I am a faithful fan of Sugarshack's buttercream and can agree it's a little silly to call it buttercream when there's no butter in it, but everyone loves it & never asks if there is real butter in it. Maybe we could just call it icing or frosting?

lol fairmaiden but fabulous cakes is on eastcoast now

it's BAD --

it's ALL BAD!

it's ALL POISON!

DON'T EAT IT-- ANY OF IT!

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ok... there

there is no way to justify ANY version of that stuff we slather on cakes as being healthy.

so why the fuss?

we're all going to die -- so die HAPPY!

It all comes down to taste

(and a BIG spoon all the better to eat it straight from the bowl with!)

Well....I for one don't like it being called buttercream either. But that is what my clients think it is called. According to them there is either buttercream, fondant, or whipped cream. So as not to confuse the issue, that is the term I use.

I think this whole debate is kinda ridiculous. Your average customer doesn't know or care what is in their frosting, unless they don't like what you are offering and want something else. Then they start picking around with "What kind of icing is this? Do you make "X" kind?"

Would it be nice to have clients who are foodies and want the SMBC only? You betcha. Is it feasible for most folks? Nope. Why try and make them feel stupid by correcting their terminology?

Just give the client what they want. And most of mine want the one with shortening.

I would not call it shortening cream were I you hahaa....lets just call it bc and use whatever recipe ya like

This is getting so intense *tosses more popcorn in mouth* "Hey, head down in front I can't see!"

"We're all familiar w/ the bad rep that some styles of cake decorating and specifically frosting recipes have amongst the purchasing public. Many (most?) folks tend to harbor a real dislike toward shortening-based frostings. In fact, folks dislike the taste and idea of shortening so much that wedding cakes often rank right up there w/ fruitcakes as far as ridicule and resentment- and unpopularity."

Hmmm.... I'm not familiar with that assumption. In fact, I would say that the only icing (besides some grocery store sludges) that has a "bad rep" would be fondant! I would even go so far as to say that the average, every-day person just calls it "frosting"... they don't even refer to it as "buttercream". Cake decorators are the ones who refer to it as buttercream. When, and if, my customers ask about what types of icings I use, I tell them it doesn't matter what it's called, do they like it? I also give them 3 types of icings to choose from and NONE of them have butter! ) One has almond, butter and vanilla flavor, one has just butter and vanilla, and one has butter flavored crisco!!!

I have never lost a customer because they didn't like my icing. I HAVE gotten hundreds of referrals and repeat orders from happy customers who liked what they ate!!

I don't like all butter buttercream. I've tried adding vanilla flavoring to it.....still not as good. This thread is funny to me. I honestly didn't know there were people who feel so strongly about shortening! Butter has a very strong flavor, shortening does not. What point is the OP even trying to make? At first it seemed to be that the majority of the general public turns their noses up at shortening based icing, and would most definitely choose an all butter version over the 'fake' stuff any day. The majority of CC'ers disagreed. Then it was "the customer is being fooled because flavoring is being added to the 'fake' stuff and the customer prefers the flavoring added over the 'real' stuff". Then it seemed to change to "we are fooling ourselves and our customers by calling shortening based icing 'buttercream'. Who honestly has enough time in their lives to care about this stuff?!?!? The only way to level the playing field would be to either flavor the shortening based icing with butter flavoring, or flavor the butter based icing with dream whip or whatever flavor was used.....then ask the customer which they prefer. I bet the majority of the general public wouldn't know they were different. Nor would they care. But they would care if you told them that the butter based icing could possibly start to melt and go bad during their mid-August wedding, and the shortening based icing would not. Which do you think they would choose? Which do you think a high end Manhattan baker would choose? I doubt they would turn their noses up at shortening and risk having their beautiful cake turn into a cake wreck mid-wedding.

Goobers anyone, m & m's...pass em' down.......

'what's in a name.

a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"


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call delightful concoction, deadly coating (see above) > DC (oh wait, that's taken by an already dead headed group!)

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who cares !

(well I do if you don't let me lick the bowl!)

