Alcohol

Decorating By cowgirl58 Updated 12 Aug 2013 , 3:27am by MBalaska

cowgirl58 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cowgirl58 Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 5:04pm
post #1 of 23

I seem to be asking a lot of questions lately, but has anyone tried using alcohol in their frosting (buttercream) such as Kahula? If so, is there a recipe for it?

22 replies
mcdonald Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mcdonald Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 5:42pm
post #2 of 23

I have never tried it but I know that there are different flavor oils that might be added for the flavor (kahlua is one of them I have seen), if that is what you are looking for. Some of the candy sites have them available...

butterflyjuju Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
butterflyjuju Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 5:49pm
post #3 of 23

Not sure but you probably could use it in place of your other flavorings.

tatetart Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
tatetart Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 5:57pm
post #4 of 23

I just asked the same question the other day!

Yes you can add a liqueur to your buttercream as a flavour. Be sure the persons to whom you are feeding the cake are all adult, and all alcohol friendly.

I also saw Martha Stewart use rum to flavor her Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

I just bought champagne flavour from LorAnn oils. Someone told me that it was the best flavour buttercream they had ever eaten! So I am going to give it a try! icon_biggrin.gif

cowgirl58 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
cowgirl58 Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 6:38pm
post #5 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by couturiere

I just asked the same question the other day!

Yes you can add a liqueur to your buttercream as a flavour. Be sure the persons to whom you are feeding the cake are all adult, and all alcohol friendly.

I also saw Martha Stewart use rum to flavor her Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

I just bought champagne flavour from LorAnn oils. Someone told me that it was the best flavour buttercream they had ever eaten! So I am going to give it a try! icon_biggrin.gif




Thanks, where do you find LorAnn oils? I'm from Canada

tatetart Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
tatetart Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 7:29pm
post #6 of 23

You can get them from Country Kitchens

www.countrykitchensa.com

noemis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
noemis Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 7:39pm
post #7 of 23

I have used Brandy Extract in my buttercream icing and it gives it a different twist ...

melxcloud Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
melxcloud Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 7:47pm
post #8 of 23

I've used Kuhlua in my IMBC. It was AWESOME. I just added a couple tablespoons after i had whipped al the butter in to the sugar and egg whites.

TexasSugar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
TexasSugar Posted 14 Sep 2006 , 10:27pm
post #9 of 23

I have used Kuhlua, Irish Creame and Vanilla Vodka in my regular buttercream. I just start with a shot glass full, then add more if I need to. You can adjust your water a little if need be.

MBalaska Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MBalaska Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 6:37am
post #10 of 23

Quote:

Originally Posted by melxcloud 
I've used Kuhlua in my IMBC. It was AWESOME. I just added a couple tablespoons after i had whipped al the butter in to the sugar and egg whites.

Alcohol in Swiss Meringue ButterCream. This is from an old post, I remembered to properly use search for this topic. It's old and it doesn't specifically name SMBC.

Has anyone more recently tried this, what were your results, would anyone else recommend alcohol like Kahlua in their Swiss Meringue ButterCream?

CakeChemistry Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
CakeChemistry Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 6:53am
post #11 of 23

AI've done amaretto in chocolate bc, baileys in vanilla and choc bc and grand marnier in choc. It's awesome, but you have to start with a little and work in liquid bit by bit to stop it splitting. I found choc bc a good carrier because you could put extra cocoa in to bind/thicken without over sweetening the mix. This then ended up very grown up and luxurious with the amaretto especially. I use green and blacks cocoa powder. I made all three types of frosting for a prinzregenstorte which went down a treat and was divine. I'd put the pic of it in here but I don't know how to do it!

MBalaska Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MBalaska Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 8:07am
post #12 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by CakeChemistry 
........ start with a little and work in liquid bit by bit to stop it splitting. I found choc bc a good carrier because you could put extra cocoa in to bind/thicken without over sweetening the mix. ........

Yes, it is the splitting thing that concerned me.

Thanks CakeChemistry.   It's interesting that you use that title, because the baking part is chemistry, it's the decorating part that is art.

mwcakecreations Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
mwcakecreations Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 12:32pm
post #13 of 23

AWhy would it matter if you are serving icings/fillings with liqueur flavorings to children? Many extracts have a higher percentage of alcohol in them than some liqueurs. I discovered this when making a raspberry filling that didn't require refrigeration. The liqueur serves as a preservative. I purchased the raspberry liqueur and stumbled across a raspberry extract that had a much greater percentage. Hmmm....

yortma Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
yortma Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 2:31pm
post #14 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwcakecreations 

Why would it matter if you are serving icings/fillings with liqueur flavorings to children? Many extracts have a higher percentage of alcohol in them than some liqueurs. I discovered this when making a raspberry filling that didn't require refrigeration. The liqueur serves as a preservative. I purchased the raspberry liqueur and stumbled across a raspberry extract that had a much greater percentage. Hmmm....

