Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › Need to spruce up Wedding Cake Recipe and Icing
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Need to spruce up Wedding Cake Recipe and Icing

post #1 of 17
7/23/12 at 4:53pm
Thread Starter 
My buttercream icing consist of shortening and butter. I use vanilla and almond extracts. Its tastes great. My question is...what can I do to take the icing up a notch for a wedding cake. I'm becoming very interested in making them. I use a WASC for most decorated cakes. So if any one has some ideas that can set my regular birthday cakes apart from the wedding please share with me!

Thanks
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 17
7/23/12 at 7:57pm
I'm just curious. Why change up your recipe just because it would be for a wedding? If it taste good, continue to use it. Plus it looks like you're in a region where heat and humidity can be an issue in the summer.

If you want to add another icing to your repertoire of cooler times of the year or something look at adding one of the meringue buttercreams. FromScratchSF has an excellent recipe and has a tutorial on her blog on how to make it.

http://fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/tutorial-swiss-meringue-buttercream/

But I wouldn't touch your shortening based buttercream, except to add other flavourings to it.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 17
7/23/12 at 9:54pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks so much for responding! I'm new and sometimes. It feels like I'm talking to myself. I get so many rave reviews about my icing. I just wanted it to be a difference between my birthday cake and my wedding cakes. I would love to try other flavoring but I'm not sure of what other combinations to include. I LOVE Almond sooooo much and in my eyes its hard to beat....but I'm not scared to try new things! So any advice on great flavoring combos?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 17
7/24/12 at 9:27am
Your icing is a blank canvas. Instead of almond, add a vanilla extract, or orange extract. Goes great with a vanilla cake, orange cake, chocolate cake. Leave out the flavourings and fold in lemon curd, fruit purees, jams, jellies, preservers. Fold in chocolate ganache for a chocolate buttercream. The sky's the limit as to what you can do.

You can make a WASC and use a lemon curd or a raspberry puree for the filling (or both in alternate layers) and ice with your icing as is. Lots you can do.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 17
7/24/12 at 10:11am
What about substituting your liquid with flavored coffee creamers? I've used Bailey's Creme Brulee, caramel flan, white chocolate almond, etc. I would make a test batch first, though, to make sure you like the taste. I live in Centreville, MS, just 40 miles from McComb, so I know about the heat! The liquid coffee creamers hold up well in our heat.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 17
7/24/12 at 10:18am
I really like Wilton's Extra Special Buttercream (subbing butter for at least half, if not all of the shortening). The whipping cream really takes it up a notch!

This recipe for whipped cream cheese frosting is very similar to another one of my favorite recipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 17
7/24/12 at 1:25pm
......... get so many rave reviews about my icing. I just wanted it to be a difference between my birthday cake and my wedding cakes. I would love to try other flavoring but I'm not sure of what other combinations to include.........

You've gotten some good suggestions.
To take the flavoring up a notch.......add MORE. Use *2 Tablespoons* of flavoring and make it a combination of at least 3 flavors - like vanilla, butter, and almond OR lemon or orange. Usually I use 1 part (*any* measure) of vanilla; 1/2 part of butter flavoring and 1/4 part of whatever other flavor I'm using. If you make lots of cakes mix this up using cups as the measure.....if for only one cake use teaspoons or Tablespoons.......doesn't matter as long as you keep the ratio the same.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 17
7/24/12 at 2:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmarks0

Your icing is a blank canvas. Instead of almond, add a vanilla extract, or orange extract. Goes great with a vanilla cake, orange cake, chocolate cake. Leave out the flavourings and fold in lemon curd, fruit purees, jams, jellies, preservers. Fold in chocolate ganache for a chocolate buttercream. The sky's the limit as to what you can do.

You can make a WASC and use a lemon curd or a raspberry puree for the filling (or both in alternate layers) and ice with your icing as is. Lots you can do.




