I can't get my buttercream to crust - I need it fairly hard. I use merginue powder to help - about 3 tbls per 5 cups drosting and still cant get it hard enough - thoughts?
merinque powder has nothing to do with crusting. I think that's something wilton made up just to sell MP. I've never used MP in my BC cake icing ... never knew it's purpose; never saw a reason to add it. I only use MP in my cookie icing.
Crusting is a ratio of fat to sugar. More fat ... less crusting (think of it as "more grease ... more slick .. more sliding"). More sugar ... more crusting (think of what happens when you spill sugar on the counter and it gets wet ... it gets hard ... so more sugar, more "hardening' or "crusting". Just a couple of mind tricks I use to remember which way it goes).
My recipe uses approx 1-1/3 cups fat to 2 lbs p.sugar. In all of the threads I've read on here where people have a problem with sliding icing or non-crusting icing, the ratio of fat to sugar is usually way higher and I find myself thinking, "holy moly, no wonder the icing is sliding off of the cake! It's all fat!"
As Indydebi said, meringue powder has absolutely NOTHING to do with crusting. Crusting is all about the fat to sugar ratio. Meringue powder helps emulsify the icing, which became problematic with the removal of transfats from shortening.
I can't get my buttercream to crust - I need it fairly hard. I use merginue powder to help - about 3 tbls per 5 cups drosting and still cant get it hard enough - thoughts?
What is the recipe you are using? List the amounts and ingredients for it.
I just got home from Wal-mart and all the shortening they have are trans fat free. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I believe its a conspiracy for us to be forced to get that stuff from the cake supply places or be forced to buy wiltons icing!!!
Personally I've been using Crisco since it went Trans Fat free, and haven't had any problems.
Personally I've been using Crisco since it went Trans Fat free, and haven't had any problems.
me neither. I never even knew there was a formula change until CC'ers started talking about it.
Ya know, I bought Hi Ratio shortening a few months ago and really didn't like it. Now...I'm an SMBC girl, but when it comes to outdoor weddings or cakes that have to travel w/ potential for heat...
Anyway...I guess I just didn't like the texture...maybe I'm used to that "greasy" feeling. Or maybe I got a bad batch of Hi Ration.
Hmmm...
I make Indydebi's Buttercream recipe and is the best!!!! Thanks Indydebi for sharing your recipe!!! But to tell the truth I didn't know about the trans fat free in Crisco until I hear it here. But I went to Walmart and they have a brand called Great Value and the shortening does have trans fat, I will be using it today to do buttercream I'll post how it goes.
pearlydi I checked that Great Value brand and I guess our Walmart has changed it out because ours has no trans fat.
indydebi I am gonna try your recipe this week to see if it works for me. It just seems like my BC doesnt mix together well and it doesnt get a crust!
I gotta figure out something~I have to make my moms wedding cake in April and I dont wanna have to resort to use wiltons pre-made ~way to sweet!
TexasSugar what brand of butter do you use? (sorry for hijacking your thread)
I don't use butter in my buttercream. All crisco here.
I bought GV brand once, a couple of years ago, right after Crisco made the big change, and I didn't like it. It gave me that cloying mouth feel, so I didn't even finish out the can.
It just seems like my BC doesnt mix together well and it doesnt get a crust!
what's the fat/sugar ratio?
1/2 cup
vegetable shortening
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or flavoring
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk* (or water)
A 2-lb bag of powdered sugar is about 7 cups (per ask.com). Which means each cup represents .2857 lbs of sugar (2.0 lbs divided by 7 cups = .2857 lbs per cup).
.2857 x 4 = 1.14 lbs of sugar
You have 1 cup of fat to 1.14 lbs of sugar, which is 2 cups fat to "about" 2 lbs sugar.
My recipe is about 1-1/3 cups fat to 2 lbs sugar.
Anytime I see a thread where the issue is "my icing isn't crusting well", 9 times out of 10, the recipe is a 1:1 fat/sugar ratio.
I'd reduce the fat to help it crust better, or add more sugar.
I use a 1 cup to 1lbs of sugar ratio, and my icing always crusts. Actually it is around 2 cups and 2lbs of powder sugar. But I have never had a crusting issue. Infact sometimes my icing crusts before I want it too.
