will it taste ok?

I mean no disrespect, but the shortening BC's I have tasted are terrible. I assumed it was the shortening. I know she uses high-ratio, which I am willing to get, especially if this will make a difference. I have read up on what hi ratio is, and I know that it is different,but this is for a wedding for a dear friend, I want everything to be as perfect as possible.

I admire Sugarshacks skill, and would like to achieve the AMAZING consistancy she does with her BC, as I also hate the taste of fondant. But I am one of thos wierd people who doesn't eat cake, so who am I to judge right???

So, if you have tried it, tell me what you think.

Sharon, if you are out there this evening, please do no tbe offended. I just wanted to get opinions before I ordered hi-ratio for the web. But who am I kidding....its the Friday before Mardi Gras....you are probably one busy little bee tonight. 'Cause it carnival Tiiiiiime Oh its carnival Tiiiiiime, and everybody's havin' fun!

I use Sharon's recipe modified to fit in my 6 qusrt mixer. It tastes wonderful, there is no grittiness. BUT in my opinion its the Wedding Bouquet flavoring that we get locally that makes the taste. I've never made the icing without it and if Mrs Sandra stopped making the flavor I'd proably stop making cakes...its THAT good.
I wont ever go back to making a butter based icing, not in our weather and humidity and not that I now have this recipe mastered.
And yes also IMO the hi ratio makes a HUGE differenece, recently I ran out of my hi ratio and used a can of crisco..the results were horrible, not the taste but how the icing performed...there was air, there was cracks, there was crap. I fought with the cake more than I have in years. Wont ever run out of HI ratio again!!

HTHS and yea she probably is partying. ....me...i;m heading to disney so if you have quesiton s i can chcek back in a week!!

Let me just say that I DETEST shortening icing, but I LOVE this recipe! I use the Creme Bouquet or Wedding Bouquet and I never feel bad about giving a customer a cake with this icing on it!
I use crisco because nowhere close to me sells the hi ratio shortening, I'd love to taste the difference though!

wjmonte - what is your 6 qt modification? I have a 6 qt too!

I have some questions for you. Where do you get hi ration shortening? Is there a name brand and is it available in the grocery store? Also where do you get the Wedding Boquet or Creme Boquet? I didn't know I was missing out on this, so thanks in advance.

I googled hi-ratio and found distributers. Its not that pricey. Just google it.

Wedding bouquet---does the maker ship? If not I have family in Slidell that can pick it up if needed and get it to me, but i would LOVE a contact if you have one. TIA

I wold love to know about the flavorings myself. I have NO idea where people get those!?

Wedding Bouquet is sold at globalsugarart.com. Here is the link:

http://www.globalsugarart.com/cat.php?cid=922&s=45

hi ratio definitely makes a difference--creamy like butter but holds up much better and doesn't have that funky after taste like crisco or store brand shortening with the transfats.

love the wedding and cream bouquet with an extra dash of vanilla and butter flavorings in sugarshack's bc--mmm delicious!

Someone on CC posted this for creme bouquet haven't tried it as of yet but sounds close to what it taste like.

Homemade Creme Bouquet
1T. lemon juice (I use lemon extract)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract
1 t. butter extract

thank you so much for the link!
one other question...can this be used as a flavoring in Indydebi's BC too? I really love the simplicity of the making process of Indydebis but would love to switch the flavors up some times?

Thanks again!

The six quart recipe is in the recipe section of CC.

Also...can we use the already made creamer or do we have to use the powdered??

If you're purchasing Creme Bouquet for the first time...in my opinion, the Magic Line brand (sold at globalsugarart) is the one to get. I love the stuff. The taste far exceeds the one made by CK brand.

I used a "high humidity shortening" which the cake shop that i bought it from said that it was the same as high ratio. I used it in my normal buttercream recipe. I only mixed the shortening for a min. or so, and made the icing the way i normally would. But I thought the icing did not taste very good!! I loved how easy it was to work with, but it almost had a spoiled taste to it. Any suggestions?

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High Ratio makes all the difference I think, but be careful of what kind you buy.
When I first tried it I bought sweetex it was wonderful! Then I was at a cake supply shop and bought the high ratio they sold and my icing came out very airy. I thought maybe I did something wrong, but I didn't. I looked at the shortening and it was very airy. There were loads of air bubbles all through the shortening.

It could have been that the shop did something that made it that way, so that is why I have not posted the name of the "other" high ratio shortening. I am going to call the company first.

Also, I do mix mine half butter and half high ratio. Did this the very first time I made it also and it was wonderful and smooth and yummy, Just like Sharon says it supposed to be. Like Silk!

Cashley Thank you for that Recipe!!!

For those of you who have used the Magic Line brands of flavorings at Global Sugar Art, which one is most similar to Wedding Bouquet. Would it be the almond emulsion?

does anyone have an idea of how to make their own Wedding Bouquet?

I use Sharon's buttercream recipe all the time and people love it. I am told all the time that is "not too sweet." I flavor it with almond, butter, and vanilla extracts. I have tried creme bouquet with it, too, but I prefer the almond/butter/vanilla flavoring combo.

As for hi-ratio brands, I use Alpine. Love it!

cakegirl1973...how much of each do you use?

Do you have to use coffee creamer? It makes it smell a little like coffee.. I am not a coffee person so I wondered if there were any other options.. whipping cream maybe?

[quote="conchitaI have to say that when I try making the recipe it had a strong taste like coffe. ( I hate coffee) so I need to try it again a lot of people swear by it. they love it. I don't know if I did something wrong or used the wrong ingr. but you have to try it to see if you like it.
good luck! [/quote]

This recipe is my go-to recipe for an American Buttercream and I've never had it taste like coffee and I, too, dislike coffee. The original flavour of coffee creamer (powdered or otherwise) has no discernable flavour, so I'm not sure where you're getting a coffee flavour from. There are flavoured coffee creamers available as well which can be used.

For the PP, I believe you can use a liquid coffee creamer in the same amounts as the mixed powder/water amount called for in the recipe. Just be sure to heat it in the microwave as the temperature is critical for the recipe.

I love this recipe, but find wedding bouquet is too sweet, so I've been using the butter-vanilla emulsion from Lorann oils and it taste's fantastic !
It still is so smooth and creamy and is my favorite American BC to use.

I've been making Sharons BC for a year or so, and there's no other icing recipe I'd use. I love love love this BC, but it does take a little work and trial/error to get it just right for your mixer and the area you live in.

Someone else posted about the 6 qt recipe they tried, and ended up too soupy because of the amount of liquid. I live in SE Louisiana, very close to Sharon and Wendy, and for some reason, I have to use MUCH less liquid. For the 6 qt recipe, I use:

3 lbs shortening, 8 Tbs liquid, 8 Tbs Wedding Bouquet, and 6 1/2 pounds PS. I could get away with 7 Tbs liquid, and have a stiffer consistency (which I like), but I need that last Tbs to get the icing to fill the bowl.

I agree with Wendy on the Wedding Bouquet as well. There's a local lady who owns a tiny cake dec shop, and she makes this flavoring herself. There are other flavorings out there that are called "Wedding Bouquet" but if it isn't from B & B Cakes and Supplies, it isn't the same. Not saying it isn't good; it's just different. Personally, I've never tasted anything like this flavor. You open the bottle, and it smells like a bakery. In Heaven. By the way, she does ship!

Regarding the coffee creamer, I tried it and just didn't like the taste. Again, it's a personal preference. So, I just use very hot water with no creamer added. Works fine for me.

This icing comes out silky-smooth, airless, and has a subtle sweetness. It doesn't pop you in the face with sugar! I would recommend you give it a try at least once.