Bc Roses... What Am I Doing Wrong???

Decorating By nikki1201 Updated 4 Oct 2007 , 7:46pm by mccorda

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nikki1201 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 4:54am
post #1 of 19

decided to try my first roses tonight. (will post a pic soon) what the heck is wrong with me? i used a stiff icing, then a thinner icing, thinking it was possibly too thick... still didn't work. the edges are VERY jagged... not smooth and rounded. does it get easier!? iread the tutorial/article... looked easy enough and was explained very well. i used an all-crisco BC (not by choice... i was out of butter.) would it be better with a part-butter BC? grrrr. i'm going to take a picture right now, i can't really explain it.

**oh, if this helps troubleshoot it at all, when i started the 'base' part, it didn't want to stick to the nail. i felt like i had no control of it whatsoever. these roses have a d@&% mind of their own.
LL

18 replies
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Sweetcakes23 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 5:08am
post #2 of 19

I wouldn't worry so much about the jagged edges at this point, they don't look that bad...just concentrate on getting the petals lined up properly and practice, practice, practice...I think you will find it gets easier. You look like you are getting the hang of it! They aren't that easy to do! And, if you look at "real" roses, their edges aren't always perfect either.
So, just relax, breath, and practice getting the petals lined up where they should be, and you will see them taking shape nicely I'm sure. I still have trouble with BC roses. I do know if you beat your BC too much/high of speed, it will make air bubbles and that could be causing you to not have smooth BC....maybe.
Good luck!

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nikki1201 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 5:25am
post #3 of 19

thanks for the encouragement! i mean, this cake is really no big deal. just for a bday party for one of the receptionists at work tomorrow, and they are more than happy to eat whatever yummies i bring for them. but i was just hoping i could get it right! like i said (and maybe i'm wrong here) i may try a diff. recipe. i don't usually have a problem with bc, but this stuff didnt really want to cooperate. then again, could just be that these are really really hard! grrr. practice practice. i know. and i will!

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Godiva711 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 5:36am
post #4 of 19

I really like the jagged edges! icon_wink.gif
I agree that maybe there are air bubbles...

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missjane Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 5:55am
post #5 of 19

I think your buttercream was a bit too stifficon_smile.gif Another reason why you can get jagged edges is you are squeezing out the buttercream to quicklyicon_smile.gif

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AnythingSugar Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 6:03am
post #6 of 19

I think your roses look really good. When I first started making roses, mine were jagged and my instructor opened up the narrow end of my tip a little and that solved it.

Also, if you have very warm hands, roses are going to be very difficult with butter. I made a mess trying to make roses with butter in my icing instead of Crisco. You might have better luck than me with the butter but I stick to Crisco for roses now.

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BCJean Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 6:30am
post #7 of 19

Your roses aren't bad at all for just starting. All Crisco is a lot easier to work with than part butter. The icing looks too stiff to me. I use the same icing to make roses with that I ice the cake with. I can't help you with the center not staying secure on the nail because I make mine on a stick. I think the stick is a lot easier. It looks to me like as you get to the last two rows of petals you need to angle your tip out more so the petals are opened up more. Make sure when you do that you keep the wide end of the tip touching the center mound. I think you are squeezing too hard on the icing too, probably because the icing is too stiff.
You are doing great though, they look like roses to me. I think some green leaves in with them would make them look more realistic also.
As Sweetcakes said, "real roses aren't each one perfect."
Asking questions and practice will get you where you want to be.

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shannonann Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 7:05am
post #8 of 19

I can really feel you're pain on this one. My instructor told me to add a little bit of piping gel to my icing to help with the jagged edges. I've, also, noticed that if you fill a large bag with alot of icing it is hard to keep control. Try putting just a small amount of icing in the bag. If the base of the rose is giving you problems try using a hershey kiss in the middle for more stability. HTH

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GenGen Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 7:14am
post #9 of 19

another tip though i can't claim personal success since i'm still learning roses myself (yes even after ten years of intermitten cake decorating lol) i've heard some folks get great results with roses by using hershy's kisses as their base!

