I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEONE COULD HELP ME? FOR SOME REASON, WHEN I WORK WITH BUTTERCREAM IT SEEMS LIKE IT MELTS WHILE I AM DECORATING MY CAKES. IT IS ALMOST LIKE MY HANDS ARE TOO HOT. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Maybe it is too thin.

try to not add as much milk to your icing and also put small amounts in your bag at a time so the heat from your hand dosent melt the icing by the time you get to it

I agree with both the above posts. Also you can pop your icing bags in the fridge for a couple minutes if it feels like it is getting to soft.

Also if you are using an all butter recipe you could try adding a little shortening. Shortening has a higher melting temp than butter.

Mika, what type of icing are you using? If it's a shortening/powdered sugar-based icing, you may want to try to add your liquid to the shortening first and make it a complete emulsification (i.e., all the liquid mixed in with the grease, not laying on top).

However, it seems your main complaint is the heat from your hands "melting" the icing in the piping bag. No matter what type of icing you are using, I would suggest that you try to chill your batch of icing just a little bit before you pipe with it. Not too much, though, because you want to still be able to work with it, but you will want it to be nice and cool and still workable (just not COLD and solid).

Also, as lynsey says, don't put too much icing in your bag; that way you can use up what you have before it gets too soft and then "re-load" without too much trouble.

Try these tips and let us know if they help. If not, maybe we can come up with some other solution for you.

Odessa

You can add more sugar to your icing and make it thicker. Also if your hand is too hot ones in a while put your hand under cold water. Another suggestion put your cake in the fridge to help to harden the icing.

Also, the parchment bags don't transfer as much heat from your hands as the plastic ones. HTH

You can also keep an ice pack handy and pick it up for a few seconds when your hands start to get hot.

I have this problem when I am making my centers for my dipped chocolates. I just run cold water over my hands and cool them off! Sometimes have problems with my icing and I just set it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Diane

Thanks for all of your input. i will try some of your suggestions the next time i decorated a cake. i will be sure to let you all know what worked best. by the way, anybody decorating near the hanscom afb are in ma. i am looking for a mentor.