I need to make some mums for a wedding cake due Saturday. I have to use frosting, as she didn't want to pay for gumpaste.

Can I do them in buttercream or do I have to use RI? I use a crusting buttercream recipe. Wilton has them down as a RI technique, but if one can do roses in buttercream, I'd like to think the mums could be done that way as well....

yes, you can do them in buttercream. will they be laying on the surface or down the sides?. if on the sides then done in royal would be your best choice.

I made the mums on this cake from buttercream.

Definate b'cream. Use IndyDebi's recipe. She does all her flowers w/it and let's them sit out overnight to 'harden up'.......easy to handle.

My buttercream recipe has butter in it. Can I still let them sit out, or should I freeze them? I don't want them to fall apart as I'm trying to take them off their wax paper squares and place them on the cake.

I figure they won't dry as hard as Indy's.....but will it be enough? I'm using some darker colors....maroon, gold, and orange. If I freeze them I've got to worry about condensation causing them to bleed all over my cake, don't I?

How much butter used makes a b it of a differece.
DO NOT!! freeze them! Mums are one flower that does not do well at all using the fzn flower method
Why not make up a batch of Indy's just for the flowers? If there is any leftover it can be mixed into your icing later or save it for other flowers you might need. Hope this is not too late.

Well....I already made them.

They look ok, I guess....I ended up leaving them out to crust, and they seem to be ok. I picked one to sacrifice to science and picked it up off it's paper square...

NO PROBLEMS! YAY!

It's for a double batch of frosting, 1/2 lb butter and about 3 cups shortening and 4 lbs PS, some water, flavorings, etc. So less butter than shortening.

Thanks for your input. I'll post the pics if I ever get it done. And from now on mums get upcharged. Freakin' things are making my eyes cross.

Ok, sorry, one more question...

These stupid buggers are very fragile. I've busted petals putting them on the cake.

It's a 4 tier stacked cake and I can't really put flowers on until it's all stacked, but I've never transported 4 tier cake already assembled.

I don't have a problem transporting it in pieces, but am afraid my mums will bite the dust on the ride over. The least bit of pressure or jarring breaks a petal off.

What would you do?

Put them into a box w/some thin foam in the bottom. Yes, they are frigile so make plenty of extras I do think mums are the most frigil of all flowers in icing.

put them in an egg carton

Gotcha....Thanks!