I know I know canned frosting?!?! But long story short I have 3 cakes to make for kids and school this week and I'm trying to save time. In the past I have found that piping or doing a basket weave with canned frosting, the heat from my hands can make it a little soft. Is there a good trick to thicken it up? Is it as simple as adding more powdered sugar or will it make it to sweet. (then again it is for kids and are things even too sweet for them? ha ha) Thanks in advance for any help. S

Add powdered sugar.

I really don't understand the "too sweet" thing. It's made of sugar, people!!!!! It's suppose to be sweet! aaauuugggghhhh!!!!!

In my ever so never humble opinion ..... Adding sugar does not make it sweeter..... it makes it thicker. Reducing sugar does not make it less sweet ... it makes it thinner. I would even go as far as saying reducing the amoutn of sugar doesn't make it less sweet ... you just taste more of the crisco!

Thanks. I'm going to try that, but are there any other thoughts? S

Any icing is going to get soft in the bag eventually. I keep 2 bags going so I can put one down to let it cool off.

I'll save my lecture about canned icings since you already hinted at it in the beginning of your post.. .

I am also a member of the YES things can be too sweet crowd. It's why I use SMBC rather than a powdered sugar based icing.. I can't stand an icing that is cloyingly sweet. You average batch of icing has 4 pounds of powdered sugar whereas a batch of SMBC has a 1/4 the sugar and yields the same amount of icing. Everyone is different in what they like. My daughter likes most icings, but my son only eats SMBC and even then not much.

What is SMBC? Also, could I thicken with corn stratch or is that just aweful? I might break down and wake up super early and just make the real stuff. Please help!! Thanks! S

This may be more than you want to do, but here goes:

White Wonder Cream Frosting

1 16 oz tub store bought frosting (not whipped)
1 16 oz Crisco
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup warm water

combine frosting and crisco. Mix well and slowly add powdered sugar. Add a small amount of water until smooth. Don't overmix.

Will Crust.

For chocolate add 1 cup unsweetend cocoa powder with 1/4 cup vegetable oil to make a syrup add this to the above recipe.

If you make that wonder cream recipe you may as well just make your own without the canned stuff in it.. it's just as much work.

SMBC is swiss meringue buttercream. You make it with egg whites, sugar, butter and flavoring.

I just made the wonder frosting and I took a tiny but of the water out And put in Mexican vanilla and it is so tastey! Ilm going to try and pipe it tonight. Thanks! S

Don't try the corn syrup if you want to make it thicker because it will make it thinner. I think you can also add cornstarch and it will not make it sweeter.