adven68 I don't see where it would hurt anything. But then agian you might want someone elses opinion.
I'm asking cause I used 1/2 Crisco and 1/2 butter. I'm worried about the butter and the milk spoiling. It has crusted already. Do I need to refrigerate or can I leave it out to decorate it at my leisure?
BTW...I tried a hot offset spatula and I got a really smooth cake! The other thing I can't believe I lived without for so long is the icing tip. It makes life a lot easier.
Yes you can leave it out as long as there aren't any perishable fillings or anything. Regular BC made from butter and/or shortening and powdered sugar doesn't need to be refrigerated. The sugar acts as a preservative. You'll want to keep it covered or in a cake box though so the BC doesn't crust too hard.
Love my icer tip too!
lisa's answer makes sense to me. The sugar would act to preserve it. Good point!
But if there is milk in the BC does that make a difference? Would the milk spoil? I sometimes add milk to my BC to thin it.
Leaving the cake out in the room air should be fine for a day or two but just like anything else if given enough time it wil start to decay. Did you ever wonder why you don't need to refridgerate sugar or honey? It's too sweet for (most) anything to grow in it! (Same thing with katsup... only it's too salty, you don't need to refridgerate regualar katsup). The whole purpose of covering a cake with a combination of fat and sugar is to protect the cake. In medival times they would encase cakes in lard to preserve it and just scape away the lard to get to the cake. Some lazy genius later figuered that if it is sweetened then it would taste good and we all could just eat it too instead of scapeing the fat way. Also along the way bakers started to make the cakes with the fat coverings attractive looking. Think back to your childhood nursery rhimes (4 and 20 black birds baked in a pie) the royal bakers and chefs were always trying to out do each other for the favor of the kings, food presentation was entertainment. Ok, cake history is over, now go do your homework (then eat it!)
But if there is milk in the BC does that make a difference? Would the milk spoil? I sometimes add milk to my BC to thin it.
No the milk won't spoil. Dawn (cali4dawn) did an experiment once with her BC made with butter and thinned with milk. She put it in an airtight container and left it at room temp to see how long it would last. After 6 months, she said it was still good! She also said she'd never use it on a cake though lol I've left BC at room temp for about a week and it still tasted as good as the day I made it. After about 2 weeks, the taste starts reminding me of old candy 
But if there is milk in the BC does that make a difference? Would the milk spoil? I sometimes add milk to my BC to thin it.
The milk in the frosting will not make any difference. Once the milk is mixed in the sugar molecules bond with the water molecules in such a way that there are no "free water molecules" that was encourage bacterial growth.
While not the same, it's similar in concept to freezing food. The water is in a state that cannot be readily utilized by bacteria.
This is a theory known as water activity control. It's basically used to determine the the shelf life of various food items (along with other variables). It's measured on a scale of 0 to 1.0 (where 0 is really really dry and 1.0 being pure water).
I would not worry too much about the icing on the cake spoiling. The cake will spoil faster than the icing.
Princess
Wow! Look at all the great facts in here!!! I've learned a lot!! What I want to know, is when people do like Dawn did, do you taste it and realize it tastes like poo? Then you realize that's how long you can keep it out?? I've always wondered about stuff like that. Someone on another board told me that you could leave a cake out with a filling of heavy whipping cream and pudding out for several hours. I thought about experimenting with that but my luck I would get deathly ill. But then I would have learned my lesson huh?
For me, it's BC at 2 weeks room temp and then it tastes like poo or as I said earlier, like old candy. If I refrigerate it, it lasts much, much longer keeping the great flavor. Dawn said she tasted hers and it still tasted good to her...at least we know she lived to tell about it LOL!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%