So anyway just like everyone else I have my frosting recipes down and am used to how they taste and what goes into them, etc.

Went to a friend's house this week out of town and worked on a cake with her kiddos...and made a batch of icing.

Wow!

Same ingredients...but with her butter instead of mine....her Crisco instead of my sweetex...and her sugar instead of mine....and different vanilla. WOW! It was almost like a different icing, but the same recipe!

I was really amazed how that just even the brand of what you buy can make a HUGE difference. Now I know why just small changes can make a big impression on how cakes taste to customers.

Yep, that's why I'll stick with butter from BJ's, homemade vanilla, and Domino Sugar. especially for my SMBC. It's a no-fail for me.

Theresa

This is a great illustration on the many conversations about "do you hand out your recipes?" My oatmeal cookie recipe is on the oatmeal box, but just because they have the recipe, doesn't mean their's will taste the same.

Oh Crisco will make something taste off in a heartbeat! I just made Sugarshack icing with my new Sweetex....what a world of difference!

Vanilla: Nielsen Massey

And SMBC, I always use Land o Lakes.

I use Sam's butter and Sweetex and then just generic powdered sugar (fresh bags that are not clumpy) and then I also do not measure the liquids, just pour some in until its the consistency I want. Oh and the Tone's pure vanilla or the Wilton clear are actually pretty yummy...got some vanilla bean paste and I feel like the flavor isn't as strong or nice as just the Tone's from Sam's.

I have a whipped icing recipe I use with the same brands as above, as well as a few other ingreds.

What's Sweetex????

I guess that is why I have not seen it locally before...

Thanks

and to add to the different ingredients, different tastes.

tried Tones vanilla once and personally couldn't stand it.

so back to McCormicks for me

I don't like Tones vanilla either. You can see through it, and that means it's watered down too much for me. I'll stick with homemade.

I use Ina Garten's recipe, and it's wonderful. Very strong in taste, because you use a lot of beans, but well worth the wait.

Theresa

Yes, some brands can make a HUGE difference. That's why I tell people who are trying my recipes....PLEASE use the exact ingredients, at least the first time around. Otherwise, you won't know how it is supposed to perform/taste

Jen

I think the Sweetex is the biggest factor. It's like substituting margarine for butter.

Yes, they really do matter a lot!

Take for instance the famous INDYDEBI BUTTERCREAM. I had been trying and retrying that recipe FOREVER. She has even helped me.(THANKS DEBI) Today...I made it just like she said with those measurements BUT today was the first day I actually used clear vanilla. I was going to post about this morning but I thought no one would believe me. It is not only the color that is different....but the whole consistency has changed. It is a lot creamier.......now I will have to adjust my milk a tab so its not so soft and creamy....does that make sense?

I ran out of HR shortening today and needed only two more cups for my 6qt KA. I used a Kroger brand of reg shortening (has trans fats) combined with the HR that I had to make a 6qt batch of Sugarshacks Buttercream today.

I can't tell a big huge difference, but indeed there is some diff in taste. Can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it made a believer out of me today about diff ingredients changing a recipe.

It didn't turn out bad, just somewhat different. If that makes sense.

While we are on the topic (I'd bet this has been discussed before but I thought I'd sneak the question in here instead of searching for the answer in the forums ) Is there a big difference between SWEETEX and CK High Ratio shortening? I can only get the CK brand locally. If there is a difference then I will order the SWEETEX online instead of wasting money on the CK brand only to find out it's no good.

TIA

also interested to know. i just got my sweetex in the mail the other day so I havent even tried it yet. im excited to try it and see what its like versus the generic shortening ive been using

I've discovered in the past couple of days that either Domino powdered sugar has changed their "recipe" or I got a very bad few bags from Walmart. There is so much cornstarch in it the frosting leaves a strange, almost chalky taste. I tried the powdered sugar alone and it's horrible-barely a sugar taste and mostly cornstarch. NOT HAPPY!!! I'm wondering if anyone else has discovered this problem.

I feel dumb saying this but I figured ingredients like these were mostly the same across the board. I guess now I will have to watch, taste and be more observant of what I use in my icing to get my perfect combo down.

Can different kinds of shortening cause more bubbles in my icing?

I've never tried sweetex shortning, but I keep hearing what a difference it makes. Does anyone know any local places in Indiana where you can get sweetex, rather than ordering on line. It almost sounded like someone bought theirs from Sam's club. We have GNC and Sam's club here where I live? I'm trying to really keep my cost down. Thanks

I, personally, didnt like the CK brand AT ALL.

Kitagirl, I think the absence of the hi-ratio was what made the biggest taste/texture difference.

I can't use Crisco or any other regular shortening in my buttercream any longer. Once you get used to the hi-ratio there's no comparison. It's definitely worth the extra money.

I'm also a "homemade" vanilla maker......I'll have to try Ina's recipe, I wasn't aware that she had one. Can it be found on-line Theresa?

AI know this is an old thread just wondering what type of butter have you found to be the best? I used to use store brand but had hubby run out and get some this am he got land o lakes and just creaming the butter and sugar together I noticed a difference.

AI like l-o-l for cookies but for my frosting, I prefer Publix brand. I know it sounds crazy. I wait till its 2 for $4 & buy cases. I tried SAMS club brand to save money & hated it.

For my regular BC, I use the local store brand (Ralphs or Stater Bros.) butter (salted), C&H powdered sugar, whatever milk happens to be handy, and McCormick vanilla (the real stuff, not the imitation). For my maple-cinnamon BC, I use Vermont Grade B and whatever cinnamon is handy (currently store-brand in a can, but if I'm the one buying it, I get something better), and for my strawberry BC, I use Smucker's seedless strawberry jam and McCormick imitation strawberry extract (which seems to be mostly based on apple juice, with some real strawberry juice, and a few other things), because the real stuff is too damned hard to find, and too damned expensive when I can find it.

For cookies, I use a 50/50 mix of real butter (salted) and "You Can't Believe It's Not Butter" brand margarine (which, paradoxically, is a good deal more expensive than butter). For sauteing the onions and celery for dressing, I do the same, only with unsalted butter. And for Rice-a-Roni, I use butter and a bit of Canola oil.