Help!! Problems With Icing Drying Out Too Quickly
Decorating By yummyhobby Updated 3 Jul 2006 , 2:16pm by yummyhobby
I made some cakes shaped like crowns for my nieces' 8th birthday. They turned out really cute and still tasted great, but my icing dried out so fast!! 
I know that the lady I used to buy my cakes from had a little shop. And she always left the door unlocked so that if she wasn't there- you could go on in and pick up your cake. How does one leave a cake out that long without it drying out and cracking all over the place. I know that she left them out overnight. Maybe someone could shed a little light on what went wrong.
Thanks!
Alli
P.S. I used the Wilton recipe for buttercream if this helps.
Naturally the icing will dry out to some degree forming a crust. This is what the Wilton recipe should do. When you cut into the cake the frosting will be soft. As for cracks...I like to blame those on not enough support underneath the cake. Hope this helps. Rhondie
I agree, that the butter/crisco kind doesnt dry and crust as much as the all crisco one. Also the cakes that I have made with the star tip like the character cakes dried out more too. Also if you use dairy (milk or cream) to thin instead of water (at least partly) I think that makes a difference. *I THINK* (I could be wrong here) that the water evaporates more quickly than dairy does. But one solution might be just to keep your cake covered so it doesnt dry out, or try a different BC for those type of cakes.
Would you mind sharing your recipe so we can better offer suggestions on how to help you with it.
I have never used Wilton's BC icing, but where I used to work, the BC recipe we used would crack if you put it on when the cake was too cold. It was fine after it was put on a room temp cake. You could refrig. it or freeze it with no problem. Maybe that had something to do with it.
Thanks everyone!! Someone told me last night that they would have been ok if I would have put them in the fridge overnight. Guess I just thought it was ok to leave it out. It was in a box taped shut, but I am guessing that might not help all that much. Also, just thought it would be ok to leave them out since my other cake lady does that. What do most of you do with a cake that won't be delivered or picked up until the next day? this might help me tons!
Thanks!
Allison
I never refrigerate my cakes. They are fine left out. I use the 1/2 butter, 1/2 crisco too.
Maybe you all have some recommendations for a really white buttercream that tastes great! I will try to modify my wilton's recipe until I get what I am looking for. You all have been a great help!
Thanks so much!
allison
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