Not trying to exclude anyone here, I just thought it would be fun to have a thread to post interesting things about buttercream, recent cakes, tips, ideas, how-to's, questions, etc.
For instance, I have recently discovered that my frosted cakes do not like to be kept in a plastic carrier. I never have a problem with the frosting 'wilting' except when they're in a plastic carrier! Anyone else notice this? I had 2 cakes this weekend that I was taking to a picnic and both started having meltdown issues before I left the house, and it wasn't even warm in my kitchen! I think the cardboard from the cake boxes helps to absorb some of the moisture but in plastic it has no where to go.
I haven't ever used a plastic carrier, just cardboard cake boxes. I do mostly buttercream with the occasional fondant cake. It's funny how "buttercream" people think fondant is hard work, and "fondant" people think buttercream is hard. I guess you get used to what you do the most of. I'm getting better at fondant, but right now I'd say buttercream is easier for me.
lol-I have a friend who does only fondant and both of us say we think the other's cakes are harder!
I am a buttercream decorator. I like the taste better and the reason I dont use fondant is I dont like to roll it out. I dont think its hard it just more work. I never liked making pie crust because of rolling so I think this is why I dont like fodant. Not to mention people in my area dont like it or the cost of it.
I only do b uttercream, its how I learned and I like the taste. I have tried fondant and can do it, but do not like the taste. I have tried it with the jelly on the cake, the buttercream on the cake , the wilton brand, the satin ice brand, chocopan, and the MMF. I just do not like the taste of it on cakes. cant justify the work if you are just going to take it off. I can smooth my buttercream to look like fondant, so why use it. I like to make flowers and pieces from it for decoration. I love my buttercream.
The area I live in likes bc, but I did do a fondant cake a few weeks ago with mmf mixed with white chocolate and got afew good comments on it. Already have a order for October wedding with it. But the only thing about bc is it can be very tempermental....meaning if it rains or is humid it is hard to get it to crust. Right now I cant say which I like better, I have worked with bc more but like the look of fondant.
I was checking out your recipe earlier jibbies, I saw that your ratio of fat to sugar was different from most recipes. Does your recipe still crust? It sounds delicious, I'm a big fan of heavy cream, I like it in my recipes too 
tonedna, lol, I think the same thing, people at hubbys work (where most of my orders come from) are always asking 'Can you do this?' My answer is always yes! Just about anything, and if not, I'll make some candy clay to complete what the buttercream can't 
I'm pretty excited, I have 2 orders in October for things I haven't done yet, one girl wants a cake with rats on top, another wants Pac-Man. I've been given free-reign with those ideas, can't wait!!
my buttercream is a lot like jibbies..... except i use 3 sticks of salted butter.... 1 1/2 cups crisco.... heavy whipping cream...... and 3 lbs . of 10x sugar.... so yummie..... it is actually on the wilton site.... i just triple it.. and use whipping cream instead of milk or water....
I love working with buttercream!! I can do fondant but I don't like the way it taste & I can make my bc as smooth as fondant. I would rather have something that taste good than something that doesn't. If someone orders a fondant cake, I will make it but I will first ask them if they have ever tried it. I don't think it does much for your business if the first cake that you have done for a customer turns out to be something that they don't like. 
Serious cakes.
Yes it crusts very nicely, I have tweaked this recipe over a long time changing the amounts of crisco and butter. This seems to be the best ratio. The hwc makes it so smooth, it just melts in your mouth. Also I achieved much better results when I started weighing out the powdered sugar for each batch instead of just depending on the weight of the bag. Try it and let me know what you think
Thanks,
Jibbies
I really like working with buttercream because it is so easy to serve when they are all finished with their..ooohs and awwws.
I know fondant currently is more popular but so is botox and I don't plan to experiment with it either. That fixed, stretched tight look, with no personality, doesn't appeal to me, whether it be fondant stretched over cake or injections to fill in under your sagging skin.
Just as their are fondant decorators who disagree with me, I am sure their are botox clients who really think it would help me.
