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Royal Icing for flowers?

post #1 of 17
7/6/11 at 9:46pm
Thread Starter 
It's been a while since I made royal icing flowers and I was searching around here to get some tips/refreshers before I sat down to make some more and I don't see much info on using royal icing..... buttercream or fondant, but not royal icing. This is how my instructor taught me - I know she's a bit out of date on some things -- is this one of them? Is this really now how it's done? Please tell me!
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post #2 of 17
7/6/11 at 9:58pm
Do a search on YouTube and you would be amazed at all that you find.
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post #3 of 17
7/6/11 at 10:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildgirl

This is how my instructor taught me - I know she's a bit out of date on some things -- is this one of them? Is this really now how it's done? Please tell me!



Your instructor taught you what? (To use RI as one type of medium or for a particular type of flower?)

How what is done? (What are you referring to? Did you mean to attach a photo?) We need more information.
HOW TO:
Make tip #127D (giant rose tip) Ruffle cake,
Write with icing,
Make buttercream roses on a stick:
http://s984.photobucket.com/albums/ae322/Unlimited1cakes/
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HOW TO:
Make tip #127D (giant rose tip) Ruffle cake,
Write with icing,
Make buttercream roses on a stick:
http://s984.photobucket.com/albums/ae322/Unlimited1cakes/
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post #4 of 17
7/6/11 at 10:17pm
Royal icing is still used to make flowers. It really just depends on what a person is looking for what medium you use to make flowers. Some people love to stick with buttercream because it stays soft. Royal is nice and basically is the same technique as piping buttercream but dries hard and leftover flowers can be kept for use on future cakes. Gumpate gives the ability to give more realistic mimics of flowers ----- so really which medium you use is up to you. icon_smile.gif Are there specific flowers you are looking for directions to?
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post #5 of 17
7/6/11 at 10:21pm
Thread Starter 
Nothing specific, just a refresher - roses, pansies, violets etc. Gum paste is totally new to me - is this like fondant? I think I need to find out more about this.
Unlimited, she basically said that we could make flowers out of bc, but that ri was the way to go, so that's what we worked on. I can look at my instruction sheet from her, but I just thought I'd check here in case I found some better info! icon_smile.gif
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post #6 of 17
7/6/11 at 10:37pm
Gumpaste is like fondant but can be rolled thinner, dries harder and faster and can hold delicate shapes like ruffling and flower vein impressions. I love working with it but I also LOVE piping royal icing and I would have to agree that if I were to choose buttercream or royal for flower piping - I would go royal all the way. Gorgeous icing to pipe with. I know I can direct you to the text directions for those flowers if you would like but I am not sure about videos. I will take a peek.
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post #7 of 17
7/6/11 at 10:47pm
Sorry - couldn't find any videos but I did find this blog that has good step by step instructions.
http://cakestylist.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/royal-icing-flowers/
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post #8 of 17
7/6/11 at 10:48pm
Roses, pansies, and violets can all be made with buttercream or royal icing, but if they're going to be eatenthey'll taste better if using BC (and you won't break a tooth!). Roses can be piped in advance with BC and left to air dry so they can be easily placed where you want on the cakeeven the sides. Most flowers can be piped directly on the cake with BC. RI is fine for practicing in class, but I don't see the need to mix a different batch of another type of icing when working with BC cakes unless it's easier to transport them home after completely dried. If I needed a lot of drop flowers, I'd use RI, but only because they could be knocked out in advance.
HOW TO:
Make tip #127D (giant rose tip) Ruffle cake,
Write with icing,
Make buttercream roses on a stick:
http://s984.photobucket.com/albums/ae322/Unlimited1cakes/
Reply
HOW TO:
Make tip #127D (giant rose tip) Ruffle cake,
Write with icing,
Make buttercream roses on a stick:
http://s984.photobucket.com/albums/ae322/Unlimited1cakes/
Reply
post #9 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:14am
I think the advantage is that royal icing flowers can be made ahead of time and kept on hand for extended periods of time so you can pull them out and go. They also aren't as delicate as some air dried buttercream flowers are.

I would use buttercream for roses, since they are so large and really wouldn't be easy to eat using royal icing. The small flowers, made from royal aren't that hard to eat.
My Weight Loss Support Group is The Chunky Monkeys!
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My Weight Loss Support Group is The Chunky Monkeys!
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post #10 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:14am
Thread Starter 
Interesting. I'd rather have them be edible anyway, but since I've never actually made them in bc, I'm a little nervous... can someone just clear my schedule for the next week so I can spend all my time playing with cake?!?! (I volunteered a big cake for the 16th)

And of course I should've thought of youtube. icon_smile.gif
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post #11 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:22am
They are still edible when you make them out of royal icing.
My Weight Loss Support Group is The Chunky Monkeys!
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My Weight Loss Support Group is The Chunky Monkeys!
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post #12 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:27am
Thread Starter 
Edible, but most people push them off and don't eat them. Maybe I should've said "desirable" icon_smile.gif
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post #13 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:32am
I don't know about that. I teach Wilton classes and I always have people coming into the class telling me some family member was nibbling on their flowers. I also have people that tell me their family at the fondant/gum paste roses. Now to me, those aren't meant to be eaten, but people do it with out a problem.

Once on a cake, the royal icing will soften up a little bit and not be rock hard. You can also flavor it when you are making it. Don't forget, people use royal icing on cookies all the time.
My Weight Loss Support Group is The Chunky Monkeys!
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My Weight Loss Support Group is The Chunky Monkeys!
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post #14 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:33am
Thread Starter 
Cake-angel, thanks for that link! It was just helpful to get a visual again to remember the steps.

I just have to decide if I want to try buttercream or stick with royal. I'd rather try bc, but I need more time then.
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post #15 of 17
7/7/11 at 7:38am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasSugar

I don't know about that. I teach Wilton classes and I always have people coming into the class telling me some family member was nibbling on their flowers. I also have people that tell me their family at the fondant/gum paste roses. Now to me, those aren't meant to be eaten, but people do it with out a problem.

Once on a cake, the royal icing will soften up a little bit and not be rock hard. You can also flavor it when you are making it. Don't forget, people use royal icing on cookies all the time.




Thanks TexasSugar -- if I don't feel confident enough with the bc flowers or don't have time to play with it, I won't feel so bad about going with ri!
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