HI..I'm doing a FBCT for the first time. I've read a lot of wonderful advice. I'm just not sure of which buttercream recipe I should use. Wilton says to use half butter to freeze properly and to use black premaid icing tubes for the outlines. But I'm reading here if the icing is too soft, it won't freeze proprerly. Just wondering what you experienced decoraters use.

thanks so much!

Lisa

I have done this technique only once but it was successful. I used my regular BC recipe which is 1 stick butter and 1/2 stick crisco. No issues freezing at all. I did not use any premade so I can not advise on this. Good Luck!

I use the same recipe for the FBCT that I use to ice the cake. Mine is a half butter half shortening recipe. It works just fine. It does get pretty soft pretty quickly though so I put my transfers on fast. I have never used Wilton's pre-made pipping stuff for outlines, sounds like another way to scam money off of you honestly. I just color my own icing black and go with that. HTH

Will give it a try

thank you both, appreciate it greatly!

Lisa

I used the Wilton tube color for a FBCT I made and it worked great! I was needing a black outline and I have never been able to mix up a good black BC on my own.
I also used the all shortning BC and it froze just fine. No problems at all.
I like to keep tubes of Wilton color around for those times I need just a pinch of color here or there. Keeps me from having to stop and mix it up.

I use an all-shortening icing for my FBCT, and I only ever froze them for a few hours. They would softened really, really quickly once out of the freezer, and it was stressful getting them on my cakes. But on my last one I did, I read somewhere to freeze it overnight. It made a big difference with the time out of the freezer to getting it transferred. It never occurred to me that it would make a difference. I thought a a few hours was good enough- duh! ..lol... and I'm with LNW on the premade black icing. I use my own, and it works fine.

yes, I agree. I usually have red and black premade icing tubes on hand to enhance my reds and blacks. I just don't like the way it pipes using it as is. Some people were saying blacks and reds bleed unless using the premade stuff...?? I'm gonna give it a try with my recipe,
Thanks to you all for being so helpful

Lisa

I have always used my regular all crisco buttercream, even for the black.