Question About Indydebi's Buttercream Recipe

Decorating By annakat444 Updated 19 Jul 2015 , 2:25am by johnson6ofus

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annakat444 Posted 16 Jul 2015 , 7:20pm
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Well, my first wedding cake is on Saturday, and of course - the forecast says 100 degrees with thunderstorms in the morning! Excellent! So, I think I need to modify the buttercream I'm using. I was planning to use 1 cup hi-ratio shortening and 2 sticks of butter. I'm wondering if I need to leave out the butter completely and up the shortening. I saw Indydebi's buttercream recipe and have a few questions: 

1. what's the purpose of the dream whip? Will it affect flavor?

2. 1 1/3 cup of shortening is quite a lot - will it leave a waxy residue in your mouth? 

3. Is there any way possible I can include butter? I really want to have the flavor in the buttercream but really am not a fan of butter flavoring.


Thanks so much for the help!!!

11 replies
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SquirrellyCakes Posted 16 Jul 2015 , 11:14pm
post #2 of 12

You are better off sending a message to Indydebi. From what I have seen on the site, she is very good about getting back to people quickly.

Regarding butter, you know how it melts in your mouth? Well if our bodies register about 98.6 F and butter melts at that temperature, it will melt at the temperatures you are talking about and the humidity will make it even hotter. It will get soft at about  82-85 F and sloppy after that.

I know how you feel - I prefer butter too and I don't like artificial flavouring. But no matter how much or how little butter you add, it is just too hot for butter at those temperatures.

I have never made Indydebi's recipe so I cannot answer your question.

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maroonghia Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 1:20am
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This is my go to icing for a high temp wedding day, or any day I have a cake that is going to be outside in heat. When I first used it, I put it on black paper, in full sun, on a 90 degree day just to make sure it wouldn't sag. It didnt! I don't like over use of flavorings either, but it is best to use them for this recipe. I WOULD NOT use butter at all, just use the flavoring. I'm not sure what the dreamily does either, bit it may keep the coating from taking place in your mouth, I'm just not sure, but it does not leave the waxy feel. I am sitting in the parking lot getting ready to buy my dreamily I forgot last night, so I am already behind on my cake for this weekend. The only thing I did was start with teaspoons on flavorings. I think the recipe called for tablespoons. For mine, I use 3 teaspoons of bitter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla,  and 1 almond. People love it. Use the recipe, and feel confident as you walk away that you won't have a problem, and that is worth alot! It also crusts nicely!

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annakat444 Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 1:35am
post #4 of 12

Thank you! I went ahead and bought the dream whip so I'm going to go ahead and use the recipe since so many have raved about it. I don't need to take any chances! Thanks again!

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johnson6ofus Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 2:32am
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I did exact as you were thinking and added 1 stick butter to her 1 1/3 c shortening and I was SOOOOOO SORRY! I had such problems with melting. The dram whip adds dairy flavor and I actually like the taste of this icing. Trying to be "fancy" and adding real butter (which I love) was an awful disaster.

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maroonghia Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 4:48am
post #6 of 12

Be sure to let us know how it went, and what you thought of the icing! 

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annakat444 Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 5:01am
post #7 of 12

So far so good! It does have a bit more of a waxy consistency than I'd like but it is what it is. I'm glad I've got an icing I don't have to worry about. I can't taste the dream whip at all - it must have something to do with stability. I'll know how it is to work with tomorrow after I do the cake.


Johnson6ofus - geez! I'm so glad I posted this question!!!! Sorry you had that happen to you. I would have thought with that much shortening it wouldn't be a problem. Thanks so much for the input!

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TheresaCarol Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 1:20pm
post #8 of 12

Dream Whip is used for stability.  Many of my retired cake friends have used the Dream Whip for years in the high humidity areas.  I was always told 1 pouch to 3½ pounds of icing.  It has worked great.  I don't know what IndyDeb's recipe is but I am going to find it.


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annakat444 Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 1:25pm
post #9 of 12

Thanks TheresaCarol! So I guess the real question here is - what the heck are we going to do in 3 years when there's no transfats in shortening anymore??

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johnson6ofus Posted 17 Jul 2015 , 11:59pm
post #10 of 12

" I would have thought with that much shortening it wouldn't be a problem. "


Yeah... I have used this recipe successfully many times. My experiment was trying to doctor it using one stick of butter and additional powdered sugar making it like 1/2 indydebi and 1/2 real buttercream recipe, using 1 1/3 cup Crisco and 1 stick butter for the fats. For me, it reacted like 100% buttercream almost. Melting issues galore. 

100% indydebi as published is the only way to do for high heat/ humidity issues. 


Best of luck!



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annakat444 Posted 18 Jul 2015 , 2:59am
post #11 of 12

I am so so thankful for your responses and this forum! The icing was awesome to work with. I was working in my church kitchen and the temp for some reason wouldn't go below 76...and it was still perfect. This'll definitely be my go-to recipe from now on. Thanks again everyone!!

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johnson6ofus Posted 19 Jul 2015 , 2:25am
post #12 of 12

Congrats! Yup--- that recipe really belong in everyone's "war chest". 

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