Texas and prterrell, I'm going to start watching to see if margarine is a factor in the threads I observe problems with the 1:1 ratio. That would be something cool to put in my "lessons learned on CC" page!
Indydebi - it wouldn't suprise me if it were. Margarine has a higher liquid content than does shortening (which has none) or butter, although butter does have liquid in it, so recipes that use either part or all butter instead of shortening, will require higher amounts of PS in order to crust. I honestly have never seen any frosting made with margarine behave properly. But then, I AM fairly anti-margarine. The ONLY time it is even in my house is during Lent, when I use a vegan soy based margarine in place of butter on toast and the like. I am really looking forward to Easter and biting into a freshly baked roll with lots of real butter on it!
Stupid question then what if it doesnt say margarine or butter on the package? The brand I have been using doesnt specify.(Blue Bonnet)
Stupid question then what if it doesnt say margarine or butter on the package? The brand I have been using doesnt specify.(Blue Bonnet)
It's margarine.
According to the Blue Bonnet website, it says it "bakes like butter".
Blue Bonnet is margarine. If it doesn't say BUTTER, then it's not BUTTER. Land O'Lakes is the only national butter brand I can think of off-hand. However, I just use the store-brand (either Publix, or BJ's Wholesale Club as those are the 2 places I buy my groceries).
hmmm that may be part 2 of the non crusting issue I'm having!! *bangs head on desk* wow!!! Start from the beginning!!!!
A
Original message sent by indydebi
merinque powder has nothing to do with crusting. I think that's something wilton made up just to sell MP. I've never used MP in my BC cake icing ... never knew it's purpose; never saw a reason to add it. I only use MP in my cookie icing.
Crusting is a ratio of fat to sugar. More fat ... less crusting (think of it as "more grease ... more slick .. more sliding"). More sugar ... more crusting (think of what happens when you spill sugar on the counter and it gets wet ... it gets hard ... so more sugar, more "hardening' or "crusting". Just a couple of mind tricks I use to remember which way it goes).
My recipe uses approx 1-1/3 cups fat to 2 lbs p.sugar. In all of the threads I've read on here where people have a problem with sliding icing or non-crusting icing, the ratio of fat to sugar is usually way higher and I find myself thinking, "holy moly, no wonder the icing is sliding off of the cake! It's all fat!" [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon_eek.gif[/IMG][IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon_lol.gif[/IMG]
Do you use butter or shortening for your fat? I've been having a heck of a time with mine crusting and I thought it was because my cakes were too cold. Looks like I was using too much fat! Thank you so much for your help!
trilip, I use Crisco in my icing. Once in awhile I will make a chocolate icing and I use the Hersehy Cocoa recipe, which uses butter.
AIndydebi: does this principle apply to meringue buttercreams? I have started using a recipe I found on here titled "fluffy American buttercream". I really LOVE the flavor and fluffy texture of it. It's not super sweet like classic American buttercreams can be. I have always tried to avoid using strictly shortening in my BC, but of course, I've never had a BC that crusted either. I'm starting to want to try a more shortening based recipe so I can actually use the paper towel or parchment paper method to get it smooth. I have such a hard time smoothing my icing. So, #1, is it possible to get a meringue based BC to crust? If so, how would you suggest I alter this recipe to do so. OR should I just use an all together different recipe when I want it to crust? (This recipe CLEARLY has a HUGE fat to sugar ratio) Here's the recipe: 2 lbs powdered sugar 3/4 c pasteurized egg whites 24 oz (6 sticks) Butter 8 oz. shortening 2 T vanilla Also, do you also use your same 100%crisco based BC's to fill your cakes or do you only use it to cover your cakes to get them smooth/crusted?? Just curious?
Quote:
trilip, I use Crisco in my icing. Once in awhile I will make a chocolate icing and I use the Hersehy Cocoa recipe, which uses butter.
Do you prefer Crisco to Sweetex? Today's Crisco has no transfat and I wanted to be certain that this is what you are using. Would Sweetex be better or creamier? What method would stop the tiny bubbles or the grittiness that sometimes occurs? I'd appreciate your advice Indydebi. Thank you.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%