Hell with the popcorn!!! That's too healthy...I'm gonna go make me a lard sammich!!!

As a recent cake civilian, I understand the confusion behind calling shortening based icing "buttercream" because to me, it's just icing....be it chocolate, vanilla, etc. I never asked my family what kind of "buttercream" would you like me to make?

But NOW, I see cakers can officially call it buttercream based on the definition mamawrobin posted. Shortening is just a fat to carry flavor, not impart flavor.

I think "the public" may balk at the thought of eating crisco icing because obviously, the crisco has no flavor at all and that sounds awful to eat straight.

It's not fair to make someone feel bad about their ingredients. We all have different markets we cater to and I venture to guess, if someone hasn't tried anything other than the bakery shortening based icing that they looooove...they don't care if there are other options out there! I knew growing up I didn't like that icing, but I had no idea it was because it was all shortening based.

For me, it comes down to mouth feel. If shortening based icing feels greasy in your mouth, but the flavor is okay....you still might not prefer your icing to be shortening based. Tastes great, doesn't feel great. Or clean up great.

All a matter of mouth opinion! And whatever earns you repeat customers is what you should stick to making!

I think the important thing is to haev a good tasting icing...... one your customers keep coming back for. It really doesn't matter if it's butter or shortening based. It's all what you like.....

Jennifer

I didn't read all of the responses to the original post............but I can guess at how the previous 7 pages have developed.........

I totally agree with JenniferMI and can only add one more, pertinent piece of info for the edification of the OP:

GET A LIFE & STAY OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS



Rae

Whu knows where the OP took off to and I am new here so mebbe I shouldn't speak my mind but this remark seems a little callous, unfriendly and if I may, b@tchy for a baking forum. I thought all viewpoints mattered? The OP shouldn't have posted and bailed but re reading her post it seems she was kind, considerate and quite well thought out. Maybe kinder than what she's gettin' from a few of ya's here/ Seems maybe she was scared-off... which would make total since. I thought her post was fairly warm n friendly. Mebbe she was scared off. Cant blame her neither. Again- just sayin'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

I didn't read all of the responses to the original post............but I can guess at how the previous 7 pages have developed.........

I totally agree with JenniferMI and can only add one more, pertinent piece of info for the edification of the OP:

GET A LIFE & STAY OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS



Rae

P.S. In fact I find this r emark completely inhospitable and way out of place. That kinda talk belongs in a locker room or in a trucker's tavern is u ask me. I encourage you to try and talk to the OP. Re-reading the few posts she's placed, seems mebbe she's got an awful lotta wisdom she might be persuaded to share here if only she was made to feel welcomed. OP, OP... where the hell r u, silly OP?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

I didn't read all of the responses to the original post............but I can guess at how the previous 7 pages have developed.........

I totally agree with JenniferMI and can only add one more, pertinent piece of info for the edification of the OP:

GET A LIFE & STAY OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS



Rae

Having been on CC for 5 years, it's been sadly common for newbies like the OP to come on here and start controversial threads just to stir up trouble. They then sit back and enjoy the fireworks as established members speak up and argue amongst themselves.

It's tiresome and wastes bandwith to re-hash all of the common issues day in and day out: box vs. scratch, butter vs. shortening, non-toxic vs. edible, etc.

Sorry, but not every post merits a "lovey-dovey" response. If the OP can start a controversial post--and they HAD to know that's what they were doing unless they live under a rock--and then can't stand the heat of a response, then they just need to get out of the kitchen--or the forum..............

We live and learn here, and sometimes, the "kinder" we are to those who stir up trouble, the more trouble they stir up. There's no medal for "taking it". Had the OP done some reading and used the Search function prior to posting a long, opinionated post, the whole thing could have been avoided............

JMHO,
Rae

I may be way off here, but seems to me that the OP and dillpicklebetty are the same person. Funny that dillpicklebetty just registered the other day....the same day the OP posted this. So quick to come to rescue the OP.

sounds like that to me.....a person we all know changes names often

I must pay closer attention. I'm missing all the mystery and intrigue.