Ok, I've used a variation of the Wilton pseudo bc with Crisco because it makes pure white icing. I need to make a white icing using butter. If I do half/half, will it be white??

I want to enter the Southern Living magazine contest and already have a filling for torting, but the cake must be iced white. I sure could use some help.

Sandy

I've been wondering about this myself. I love buttercream made with real butter but it is always off-white but I would really like pure white.

I too use all butter. I haven't had a need for pure white yet, but I do know there is white icing color available that works great. The bakery I worked for used it.

I also read on CC where someone adds a touch of violet to her BC and it whitens it. I haven't tried that.

Because I don't want to flavor the majority of the icing with color like it sometimes does, I layer my BC on and get it good and cold and then add the colored frosting as my last layer or two. That way there's only a thin layer of colored frosting. HTH!

hmmmmm violet.... I think I've seen that here, too. I hope it works. I really don't have a way to get the whitener. I know Wilton makes a whitener also.

Half butter-half Crisco is still a bit off. Don't know if you have time to search but I know that color is added to most butters and occasionally I've purchased a brand that is "whiter" than others. For example, "Crystal Farms" butter is whiter than Walmart brand. I also read somewhere that organic butter is not as yellow. I haven't tried it yet because it's like $5.99 a box.

I went on a search for the whitest butter available and found that it's Land O Lakes unsalted - but it's expensive. If you then add some Wilton Whitener plus Crisco and the very tip of a toothpick of violet coloring - you should have a pretty white product. Question: if it's a contest - does it also include a tasting segment. Usually contests don't include a tasting. And don't forget that magazines - books and photos can be photoshopped to look whiter.

I have used blue food coloring. After the 3rd cup of sugar, add food coloring using the tip of a toothpick. This will give the icing a blue hue. Add the rest of the sugar. You will be able to evaluate the color as you continue. Still yellowish, add another touch of blue.

I found this on line tutorial a couple of years ago but I can't remember who created it. I do know it works well.

Have you asked for clarification about the rules ? I don't think they would take off anything for adding the "white" color...... Americolor works the best. Well, at any rate they may not even mean a PURE white cake.... they may think the buttercream is fine........ they just say "white" as aposed to chocolate or lemon, etc...... I think you need to give them a call and make sure.....

I haven't done it, but I've heard more than one time that if you beat the butter for a LONG time, you'll add enough air to it to lighten the color significantly. I do know that when I bake other things, the longer I beat the butter/sugar combo, the lighter it gets. Of course, air can be a big problem with icing...just depends on how it's made, I guess.

If you have an extra half hour, you can always make your own butter. Some whipping cream and a pinch of salt ( an emulsifier) shaken in a sterilized jar until it sets!!! My daughter makes it all the time...tastes great!

You may lighten it a bit more (temporarily) but when you heat your offset spatula under hot water to smooth the icing, the hot knife causes the color to deepen and you're right back to square one.

Purple DOES cancel out yellow! I have tried it with a cream cheese buttercreme. It does work. I used Wilton purple ( I'm not sure if that is the name but they only have one purple ). Add it in VERY small quanities...I mean like a dot the size of a pin head to start!!!

I was taught that using the dot of violet (Wilton) does the trick, instead of purple. If you use more than a dot (not a drop - that's 1000 times more than needed), the icing turns gray, so just like the other poster say's, just a pinheads worth.

I use a recipe that is half butter and half crisco. I add dream whip to it ( like Indydeb's recipe) which really helps bring it whiter, as well as makes the icing smoother and tastier. Sometimes to make it more white, I add the white coloring. Hope this helps.

I only use Land o Lakes butter (yes it IS expensive)...and so far I've not added whitener...you can see some of my cakes. It is not white-white, but as you can see, it passes for white. I think it looks even whiter in photos for some reason. Does the competition call for uber-white, or just white...because regular butter cream made with butter looks pretty white to me!

I use half butter, half shortening and let these mix for a few minutes before adding other ingredients and it seems to whiten up a little. I also usually do the violet trick. I've always used land o lakes butter, but this week switched to the brand sold at BJs because of price and I think the icing came out a little whiter. If you look at my photos, the monkey cake is the BJs butter with no violet color added. The green, yellow, brown circles cake is Land o Lakes without violet added and the rest of the white iced cakes are Land o Lakes with violet added. Of course, where you take the picture will make a difference too since you'll notice the off-white color more if there are pure white items in the picture.

Thank you for the GREAT tips. I love this place. Wish me luck!! I'll post a pic of my entry.