Thanks dolcesunshine20!

That sounds good. I've never heard or tried IMBC. Do you have a good recipe or one to recommend? Maybe that will help my taste buds. I love BC by itself, but once it's with cake, it's too much for me. I'm excited to try it.

Thanks again.
Stephanie

A few tricks I have learned...

Always make chocolate buttecream icing as a base for black, you will use much less color and it will not taste bitter. Using a chocolate buttercream as a base for any dark color is a good idea because it requires less color to be added.

I always thought it was best to beat buttercream for a long time to make it fluffy and smooth but the exact opposite is true. Just beat for as long as you have to in order to incorporate all ingrediants well, usually only 1 to 2 minutes

Also, I have learned that when making chocolate buttercream with melted chocolate, it is best to use the bar baking chocolate, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are made to withstand heat, therefore do not melt as well or as smoothly as bar chocolate. Using the bar will result in a fluffier icing

Thanks to all who have given the idea of mixing powdered sugar buttercream and Italian buttercream some thought.

For my purposes, the combined icing pipes well and works well with roses. Most importantly, it's lighter and not so sweet as either recipe seems to be separately.

People practically swoon over the stuff. Go figure.

t's a little late and I don't quite hav ethe time to read all of the great tips to make sure that I don't repeat them, but I think this is a magnificent idea ad I'll be sure to save this one!!! Thanks in advance Jackie.

To smooth my butter cream really well I learned from a dear brilliant friend of mine to use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting first it is level square SHARP and doesn't nick or chip easily and is more comfortable in my hand than a spatula.

once the icing is spread out evenly and as smooth as you can get it use a fine spray mister with water held far away from the cake, then smooth with your bench scraper tool.

I just started working at a bakery and the number one rule for keeping the writing from bleeding (this happens when using red or black bc) is to pipe either piping gel OR chocolate buttercream and then trace over with the red/black color. This will keep the colors from bleeding. It works great although you do need some precision. Now Im thinking that maybe you can just put a layer of pipping gel on the are where you are writing to serve as your canvas.


-Sus

I just found a combination that I was really happy with. I used my normal buttercream recipe except for in place of the unsalted butter I normally use, I used Land O' Lakes salted butter. The icing turned out almost a pure white and I was totally thrilled with the taste!!! Here's the recipe:
8 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter
1/2 c. milk
2 t. clear vanilla
1 t. almond

My tip is the paper towel method of smothing the frosting, try viva for flat or patterened toweling for cool designs

In my experience making a ganache first, and cooling it, before mixing the chocolate into the buttercream is the best way to achieve a very tasty and smoothable icing.

I've never had luck just mixing melted chocolate into the buttercream.

Try making the butter cream then adding the ganache and beating it. Fluffy and wonderful.

This is a nice topic for me....and also everybody. I have been trying to make roses from buttercream however it turned out to be something else. It melted once I started piping it....I was so frustrated. In my country, the hot weather seems to be a big factor. I am still searching for the right frostings that will hold still during the practices. I have seen many recipes that used meringue powder (which is difficult to find in my country), any ideas how I can actually changed the recipes or substitute the powder into something else?

yycr111, what kind of buttercream do you use?? I think that one of the best ways to achieve a durable buttercream is using an all shortening/powdered sugar recipe. I'm not sure though about substituting the meringue powder. Maybe others will have some good ideas.=)

kaecakes thanks for the consistancy info. I just completed course 1 and at every class I never seemed to get the correct concistancies.

Hmmm, I've never heard of creamwell, but if it's a butter/shortening consistency type thing, you may want to up your powdered sugar a little. When I make chocolate buttercream roses, the same thing happens to me. I usually have multiple flower nails. I'll pipe one step of the rose and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. After each step, I freeze and then freeze again when it's totally done until I'm ready to transfer them to the cake. This seems to help a little. Hope you can get them figured out! I know it's frustrating when things aren't cooperating.

Sherilyn

TQ very much dolcesunshine20 for you tips - i really think i need to spare more flower nails, so that my roses won't melt that quick in this hot weather nowadays

Hello! I just wanted to ask Jackie,

When will you be posting your article on this topic?
I did not want to miss it.
Will it be a whole new post?
Thank you so much!!!!!

I am excited to read the finished product.

I tryed using coffee creamer in my buttercream, It was great !!!
There is so many coffee creamer flavors that you can easly and quickly add so many exctiing flavors to you buttercream.

God Bless

In my opinion, a meringue buttercream tastes the best, crusting buttercream is the easiest to get a smooth finish on, and a shortening buttercream is the easiest and best for piping designs (the shortening doesn't 'break down' like butter does when heated by your hands).

Is there a good way to color buttercream icing black WITHOUT the awful taste??? I am doing a batman cake this weekend, and I dont want to have to use the MMF . I personally think that is the worst tasting stuff to put on cakes. An suggestions would be great! Thank You in advance!

Hi. This is my first time posting here and I will have to agree, this site IS very addictive

Anyway, I've been decorating cakes as a hobby for a few years now. I've been using an icing recipe that I got from my cake decorating class:

1 cup Crisco
1 (2 LB.) bag powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup milk (approx)

For the most part, I've been pretty happy with how the frosting works and tastes. However, one of my main problems comes from trying to smooth it out. I'll try to let it set for a few minutes after giving it the final coat of frosting (I've even tried putting it in the freezer for a few minutes) but when I try to smooth it out (putting my spatchula under hot water and drying it off), it doesn't make my cake as smooth as I like (I'm a perfectionist).

I guess what I'm wondering is if the buttercream recipe that I'm using isn't the kind that crusts in order for me to be able to smooth it out. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.

I live in Sydney, Austraila and have absolutely no idea where to find "Criso". I've looked everywhere in the supermarkets and they just don't have it.

Can anyone tell me if there is some subtitute to it or if it comes under another brand?

Ishy

Ishynooshy, Crisco is partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening. Here in the U.S., we buy it in 1 cup sticks so it's perfect for a single recipe BC. I looked for a place to order online and it looks like www.smuckers.com would be the place to start. You might have to call them though--I wasn't able to figure out their order process. Good luck!

PLEASE provide depth.

I have tried Swiss Buttercream, Italian Buttercream, CreamCheese frosting and such...

General information, or things like "keep hot sugar mixture away from the sides and beater" are just not enough. I WANT DEPTH of information. I realize some readers will be new to the idea of making buttercream, but still. Some of us want some "meat" to the article rather than just "milk."

Just all I'm askin' so take my comment with a grain of salt.

ps: The french buttercream recipe in response to one of my posts was VERY much appreciated. Perhaps you could take a look...

Hi, newbie here. I have a trick for making the BC not so sweet. I mix the BC in my stand mixer on medium for an additional 2-3 minutes. This really works. Taste it when you think you are done, then again after an additional 2-3 minutes. If you do this on medium you won't get extra air bubbles either.

Does vivo work better then parchment paper?? I always smooth my burtter cream with parchment paper after it crusts.

Hi, I always add 1-2 teaspoons of flour to my buttercream so that it's not so sweet.

Jackie,

I think being able to tell stiff BC from medium BC and thin BC. Being new at cake decorating, I still have a hard time telling the difference between all three of these. When I make a new batch how do I know if it is stiff, medium, or thin?