Exactly!  Most extracts are pure alcohol and the relative amount consumed by any one individual will be very small.  I absolutely love liqueurs, brandies, flavored rums, etc. I collect them, and almost always add one of these to my buttercream (SMBC).  It makes the frosting richer, more flavorful, a little less sweet, and does not taste like alcohol if not overdone.  I Use a lot of vanilla which is pure alcohol and never think twice about it.  For kids, the issue is the taste.  Children may not like the more sophisticated less sweet taste of alcohol flavored SMBC.  I often use Fluffy American buttercream for kids cakes which is halfway between SMBC and ABC and omit the liqueurs.   My favorites are Godiva liqueurs (chocolate, white chocolate and caramel), framboise, strawberry liqueur, Bailey's, flavored rums (coconut, pineapple, banana), Schnapps (peppermint, peach) and of course amaretto, kahlua and Frangelico.    I have a cupboard overflowing with them. I even have Biscotti, maple, cinnamon, dulce de leche and key lime pie liqueurs.  My liquor cabinet is overflowing, and I don't drink!  

rodgera Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
rodgera Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 2:59pm
post #15 of 23

I'm from London, Ontario and I found LorAnn's oils at Bulk Food/Bulk Barn stores.  They carry basic flavours only - mint, rum, orange, watermelon and I think strawberry.

CakeChemistry Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
CakeChemistry Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 3:06pm
post #16 of 23

AWhen you heat alcohol, even when embedded, it's properties change, and in general the Alcohol evaporates off. When using any alcohol based product in a none heated substance, there is the potential for it to reduce in abv over time due to evaporation but this is difficult to measure. The abv in essences will be higher, though as already noted, the potency of the essence is much stronger, therefore a smaller amount is needed and there is more potential for evaporation of the alcohol. Therefore the abv of the end product will be lower than when adding a liqueur. Hope this makes sense x x x

CakeChemistry Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
CakeChemistry Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 3:19pm
post #17 of 23

A

Original message sent by MBalaska

Yes, it is the splitting thing that concerned me. Thanks CakeChemistry.   It's interesting that you use that title, because the baking part is chemistry, it's the decorating part that is art.

Its a homage to my husband. My husband is a chemist. He is incredibly Sheldon Cooper when it comes to following a recipe which over time has rubbed off, at first I was a bit of a 'throw it all in and if there's a bit of sugar left in the bag, throw that in too' kind of girl but over time I have learnt to think about the ways things react together and how they behave in different environments. I still struggle with it, but hubby is a good help, it amazes me how he thinks about things, but then he often says to me 'how do you come up with these designs?', so each to their own I guess! I did however contribute to a thread about gluten free baking the other day and I was in WAY over my head. Now that stuff is really technical. Big respect to those guys! I quickly retreated from that one!

MBalaska Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MBalaska Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 5:47pm
post #18 of 23

Thanks. This has been an interesting and informative thread. The bottle of Kahlua is sitting on the counter and I'll give it a go today.

CakeChemistry Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
CakeChemistry Posted 11 Aug 2013 , 8:38pm
post #19 of 23

ABest bit about experimentation is all the tasting. I will never be thin!

MBalaska Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MBalaska Posted 12 Aug 2013 , 1:04am
post #20 of 23

I shoulda just drank the bottle of Kahlua!

I simply don't have the advanced skills to make it work in the SMBC.  I know that I can add that much liquid to AMB with a half butter, half hi-ratio shortening icing.  It will take a lot of liquid for some reason.

so, chalk up another new lesson learned today. Loran concentrated flavorings and oils have given me the best results. tomorrow another adventure. hi de ho.

scrumdiddlycakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
scrumdiddlycakes Posted 12 Aug 2013 , 1:39am
post #21 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by MBalaska 

I shoulda just drank the bottle of Kahlua!

I simply don't have the advanced skills to make it work in the SMBC.  I know that I can add that much liquid to AMB with a half butter, half hi-ratio shortening icing.  It will take a lot of liquid for some reason.

so, chalk up another new lesson learned today. Loran concentrated flavorings and oils have given me the best results. tomorrow another adventure. hi de ho.

May I ask what happened? One of my favourite thingas about IMBC, (SMBC works the same way), is how much added liquid it can hold without compromising it's texture/etc.

ttaunt Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ttaunt Posted 12 Aug 2013 , 2:02am
post #22 of 23

I've used Amaretta in my chocolate buttercream and everyone loved it.

MBalaska Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MBalaska Posted 12 Aug 2013 , 3:27am
post #23 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by scrumdiddlycakes 

........May I ask what happened? One of my favourite thingas about IMBC, (SMBC works the same way)..............

Make the normal SMBC, (this stuff is great) Added Kahlua a bit at a time, mixing slowly to incorporate. But no matter how much I added I simply could not taste it.

Unlike when I use a Loran concentrated flavoring and just a few drops pack a delicious punch.

Added more, at this point it broke, and didn't recover using any of the recommended techniques.

So I went a spoonful to far.

It's no big loss though, I don't have a business, and only wanted to surprise my Kahlua drinking friends.

Also plain Vanilla is perfectly delicious.

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%