I have cake to do next weekend that the customer wants a ture white icing to match party decor and I only make Buttercream with all butter...this is what she loves about my cakes, no crisco.

My question...what works better to whiten it, the Americolor White or wiltons Whitener? What have you used and give me any tips of how to accomplish the truest white?

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

maybe you could try a crisco buttercream and add butter flavoring and let her try it............maybe she would like that, it would still have the butter flavoring and none of the yellow........I make a recipe of buttercream that has half butter and half crisco and it IS what I would consider to be white! " the white icing of course"

Wish I could help but I have not used either. But I also don't use all butter in my icing for that reason. Could you use half butter half Crisco and then the whitener? That way it would not be as yellow and maybe you will have an easier time in getting it white? I hope the other ladies can help, sorry.

Shanna

i have heard that using white butter works.. but i have never tried it

'WHITE' is subjective.

I'd protect my hindside and tell her up front that with real butter, which in MY opinion makes the best bc, it will not be as white as the Crisco version...even 1/2 and 1/2. I like the person's idea who said do the butter recipe and then add the whitner stuff. I haven't used that yet.

GOOD LUCK!

If your recipe calls for creaming your butter, beat it longer than usual and it will whiten up a bit. Then, during the final mixing of all of the ingredients, add --one VERY small drop at a time--violet gel/paste color. Your icing will turn a beautiful white because the violet cancels out the yellow.

I do this regularly when using real butter and/or butter flavor crisco. I have used Wilton's and Americolor Bright White and I really prefer the "violet cancels yellow" method.

Rae

What a great idea!!! I'm imbarressed that I didn't think of this...I work with paints all day long in our sign company! DUH!

That is a really great idea that I would of never thought of lol

GREAT TIP!!!!

Thanks!

I have used Wilton's and Americolor Bright White and I really prefer the "violet cancels yellow" method.

Rae[/quote]

Thanks for the 'violet' tip, I think I will try that first. I do need to make it all butter and it is to match a invitaiton for a baby shower so, the truest bright white, the better.

Is the Americolor you use actually called VIOLET?

Wow! See another great tip. Thanks Rae!

Yes, the Americolor I use is called Violet. Wilton also has a violet that works fine, too.

I suppose you could try "purple", but if it is a true purple (with red undertones), it wouldn't work at all--you'd wind up with a pinkish white.

Just remember--always start out with the smallest of drops. I often just put a bit on the tip of a toothpick. With all butter or all butter Crisco, you may have to do it several times until you're happy, but it really works.

Happy decorating!
Rae

I love this site you or rather I learn something new every time I log on - violet cancels out yellow - I love it.

Thanks for the tip Blakescakes!

I just tried the violet/yellow method, and boy did it make a difference!

I used the Wilton violet coloring, and I just put a little on a toothpick and added it until it was really white -- amazing and easy!

How smart are you people!!! Never in a million years would I have added violet to make white. This is why I love it here!

Yes that is a great tip. Thank you BlakesCakes.

That's great to hear! I am off to the cake store this afternoon to get some violet!

I am determined to make this work...I personally don't like icing with any crisco in it myself, so I was not going to try and convince the customer to go with partial or all crisco.

I tried the violet trick this weekend to make a sheet cake that I wanted nice and white (it had lots of pastel roses and I wanted that nice white background) I used a tiny dot of the Lucks (which i just LOVE and its cheaper then americolor) when I creamed the butter and shortening. At first, it looked kind of purplish, but when I added the sugar, it turned into this beautiful, pure white. What a cool cool trick!!!!!! I just learn too much from you guys!

This is a gret tip! I am compiling a scrap book so to say of recipe's and other ideas. This is definately going in the book! I was taught the 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter for the icing and it seems white enough but since this works I will start to use all butter. I hate the crisco taste! Question though....Can you add the violet any time or just whild you cream the butter?

I see no reason why you couldn't add the color at any time. I've done it during the creaming process and at the very end and had it work fine.

I think I probably put more when I added it in the early stages because the yellow was more apparent. When adding the violet at the very end, I'd think you'd be adding the very least possible because the white powdered sugar would have had an effect ????

Rae

OMG I just tried this for my first wedding cake coming up this weekend. I did it at the end and I couldn't believe how amazing this was!!!

OMG I just tried this for my first wedding cake coming up this weekend. I did it at the end and I couldn't believe how amazing this was!!!

I will definitely be trying the violet cancels yellow method because I HATE crisco icing. Thanks for the tip!

I guess it's just me but I have tried adding violet a teeny, tiny bit at a time, just like everyone else says, and have ended up with a grayish white looking icing. I have tried this with both Americolor and Wilton.

Maybe my eye is just finer tuned than most to color, but it definitely did not make a bright white either time I tried it. It did remove the yellow tinge, but made it sligtly gray instead. I added only the teeniest bit on the tip of a toothpick.

My recipe is 1/2 butter, 1/2 crisco.

I'm glad you are having better luck than I did with this trick.

The only way to get true, bright white icing is with an all Crisco recipe. You can, of course, pour copious amounts of icing whitener into an icing with butter, but it will change the texture (and sometimes the taste) of the icing. It can make the icing runny and unable to hold shapes when piped.

If you use the yellow +violet = white, you will get a version of white that could be duller, but it is more white than not. Sometimes what you'll see depends on the type of lighting the cake is in, too.

It just gives you the option of having a better tasting icing that's more white than yellow and an icing that is still the correct consistency for decorating.

Rae

i use 1/2 butter and 1/2 crisco shortening. the flavor is nice. it also comes out white. i mix it till fluffy.

Yiou can also find a white butter in most health food stores. You'll pay more for it!

I have completely switched to Hi ratio shortening, and no butter. I have an incrediable recipe that I get a huge amount of compliments on..its not too sweet, yet is very tasty. and not greasy at all, and extremly stable for summer months. But it won't work with crisco...you have to use hi ratio.

I use all crisco in my buttercream frosting with clear butter flavor to keep it all white. I have never seen this hi ratio shortening that is being talked about (that I know of) here. Could you give me a brand name that I could look for here in Pennsylvania? I would like to try this for the frosting. Thanks for any help. And who would have thought violet cancels out yellow to get white!!!