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stacyyarger Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 7:34am
post #10 of 19

I think your Roses are nice!! This is what I did,I had so much trouble with making my Roses and one day I had left over icing and just sat there and kept on making Roses til I got them to look like one.I'm NO Expert on Cake Decorating Cakes,but I have enjoyed teaching myself and I enjoy doing what I do!!!!


Lots Of Luck,
Stacy

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diane Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 10:29am
post #11 of 19

from what i can see your icing is a little too stiff. also...make sure you have a good tip. i've had to purchase new ones because my old ones didn't have the proper opening...from years of use. when thinning your icing you only need a few drops of liquid. hope this helps. icon_lol.gif

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justme50 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 11:03am
post #12 of 19

I really think you're on your way to making great roses!

It's so hard to describe with words how to do them correctly, but hopefully you'll understand what I mean. It looks to me like when your forming your petals you're moving the tip more side to side than up and down.

That does two things....makes the rose look a little flatter and less 3 dimensional and it's much harder to keep the edges from being jagged. When you make each individual petal, try making more of an upside down U motion rather that piping out a "strip" from side to side. When you use more of an up and down motion, the icing automatically wants to curl under on the outer edge of the rose and that's what you're looking for!

If your edges are still jagged after trying this, then I'd say your icing is probably a bit too stiff. Don't thin it much though. It's amazing how little you have to thin it to make all the difference in the world. Right now though, I think your problem may be the way you're forming your petals rather than the thickness of the icing.


That said, you're doing great so far! I've been doing buttercream roses for too many years to tell and I still toss half of them away looking for the perfect rose!

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wgoat5 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 11:27am
post #13 of 19

I agree with justme, do the u pattern..make sure you start at the base and keep your tip on the rose and your petal will curl....

Mine still look like cabbage roses though LOL icon_rolleyes.gif

Have a wonderful day!!!

Christi

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vrmcc1 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 11:40am
post #14 of 19

Your roses look great for your first try. Use a knife to open the small part of your tip a little and only put enough icing in your bag to fit it the palm of your hand.

To make the petals open a little more tilt the top of the tip towards you a little.

Practice, practice, practice.

Val

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DMCG Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 11:41am
post #15 of 19

I just startd teaching a class a few weeks ago and some of the ladies wanted to learn roses.
My tip for them is to make sure you practice making the base first. You want to have it tall enough to support three rows of petal. With out a strong base, the roses will flop over or look more flat than they should.

I think your roses look great. Like sweetcakes23 said, it's practice, practice, practice.
Keep up the great work!!!
Danielle

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Chrisi Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 12:07pm
post #16 of 19

Here is what has worked for me, and people I've taught. Instead of using tip 104 or so, use tip 97. The curl of the petal seems to look better, and cover the unpretty edge of the petals.
If air bubble are in the frosting here are some way so to avoid it. When mixing the frosting in the begining only mix it until blended. When adding color stir it like a coldrin(spelled wrong I think), then swip it against the side of the bowl.
It's an extra step but this works. When not sure if the consistency is right, use tip 1 or 2 on and make a loop that hangs from your finger and wiggle it a little to see if it breaks. If the frosting stretches it needs more powdered sugar. If it breaks it needs more water. If it doesn't do anything you got it right.

And most of all, practice practice practice. Hope this helps. icon_smile.gif

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nikki1201 Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 12:58pm
post #17 of 19

I can't tell thank you all enough for all the great advice! It was so wonderful to wake up this morning to find so many responses! I can't wait to get home and practice! I think i may 'open up' the tip a bit with a knife.

chrisi- your wonderful description of the BC consistency sounds like mine was ok....

i will try with a new batch with hopefully no air bubbles, and i won't fill my bag up so much!...lol!

bcjean- how do you make them on a stick? if theres another option to the clumsy nail, i'm all for trying it!

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jdelectables Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 1:08pm
post #18 of 19

I would say your buttercream is too stiff.

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mccorda Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 7:46pm
post #19 of 19

There is a tutorial on the articles tab, How to tutorials, Making Buttercream Roses on a Stick.

I learned this way years ago because I could not make a rose on a nail to save my life!

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