32 Cups Of Buttercream!! Is This Accurate?
Decorating By kathik Updated 8 Aug 2007 , 5:03pm by yh9080
I'm making my first wedding cake, 3 tiers, 8, 10, 12 inch rounds, 4 inches high, with buttercream as the filling. According to the chart in Dede Wilson's book "Wedding Cakes You Can Make", this means I need 32 cups of buttercream! Please tell me if this is accurate?
Also, do I make all of it up before I start to ice the cakes? Or, do I make it up as I go along?
Thanks,
Kathi
Well, it does sound excessive at first, but, one batch of my icing recipe yields 22 cups of icing and I wouldn't think one batch would be enough to ice, fill and decorate a cake that size. You can always freeze the leftovers.
Whatever amount you decide to make, DEFINITELY make it all at once. The last thing you want to do while you've got cake layers all over the kitchen is to pull out that mess!
wow one batch of your frosting yields 22 cups?!?
Kathi,
I checked the book and indeed you'll need 32 cups. I'd make slightly more than I need just in case. I freeze extra icing all the time.
And yes, make it all before you start icing.
Lisa 
Yep.........make more than you need..........I went by the Wilton charts for icing on my last cake - for 400 people, and I would have been 2 batches short.........so instead of making 66 cups of BC, I made 72.......and made it starting the week ahead, I am with the others.........you don't want to have that mess while trying to ice the cake. If you have extra, it will freeze.......good luck!
okay, now for a stupid question.... How do I figure out how many cups a recipe makes? I found indydebi's recipe on a post about high humidity (our heat index is 110 most of this week) but I don't know how many times to multiply it. It uses 1 1/3 cup shortening to 2 lbs powdered sugar. I pm'ed but I'm still waiting for a response. I'm sure she's busy, I think I notice she's on more at night.
Anyway, any further help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Kathi
I'm going to guess that it makes about 5-6 cups. I'm basing this on recipes from the wilton site that I just looked up. Most of them use 1lb powdered sugar to a cup of shortening/butter and they yield about 3 cups.
Well, unless you've got the mother of all mixers, you probably can't make it all at the same time. I'd make one batch, or double one batch (whatever will fit in your mixer) and count out the cups you get then do the math.
Thanks lisasweeta! That helps a lot.
alanahodgson, I was just trying to figure out my materials list for the store. I keep having to run out during a baking/icing session, and this time I wanted everything in one shot if possible.
Thanks everyone for all your help,
Kathi
I don't know, that does seem like alot. According to the Wilton chart, to frost and decorate an 8, 10 and 12 inch cake is 4, 5, and 6 cups, so that adds up to 15. That leaves 17 more cups to fill it? Seems like alot. And they are talking a two layer 2" deep cake, so approximately 4". I don't know, but I think 32 is probably a bit much.
http://www.wilton.com/wedding/cakeinfo/cakedata.cfm
Kathi,
randipanda raises a point. Are you planning to torte each layer so you have 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of frosting? If so, then stick with Dede Wilson's chart. I've used it in the past and it has been pretty accurate.
If you're not planning to torte and you'll only have one layer of frosting in between, then consider the wilton chart.
That sounds about right. Better to have more than not enough. You can always freeze the extra or use it for another project. I would make it ahead......that is more efficient and will save a lot of time and frustration in the long run.
I like to measure shortening one night and then mix the next.
Good luck!
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