Can You Dry Buttercream For Decorations??
Decorating By Miksadie Updated 24 Jul 2008 , 3:43am by indydebi
I am so, so new!!! I was wanting to know if you can dry buttercream for decorations. For example, pipe out a bike decoration on wax paper and then put it on top of a cupcake for example. Or do initials and then place them on a cake or cupcake.
I so appreciate this website and everyone's wisdom. This site has gotten me to look forward to and enjoy baking and decorating!!
Mikki
Sounds like what you want to do is a frozen buttercream transfer. Here is a tutorial:
http://www.cakecentral.com/article12-How-To-Create-a-Frozen-Buttercream-Transfer.html
HTH
Most dried decorations like that are made from royal icing. I don't think buttercream would hold up well.
I have made flowers, mostly roses & rose buds, from stiff buttercream and then frozen them so that I can transfer them to the cake. By the time the buttercream thaws & softens, the flowers are already on your cake. It probably wouldn't work with outline type items like initials or design outlines.
I have dried buttercream roses and other flowers (in flower formers, or just flat on waxed paper squares), but don't think it would work for an outline figure--they don't get QUITE that hard or durable.
I've made roses ahead and let them dry but most flowers I've made ahead or either royal icing or more recently, gumpaste.
I air-dry my BC flowers all the time. To me, it's the only way. Air-drying removes all the moisture, making the flower light weight so it stays on the cake better (like on the side). Anything frozen will melt when removed from the freezer. I have thrown some roses in the freezer when I had to make a couple of extra last minute and bluntly, it's a mess getting it to the cake. They start to melt IMMEDIATELY (just like a FBCT will). I'm only able to take out one at a time and then I'm almost running from freezer to cake to get it there .... and it still melts too much. (Did a small anniversary cake a few weeks ago and didn't make the roses ahead of time. Put them in the freezer ..... I will NEVER do that again! What a disaster!)
Air dry. Only.
I air-dry my BC flowers all the time. To me, it's the only way. Air-drying removes all the moisture, making the flower light weight so it stays on the cake better (like on the side). Anything frozen will melt when removed from the freezer. I have thrown some roses in the freezer when I had to make a couple of extra last minute and bluntly, it's a mess getting it to the cake. They start to melt IMMEDIATELY (just like a FBCT will). I'm only able to take out one at a time and then I'm almost running from freezer to cake to get it there .... and it still melts too much. (Did a small anniversary cake a few weeks ago and didn't make the roses ahead of time. Put them in the freezer ..... I will NEVER do that again! What a disaster!)
Air dry. Only.
debi,
how do you air dry your BC? can it be done if the BC is made from all butter or SMBC / IMBC types of BC?
TIA.
I only use one kind of icing .... http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6992-Indydebis-Crisco-Based-Buttercream-Icing.html
It's the only one I've ever used for 25 years. It ain't broke so I'm not fixin' it! 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%