

I would make homemade. The taste is worth the effort. Besides it's not that difficult to make. There are plenty of recipes in this site. I'm sure you will be much happier. BTW, welcome to this highly addictive site.

I am new to decorating also, but I have tried to use the ready made icing out of the can (not Wilton's) and it just didn't hold up. I couldn't even make a star with it. I use the wilton butter cream recipe. I am sure the pros around here will have a lot better advice for you than I can give.

Wilton's Buttercream
yields 3 cups stiff consistency

1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon wilton flavor (vanilla, almond or butter)
2 tablespoons pure can confectioners' sugar (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon wilton meringue powder
a pinch of salt (optional)

cream shortening, flavoring and water. add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Hope this helps

Hi Butterfly!!

Welcome! You'll find so much info here you'll be amazed. As for your question, I'd steer clear of canned icings when you want to do specialty decorating. It's been my experience that most brands are far too soft to hold any kind of piping shapes. I, too, made an Elmo cake for my daughter's 1st birthday. I felt like taking a short cut since I had so much to do for her party. When I went to pipe all the stars, they just kind of melted in to one another (and it was only April and not very warm!) and the effect was completely lost. I vowed that day to make my own buttercream from that point on!

Check out the recipes section - I'm sure you'll find something you like that will work really well.

Good luck and be sure to post your pics!!
Diane

P.S. KiddieKakes, I'm Mommy to Delaney 2 1/2 as well!!

I'm sure Siealy didn't mean 2 tablespoons on the powdered sugar. I use the Wilton recipe but I use about 3/4 C shortening so it isn't quite as greasy. I hardly ever use the meringue powder either. I use vanilla, almond and butter flavoring. The best thing to do is just experiment and use what works best for you. I can't even imagine using the Betty Crocker frosting to decorate with. In another forum we have been discussing the difference in using beet sugar and cane sugar. I use both and have had no problems.

Wilton makes decorator's icing. They have it in tubs and tubes both at most Wal-Marts and craft stores. I've never personally used it, but I know there are some other tubes that say they are for decorating. They will get expensive if you decorate a lot though.

For your Steelers black, start with chocolate to get a good black color without adding so much coloring. Americolors Super Red is a must for Elmo too

Kelly