What Makes An Icing "crusting" ???
Decorating By simplysweetcakes Updated 10 Nov 2006 , 1:39pm by RitzyFritz
I recently used the Wilton BC recipe only I used half butter and half Crisco but it didn't crust and I had a heck of a time getting it smooth. What the secret to making a BUTTER BC that is crusting?
I don't know of a margarine BC that is crusting. The shortening is what makes it crust - thus the more shortening you use the better the crust.
I will tell you this...when I made my shortening BC, I only used butter flavored EXTRACT (not butter flavored shortening) and everyone LOVED it...they thought I had used butter in it...so maybe try that.
Hope that helps!
I don't know of a margarine BC that is crusting. The shortening is what makes it crust - thus the more shortening you use the better the crust.
Hope that helps!
Really? I didn't know that, I always thought it was the cornstarch in the powdered sugar that made it crust.
I'm not sure what makes it crust, but I do know that my mother uses an all butter buttercream on her sugar cookies that crusts beautifully.... no crisco in it at all! And I use a recipe that is 1 cup criso to 1 1/2 cups butter and it crusts nicely as well. So it is possible to get it to crust, just not sure why yours didn't! (I know, that was no help at all, right?! lol)
This topic came up at least once before and I thougt it was the amt of Crisco in the recipe. But I was corrected and told it was the amount of powdered sugar in the recipe. I'll try and find that link just to be sure.
Found it:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-313444-.html#313444
HTH. 
I've read several times here on CC that it's the sugar to fat ratio that causes the crusting. IE, more sugar=better crusting.
I'm not sure about that, though; I only say that because if I use butter in the BC recipe, it doesn't crust AT ALL until about 12 hours has passed!! And even then, it's a minimal crusting--not great for paper towel method, Melvira's method, etc. 
Sooo---I think it just takes experimentation for everyone. 
--Knox--
I would say it is the ratio of sugar to fats. I believe you need somewhere around 1 cup of fat (butter or crisco or 50/50) to 4-5 cups of sugar. I think there are also some other factors. I think that water (vs milk, cream) will make it crust a little more too. I am not 100% sure on this fact, but I think the water evaporates more than the dairy. Also humidity. But I do not believe it is the shortening alone that makes it crust.
I found this information on the baking911 form site. Attributed to Sarah Phillips:
" Crusting is a thin layer of icing that hardens on top. Buttercream will crust on its surface when it essentially loses moisture on its surface, thus forming a thin, "hard" surface. It will only do so when there is a greater proportion of dry ingredients, such as sugar and cornstarch, usually powdered sugar, to fat, such as butter and shortening, and milk. (If you press a piece of plastic wrap on the top of the frosting or cover the icing with damp cloth so it stays moist, the frosting will not form a top crusty sugar layer because it helps prevent moisture loss.)"
Thanks everyone...I'm thinking that my trusty 2 lb bag of powdered suger must not of been quite 2 lbs or the humidity in Southern Texas had something to do with it or both. I did cornelli lace to disguise the not so smooth appearance and it turned out great. Thanks again 
I don't use meringue powder in mine and it crusts just fine.
Sorry for the misinformation...this is what I had been told. That's what I get for getting too involved in this forum when I'm still so inexperienced. Forgive me? 
Thanks.
An update:
I made the luscious buttercream from this site yesterday. I used 1/2 cup butter and 4 cups of powdered sugar. It took a while (I iced and put the cake in the fridge to crust), but it did crust nicely.
I'm going to try the chocolate decorator buttercream today (1 cup butter to 4 cups sugar) but I know that this one is supposed to crust as well
Ritzy,
DO NOT BE SORRY. I thought the same thing. Just refer to the link under my first post here. I learn something new here everyday.
Thanks, JoAnn.
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