FlowergirlMN, no offense taken. I just thought if you hadn't read the thread then you didn't understand what it was all about. I didn't mean to come off as snippy. Sorry.

Diane

I just made 2 cakes with the "new" crisco and found that I could not get it to crust as nicely as before and I did have a problem with the air bubbles also. I have started using the roller method to smooth the top of my cake and found that the icing which was crusted to my touch, stuck to the roller. It was pretty humid here and I am wondering if that had to do with it sticking.

Needless to say, I will be looking for a different brand of shortening. I was very happy with Crisco and I think they will be feeling the consequences of this change to their product in their back pockets.

I hadn't noticed a change really in my icing so I wasn't sure what everyone was talking about THEN the last cake I made I couldn't get the icing to stick to the cake like normal!! It was just different. So yesterday I bought a can of Best Choice shortening and I did a taste test. I made one batch with Crisco only and one batch with 1cup of crisco and 1 cup of Best Choice. Had the family sample and they all picked the half and half. I will let you all know later which one does better on the cake. I just wish they would quit messing with something that works!!!!

The last buttercream covered cake I made is the soccer cake, you could see it in my photos. I used the new Crisco and it was a nightmare; the buttercream would not stick to the sides of the cake and kept falling. I spent all night up trying to cover the cake until finally it stuck to the cake, but not for too long because when I got to the party, the whole left side was separating from the cake. I was able to fix it but it was horrible; also the borders kept falling; I mean by the time I was getting to the last side of the cake you could see the border falling in one piece.
The soccer ball looked really nice at first but after a while, the fondant pieces started falling off the ball because of the buttercream. It was a nightmare! Temperature didn't help, it was very hot and humid but the air conditioning was on, the only thing different from other times is that I used the new Crisco.
The next day I went to the store and they had 3 cans of the old Crisco so I grabbed them all, when I got to the register a lady told me: "You know that if use that shortening you can have a heart attack" and I told her: "Oh, no, if I don't use THIS shortening I will have a heart attack!

Has any one tried adding Paramount Crystals to their icing? I'm not to sure what they are made off (I think parafin), but maybe it would bring the fat content up with the new crisco? Or would it just thin the icing down more or make it get hard as it sets up? Just thinking out loud....

btw.. this is what sweet celebrations (http://www.sweetc.com/) has posted for the use of Paramount Crystals:

"Paramount crystals are a must to help prevent icing break down due to humidity and helps restore coating to a useable condition when it has been damaged by such things as too high heat or moisture."

Missmersh, Just wanted you to know that I have not heard from Chef Lou as yet. I am going on vacation for a week on Tuesday. If I haven't had an email by the time I get back, I will email him again.

Diane

I posted when this only had less than 10 pgs I think. But I was wondering if your icing tastes different too? I think it's much sweeter, almost too sweet. And when my dh says something then it has to be too sweet. Also, my spray color didn't do well on it. I'm soooo pissed. A lady who owns a cake shop here said that Wilton is contacting Crisco. Has anyone else heard this?

I noticed the icing was all wrong.  I teach the Wilton classes and it was coming out very bad.  I felt the students were looking at me like I did not no what I was doing lol..I wonder if this will effect my cookies. I guess I am going to the store again and setting aside this crisco for the real stuff. Maybe I can just exchange it.  Hopefully, most stores just carry certain brands. 

 

If anyone has baked cookies let me know how they turn out.
 

AMichellechellie, thus thread is from 5 years ago. Crisco has been crap for quite a long while. Back then, i did use Crisco,then switched to store brands but they changed years ago also. I have long since changed to hi-ratio shortening. I believe one fix was to add the fat back in, in the form of cream. But since this happened years ago, perhaps your icing had another problem? What exactly was wrong with it?

It's bubbly, and separates, so I have to use less water, but it is dry.  Personally I started using icing from cake supply shops like best brands years ago and stuck to whip and cream cheese icings.  

 

I didn't know about this, so when I joined the Wilton instructor program this past summer, having problems with the icing was the last thing I thought I would have problems with.  I will have to check with grocers Wal-mart or HEB for other brands of shortening, or drive 4 hours to a whole foods store and stock up. lol crazy

 

I am so glad students opt for the bucket of vendor icing. lol

 

My cookies are still good, I saw no change in that. 

 

let me know any good icings, or if I could tweak this one.

i noticed the same problem with my cake the other day, i had to go and get the generic version to make my decorations hold right

My case of the air bubble mystery has been solved!!! I will no longer be using Crisco as well.

Hi, yes unfortunately the 0 trans fat is not a good thing for icing and many other products. It seriously changes the consistency and flavor. If you switch to a generic brand it will most likely have trans fat in it. I did that last year and have not had any issues with icing and in fact receive more compliments on buttercream then when I was using name brand. 

I think I might be the only one who prefers to work out the decorating a little differently rather than eat all those trans fats! 

Count me in as someone who would rather not eat shortening with transfat - or without for that matter. I don't have a business but am seriously considering one and one thing I know is that all the baking will be from scratch with very few (if any!) artificial ingredients. I can see adding a very small amount to certain recipes to stableize

or because a solid fat is needed (pie crust, greasing and flouring most pans, etc.) but in huge amounts, no way.

 

Personally, with or without transfat I don't like icing made with all shortening. It tastes gross and it coats the tongue in an unpleasant manner. I don't ever buy cakes, cupcakes etc that use all or mostly shortening. I work in NYC and I won't eat most products from Magnolia, Buttercup, Crumbs, etc. I work mostly with foreigners and whenever I order any kind of cakes for work they ask me to make sure it doesn't have "that gross American icing".

shortening is hydrogenated vegetable oil any way which means its liquid oil made to be a solid which isnt its natural state. you want conssistency i suggest using lard. its not as "fattening" as "they" say it is.

A

um, lard would make it chunky and slimy, and foul tasting. It is meat fat, it wouldn't be smooth... And um, YUCK!

AI'd rather eat a spoonful of pure crisco than icing made with lard..... But I am nauseated thinking of both.

We have this stuff available here called PS99 at the local cake supply store (you use this instead of crisco). My fellow cake decorator friend/partner swears by it and her cakes look incredible! She never uses fondant to cover a cake..always her PS99...However, when I attempted to use it, it was a disaster! From, air bubbles, cracking and yes even color veining!!! So, I wouldn't recommend it...but it sure works magic for her! I too have had lots of trouble with the new crisco...am going to try an off brand today and see if that makes a difference...

From Wikipedia: Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms

 

Gross. Ain't nobody want that on a cake. 

A

Lmao! Ain't nobody got time to eat that!

Got to love a bit of Sweet Brown!

AOh yes!!

AWow I thought it was me doing something wrong. I knew that I hadn't changed my recipe. I tell you what I gonna go to all of the little mom and pop stores and buy up all of the Old Crisco. lol

AThis thread is 5 years old. The crisco has been 100% trans fat free for several years. Did you problems start recently, or 5 years ago?

AI use store brand shortening from Harris Teeter it has 3 g trans fat works perfect forums crusting buttercream other option is purchasing Sweetex which is a high ratio shortening

I won't use it anymore, period.  I buy blocks of PS-99 High Ratio shortening and that makes my buttercream smooth no worries.

AGo to a cake supply store and get " high emulsion " shortening. It's the same as the "old" Crisco. The only difference I notice between the two is the icing stiffness and how quickly body heat softens it to an unuseable consistancy very quickly.