Hello all, today was my first attempt @ cake decorating .. but sadly my BC DID NOT crust over leaving me unable to smooth my cake and transfer and image onto it ... but from reading thru these posts .. I guess I went wrong by using CRISCO w 0 trans fat ...I thought using butter with some transfat would take care of the problem.. ... but i know what to do and what not to do on my next cake...

thanks so much!!

I've used the non trans fat crisco for the last 4 years, and my buttercream still crusts with no problem.

1# PS and 2 sticks of softened salted butter, 3-5 TBS milk - 1-2 tsp flavoring (or to taste). I usually let mine sit at least overnight before using. Thin 1TBS of milk at a time.

Add 1 TBS Meringue powder to each single batch for crusting. That's what I use. I can get it pretty smooth (now that I've learned the trick of the bench scraper).

Would prefer to use SMBC but can't in the warm months, no A/C.

FromScratchSF, no icing of mine likes red velvet cake, buttercreams or cream cheese. It is the only cake I have to crumb coat and stick back in the freezer. Always without fail it curls up or pulls hunks from the sides.

tokazodo, our dinosaurs probably grazed together. I too cut my teeth on Wilton's buttercream icing. Back in the day it was all that string work, over piping, garland swags and lets not forget plastic columns, stairways and fountains. Ah and all the flowers were made from royal icing.

I make my buttercreams with high ratio shortening instead of Crisco these days so it doesn't "crust" like the old days. I slap it on frozen cakes, putty knife and foam roll it and it's real forgiving. Doesn't even need refrigeration. Which is good if you have 40 tiers of cake everywhere. I have never tried SMBC or IMBC looked like too much work. So I guess I'm an old "crusty" decorator.

Do you have Best Choice brand foods available? Their shortening has 3 grams of transfats. However, I have also used Aldi's brand and it has no transfats and it crusts just fine. So I am not convinced that is what causes it to crust. Best wishes.

From what I've read in the past, whether or not your icing crusts is determined by the fat to sugar ratio, not the brand or type of fat you use in the icing.

For instance.... the crusting buttercream recipe I use is 1lb of powdered sugar to 1 cup of fat (sometimes all crisco, sometimes 50/50). The non-crusting buttercream recipe I use is 1lb of powdered sugar to 2 cups of fat (again, sometimes all crisco, sometimes 50/50).

I have also found, through my own experience, that meringue powder in the icing does not make a difference as to the crustability of it.

~Chelle

I use 8 oz. butter, 8 oz cream cheese and 2 lbs powdered sugar. That's it. It crusts great and tastes even better. So I guess that's about a 2:1 ratio of PS to the fat. If your cake is pulling up try frosting a really cold cake. Do a crumb coat on the cold cake first and chill, then start smoothing your frosting on. Easy peasy.

I'm newbie....my DH used to work in bakery when he was in college. So, yes he can bake too... .
I'm using crust buttercream even tough my DH refer me to make SMBC. I'm just too chicken because we live in Hawaii without A?C in apartment.

I have many recipe about SMBC, I think I'll make SMBC in my birthday..because my cake design not to cover with fondant from top like usual..but separate top and side.

Btw, first time I made BC from shortening used Crisco..taste too sweet. Then next, I added more corn starch less PS. Taste awful, like you ate raw corn starch. Last time is the best, 1/3 part high ratio shortening, 2/3 salted butter. PS, and heavy cream to thin.
Tasted very creamy !

I started out doing fondant but my family can't get past the texture so I had to learn ( still learning ) how to use bc icing. Like you not that crazy about smoothing it until I read add a tsp or so of corn syrup to help make it a little smoother. Also if you weren't already, try putting it on the sides with a wilton 789 tip and put the ridge side toward the cake make sure to press somewhat firm to the cake so that it grabs hold of the cake. hth

Yikes, I haven't used crusting frosting since I first started decorating 10 years ago. I used to be able to do it back then, but I think if I tried now it would be a disaster.

Now, i am thoroughly confused after reading all of these posts. I recently finished the three Wilton Cake Decorating classes and we used the Wilton Buttercream Frosting that has 1 TB of Meringue Powder and never had any problems with it... However,I found Quikblend Shortening at a local cake deocrator/supply store. She gave me her recipe and I added Meringue Powder to it, well, the frosting began crusting before i could get it on the cake good. I asked her if the frosting needed thinning to ice a cake and she said it did not , but i failed to tell her i had added the Meringue Powder. So... does the Wilton Buttercream recipe call for the meringue powder because of the Crisco being 0 trans fat?

I believe what makes crusting icing "crust" is the powdered sugar, which is a combination of sugar and corn starch. I think the meringue powder helps with controlling moisture. I think. But others probably know more then me.

.......I believe what makes crusting icing "crust" is the powdered sugar, which is a combination of sugar and corn starch. I think the meringue powder helps with controlling moisture...........

NO What make b'cream crust is how much fat there is to how much sugar. The more fat the *less* it will curst.
The more fat (be it Crisco or butter or combinatiion) the smoother and creamier icing will be, so of course, the less fat the drier and harder to handle. That is why some people add liquid - to thin it out.