Hi ya'll,

Well I have been so inspired, but skills are not as good as the picture in my mind.

I made the carrot-pineapple III with cream cheese filling and the crusting cream cheese icing, sounds great--BUT the icing is not crusting and keeps melting right off the cake. I have frozen it, fridged it and it still won't crust and melts in minutes of being out of the fridge.

Anyone have any ideals how to stop it from melting?

I needed to vent this.
Thank ya'll for all of your wonderfull ideas.

Well, I'm just an amateur, but what if you added more icing sugar to make it more stiff???

Thank you.
I tried adding more sugar--no luck. The cake angel has left me

Amature--I looked at your cakes--They are Wonderful!!!!

I have figured out that I need a new oven--Thanks to CC I know what the baking problems are. Besides avacado green doesn't go with my Red KA

Thank goodness its Mothers Day! or I would never get a new one. Now all I have to do is get the Devil and Demon to stop fighting/whinning and it will be a great day!

Happy Mommy's Day to Ya'll.

You could also try to add a little meringue powder with the extra conf. sugar- that may help. Did your recipe have shortening in it? The one I use has butter and shortening, and it crusts beautifully.

Meringue powder! I didn't think of that.

I think part of my disaster has to do with the fact that it is like 80 degrees here--I'm melting.

Yes I am using the reciept here on CC for crusting cream cheese icing. It worked great at Easter when the temp was around 65 degrees and raining.

Your wedding cake was/is Beautiful! Congratulations!

I wish it were that warm here- they are calling for highs in the 50's for the next couple of days, which is great for the cakes I am doing, but stinks for the landscaping I am trying to get done. Thanks for the compliment- I was happy with it, now if only some of those who oohed and aahhed over my cake would place their orders.........

I made the crusting cream cheese frosting and had the same problem but it was in December. Had an orange puddle and a bald basket ball cake. What a mess.

I think someone said at the time the for some reason the recipe doesn't work if you cut it in half. That is what I'd done.

mommachris

Hmmm, I just made it this weekend for my daughter's birthday and had no problems with it. I didn't even add all the powdered sugar because it was getting too stiff. I also halved the recipe. Did you you use regular cream cheese, the kind that comes in bricks? You can't use the light kind or the kind that comes in tubs.

Even before I found the crusting cream cheese recipe on here, I've been making cream cheese icing for most of my cakes. I find that it does soften up quite a bit when you're using it, so I usually make it stiffer than I think I need it and it ends up being the perfect consistency while I'm using it.

AAAhhaaa!

I did use the cheap stuff--not Philadelphia--Wally world was out--Note to self Don't buy the cheap cream cheese!

Do ya'll use real butter or margarine--Imperial???

And have any of read the thread about the worst cake? So I would definately post this cake if I had not run over the camera --but thats another story.

I always use the store brand cream cheese. I find that the Philly brand does not blend as well.

The only time that I have ever had a problem with my cream cheese icing running is when I used margerine instead of real butter. I was out of butter that day, the baby was sleeping and the cake needed to be delivered in less than two hours.

Now, I keep real butter stocked in my freezer.

I use the store brand all the time regular never light or fat free do not use margarine it will not work right. I have not had any problems with the one from CC. I made one during the hot summer in Louisiana and it was ok.

OK--Shredding old note

New note to self--real butter only and cheap cream cheese is ok to use.

I am guessing only unsalted butter?

What about the shortening--crisco: white or butter vs house brand?

Thanks Ya'll
I am learnging so much!
Just keep laughing, just keep laughing

I use salted butter and always crisco brand shortening.

Tried the cheaper brands and my icing was not as smooth and creamy.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese- regular.
Crisco Shortening only.
Salted Butter (I always have 10 pounds of butter in my freezer to assure that I don't ever run out- have never bought margarine in my life!)
Plenty of powd. Sugar (pure cane)
It comes out perfect every time.

I've used cheap cream cheese and haven't noticed a difference. I buy Philly when it's on sale and store brand when it's not. Definately use butter and not margarine. Margarine has more water and will result in a softer icing. I've never used anything but Crisco because I buy the big cans at Sam's and it's cheaper that way than store brand anyway. Use the regular kind and not the butter flavor, the butter flavor also has more water in it and will give you a softer icing. I've used both salted and unsalted butter and so far haven't noticed a difference. I usually only use unsalted if a recipe specifically asks for it.

OOOHHhh Thank ya'll so very much.

I did use crisco white and real butter at Easter, but not this time. I used margarine because I was out of butter.

Costco is gonna love me this Saturday! Hopfully they will have the oven I need--Empire red is a real long shot, so white will have to do. I know they carry C&H ps in 25lb. bags.

Soon as oven is relplaced, I will only need Devil and Demon to stop fighting/whinning. OOh Grandma!

I am so happy because of ya'll here at CC!!

Just keep smiling, just keep smiling.

I use store brand butter and cream cheese but I HAVE to use real Crisco!!

You can us store bands on almost anything BUT crisco, it is the best. only one I use works everytime.