I need help as to why my icing, after I decorate a cake there is water by the border of the cake. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong.? I use crisco, power sugar, water, little salt. The icing feels sticky to me.

Sounds like your recipe needs a bit of tweaking. Needs more sugar, less liquid. OBTW, why are you using water? If you insist on using water, at least add some creamer to it, will taste richer and mix in easier. Fresh, juicy fruit will also give up quite a bit of liquid when added to sugar.

I'd bet it's the Crisco...

I never use water in my buttercream. I use milk. Oil and water don't mix

Robin,

I just read another thread where you said you don't refrigerate your cakes. Is it not necessary to refrigerate when you have milk in the icing? I'm new and just a hobbiest, so I don't know a lot of "cake chemistry" but my Wilton instructor said we had to refrigerate the cake when iced with milk or heavy whipping cream. So, was I taught wrong?

Yes you were taught wrong The sugar preserves the milk. I don't know the scientifics of how it works but it does. I have kept buttercream in a covered bowl at room temp. for up to two weeks. I'd imagine it would actually be fine for up to four weeks or so. I just whip it a bit before using.

I don't know where you got your information that sugar preserves the milk, but in my food sanitation classes with using milk it had to be refrigerated. I'm really surprised that you haven't given anybody food poisoning.

Doug, Leah, Indydebi...anyone care to help me out here?

The bakery I used to work at also leaves buttercream at room temp... for weeks.

To the OP- If you are refrigerating your cake after it is iced, the water you see is probably condensation. Every once in a while, I refrigerate a cake and the same thing happens to me HTH!!

yes sugar IS a preservative.

uh hello -- jams, jellies?!?!?

sugar -- and it's "bad" fellow high blood pressure inducing salt -- are two of the 3 oldest know methods of preservation, the other being dehydration (any care for some beef jerky? -- oh, you prefer salt preservation? how about some salted ham or salt packed fish?)

sugar and salt both work the same way -- they suck the moisture out of the stuff (including the air) around them. That is why they clump if not protected from high humidity. They just LOVE water.

now in order for any bad buggies to survive they need water.

add copious amounts of sugar or salt to the area the buggies are trying to live and proliferate and they get in a fight for the water that is present. Sugar or Salt win if present in sufficient concentration.

Ever done the kill a slug with salt routine? Sugar will do it too.

The trick is that sufficient quantity.

in most icings the amount of liquid be it milk or water is generally just a few tablespoons. Compare that to the amount of sugar present.

no contest, bugs loose, sugar wins.

if you want the technical specifics it has to do with osmotic pressure and the hygroscopic (water seeking) properties of sugar and salt. The water in the bacteria is literally drawn out of it by the sugar which has a higher molecular bonding energy than the innards of the bad (now dead) buggie.

While it might be fun to imagine the little buggies going into diabetic shock from sugar overload, the truth is you've dumped into a Sahara Desert of sugar.

You will NOT poison anyone (well unless you're an Aunt Abby or Aunt Martha wannabee with your arsenic and old lace) by making icing with milk.

for your reading and learning pleasure -- a plethora of links on the topic
http://www.google.com/search?q=sugar+as+a+preservative&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGLL_en___US359

Wow Doug that was an impressive explanation! The science teacher in me (who for some unknown wacky reason quit teaching to decorate cakes) gives you an A - I love it! (Also love the arsenic and old lace reference - love that movie with Cary Grant!) Good info for everyone to know!

Thank you Doug. I'm not a science teacher but I also think you deserve an A. I appreciate your help. I wouldn't want anyone to think I'd actually run a risk of poisoning anyone.

I was gonna jump in here and 'splain, but Doug beat me to it. It's not exactly that the sugar preserves the milk, but that the sugar binds up all the water so that bacteria either cannot grow or have a really, nearly impossible chance of growing.

jnmgreen, perhaps you should check again with your food sanitation teacher. I know mine taught me correctly.

Thanks Leah, I knew I was right but I didn't know "why". Your time and knowledge is very much appreciated

I think we scared the newbie OP off. Dirt...did you get the answer you were looking for?

Sorry I was misunderstood, glad to be so well informed. That is what I like about this sight, I'm constantly learning something new. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for all the information & I'm still confused. One more thing, I sift my power sugar, could this also be my cause too.?

I sift all the time to get those tiny crystals that sometimes form in the product. But in order to have the correct amt of 10x, I do it after measuring.

Hi,

I just took my 1st Wilton class on Tuesday and thats what the instructor said too. Use water, because using milk would need refrigeration.

Thank you for the info. I will now use milk without worries. Now, can I use non fat milk? That's all we have. Or, can I use whipping cream? I have that on hand too.

Thanks,
jazzi

jazzimat I use whipping cream quite often. Makes it so creamy. Since Crisco no longer has the trans fat using the cream (or milk w/fat) helps to make a creamier icing.

Thank you! I'm so glad I found this website!!!

jazzi

Okay, you guys solved the milk - refrigeration issue, what about pudding? I like to use pudding for fillings when I do cakes primarily for kids but refrigerations messes with the buttercream crusting.

Anyone got some science for this one?

Sorry. If you use a perishable filling you're going to need to refrigerate.

WOW this was really interesting reading!! LOL