Calling All Icing Experts...my Student Needs Help Bad!
Decorating By khoudek Updated 27 Sep 2007 , 4:58am by -jackie-
Last night I had a Wilton Course I student bring her iced cake to class and when she took the cake out of it's container we noticed that the icing had literally slid off the cake. In addition, it did not crust at all, despite her using the Wilton's crusting recipe. After questioning her, this is the info I've been trying to work with while looking for the reason behind this disaster. No, she didn't use Crisco shortening, she used Kroger's brand. Yes, she used Merangue (sp?) powder. No, it wasn't hot when she iced the cake. No, she didn't freeze or fridgerate the cake before or after icing it. Yes, she beat the icing on med/low for 5 minutes. Yes, she used all the right amounts of ingredients. No, she didn't weigh the sugar or sift it. (However, her friend who is also taking the class made her icing with this student and they used ingredients from the same containers and in the same way, with no problems.) I'm at a loss as to what went wrong. I first thought maybe because she didn't weigh the sugar, she got the wrong amount, but after seeing that it didn't effect the other student's icing consistency.... I just don't know. I didn't say it, but thought maybe she miscounted the cups of sugar she used. I've never had this happen to me or another student. Does anyone have any ideas I can suggest to her.
did she leave the cake in the plastic carrier in the hot car, maybe even the trunk on the way to class, could be enough to melt the icing especially in TN in what must still be pretty warm weather.
The other thing is did you taste her icing? Maybe she did miss count her sugar. When i use to teach i always had my students use a 2lb bag of sugar. then just double everything else in the recipe.
Just tossing an idea out here. (I personally don't see how it would matter)
If they made the frosting from the same ingredients/containers, did they also make the same flavor cakes or prepare the pans the same way? (Control group) Maybe one cake was moister than the other or one had more crumb than the other and it wouldn't stick.
How were the cakes stored prior to being taken to class? or while being taken to class? Maybe one had an air conditioned car and the other put it the hot trunk or in the sun in a non-air conditioned car.
I was one of these "students" and we figured out I wasn't (for lack of a better term) "smooshing" the frosting to the cake enough. I was basically using the class-taught method of using the icing tip and smoothing out the frosting but I wasn't putting enough pressure on the frosting to adhere properly. And, my icing was too cold when I tried to frost the cake (I hadn't mixed it up after refridgerating it). I don't know if that's what happened to her (I always used crisco) but just throwing it out there.
I was one of these "students" and we figured out I wasn't (for lack of a better term) "smooshing" the frosting to the cake enough. I was basically using the class-taught method of using the icing tip and smoothing out the frosting but I wasn't putting enough pressure on the frosting to adhere properly. And, my icing was too cold when I tried to frost the cake (I hadn't mixed it up after refridgerating it). I don't know if that's what happened to her (I always used crisco) but just throwing it out there.
if this was ur students problem, another thing to do is to make sure when u use the cake icer tip is to make sure the side with the groved edges is facing u, so that the groves help the icing stick to the cake, otherwise it will just fall off. i dunno..maybe im just saying things everyone all ready knows. usually icing slides off cakes when its really hot, or if the icing is runny. but if its too thick, it also wont stick to the cake. its a fine line!
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