I will continue to squeeze that buttercream out.
Thanks Jibbies! Maybe I'll give it a whirl on my next 'for fun' cake
Mwah ha ha, my plan has worked, I've drawn out the buttercream cakers, now I can go look at their amazing work!! lol-I can't help it, I love seeing what people can do with it! I love going to this site:
http://www.cupcakecafe-nyc.com/
They pipe everything right on their cakes, makes me want to try harder!!
Oh, BCJean, I was hoping you'd come, I love your work!!! Your Iris cake with the butterflies is one of my absolute favorites!!
I live in the south.(Alabama) and I have a lot of problems while icing layered cakes many say it's the humidity but I know there has got to be a solution. My cakes are bubling in the middle.
PLEASE HELP!
P.S.
I have never used whipping cream
are you using it to change consistency?
lol-BCJean, people are always asking when I'm going to do a fondant video, I have to tell them never! I love love love working with buttercream
TheCakeLadie-you might be putting too much frosting in between the layers, I have bulging when I do that so I try to keep it to a medium-ish layer of buttercream. I like the heavy cream because it does seem more creamy. I also use half and half when I can't get to the store and that works just as well-although not quite as melt-in-your-mouth
O, I have a question for the butter cream queens of CC.
does anybody else have the cottage cheese problem?? Maybe somebody's got a solution for me.
It is great to hear people talk about buttercream. It seems like fondant is taking over and it is a totally different technique. I love using the two together. I learned w/ buttercream and until the last few years and I have been on CC that is all I knew. The fondant is new and fun to me since I did everything in buttercream. I love teaching both, but buttercream is definitely my comfort zone. Edna, I have been watching your tutatorials and looking at your web site today and your cakes are beautiful and so many unique ideas.
I just started using fondant this year and I've only covered two cakes with it, which were cars. Otherwise I'm all about the BC!!! Fondant hasn't caught on in my area anyway, so I'm not pushed to use it. I do love fondant for ribbons, swags, flowers, etc. but BC is definitely my comfort area. I have the same feeling as a few have mentioned that if you know your BC there's not much you can't do with it!
I have just started baking and decorating. I love the light, fluffy buttery-ness of Italian Meringue Buttercream - the one that I made, anyway. Since I have only tried it a couple of times and I'm still not sure if it is entirely correct, could you please tell me if IMBC is supposed to have a glossy finish?
I love the idea for this thread!!! I too am new at this...(am a school teacher, but treated myself to 3 courses this summer). Everyone seems to prefer BC. I do like to do fondant "accessories"...and do feel fondant is taking over. I had to go online to ebay and search for old Wilton Cake Yearbooks to get ideas for BC in my last class because I wanted to make a BC wedding cake. I absolutely love this site and am always looking for new ideas. I would really like to start my own business...just small and out of my house....someday. Love reading all your ideas...thanks!
I am with Paula....I don't like to roll out fondant either and every cake I have tried to cover ..it tears...so I stick to BC...Also my city isn't a fondant city and people don't like the taste or extra price of fondant...
I've been using buttercream for over 30 years now.....have done a few things with fondant but find like allot of you here that my customers don't care for it. When potential brides see that I can hand smooth the buttercream to look like fondant....they are so excited. I agree...we all get used to what we work with the best. Starting out back in 1977....you never heard that much about fondant at all....so we worked with buttercream and you learned to do allot of neat things with it. So for me...I work with what I know best. I'm still up for teaching this old dog some new tricks, but when the customers want buttercream...it's what make my BREAD AND BUTTER....LOL!
Buttercream is all I have worked with. I'm adding a few chocolate clay items to my newset cake for the first time. The only problem I seem to have is getting it perfectly smooth. I have done the VIVA method, but can never get it right. Various reasons, I have figured out. Icing to "airy" too much icing, a non crusting recipe 
etc. Thank goodness I'm not professional, lol. I'm still looking for that "perfect recipe" so I that each time I make it, it wont be completely different to work with. 
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