You are right! In my area some people are still afraid of the fillings but I'm trying to get them to see they are great. Do I should add the orange to my vanilla almond icing or just vanilla. And what kind of icing do you suggest with lemon curd?
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 17
7/24/12 at 2:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawnybird

What about substituting your liquid with flavored coffee creamers? I've used Bailey's Creme Brulee, caramel flan, white chocolate almond, etc. I would make a test batch first, though, to make sure you like the taste. I live in Centreville, MS, just 40 miles from McComb, so I know about the heat! The liquid coffee creamers hold up well in our heat.




Well hello there Neighbor! I would absoulutely love to try a creamer . Do you use it your cake or icing? Is it a certain one that is your favorite?
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 17
7/24/12 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetNSassyTreats

You are right! In my area some people are still afraid of the fillings but I'm trying to get them to see they are great. Do I should add the orange to my vanilla almond icing or just vanilla. And what kind of icing do you suggest with lemon curd?




Personally, I would leave out the almond extract. I've added orange and vanilla together, and it's sort of like a Dreamsicle flavour. But I've also just used orange. I've also added Lorann oils to my icings. Just be very careful how much you add as they do get stronger over time. I added coconut once for a pina colada cake I was making. It had a very coconutty taste and I didn't add a lot.

If you want to introduce some of your customers to fillings, bake up some test cakes and fill them and offer samples somehow. I've done that and used my friends as testers (they're always willing to eat cake) when I've wanted to try out a new recipe for a cake, or a flavour combination.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 17
7/24/12 at 2:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pinkfluffycupcake

I really like Wilton's Extra Special Buttercream (subbing butter for at least half, if not all of the shortening). The whipping cream really takes it up a notch!

This recipe for whipped cream cheese frosting is very similar to another one of my favorite recipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/



I really want to add the whipping cream to my icing. I just wondered was it a significant difference,,, you know the kind that has the Wow factor? What are ur thoughts?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 17
7/24/12 at 2:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kakeladi

......... get so many rave reviews about my icing. I just wanted it to be a difference between my birthday cake and my wedding cakes. I would love to try other flavoring but I'm not sure of what other combinations to include.........

You've gotten some good suggestions.
To take the flavoring up a notch.......add MORE. Use *2 Tablespoons* of flavoring and make it a combination of at least 3 flavors - like vanilla, butter, and almond OR lemon or orange. Usually I use 1 part (*any* measure) of vanilla; 1/2 part of butter flavoring and 1/4 part of whatever other flavor I'm using. If you make lots of cakes mix this up using cups as the measure.....if for only one cake use teaspoons or Tablespoons.......doesn't matter as long as you keep the ratio the same.





Thank you as well! I think I will def be experimenting with the orange.Do you recomment for the icing and cake?
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 17
7/24/12 at 7:55pm
SweetNSassyTreats,

I've used the coffee creamers in both my cake and frosting, but not in both at the same time because it can be overpowering. My preference is to use it in the frosting. I've also used the Extra Special Butter cream with whipping cream and people seem to really like it but I can't really say the whipping cream makes it wow. I use vanilla, almond and butter flavors in it and I think that's what people like about it. You should mix up a few batches of different icings and put them on cupcakes and have a tasting. Invite me! I'll come! icon_smile.gif [/quote]
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 17
7/25/12 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetNSassyTreats

Quote:
Originally Posted by pinkfluffycupcake

I really like Wilton's Extra Special Buttercream (subbing butter for at least half, if not all of the shortening). The whipping cream really takes it up a notch!

This recipe for whipped cream cheese frosting is very similar to another one of my favorite recipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream-cream-cheese-frosting/



I really want to add the whipping cream to my icing. I just wondered was it a significant difference,,, you know the kind that has the Wow factor? What are ur thoughts?



I thought there was a significant difference; much richer, creamier and smoother. Both of these recipes have higher ratios of whipping cream than the standard buttercream recipe I use which calls for just a couple of tablespoons. After trying the Wilton recipe, I use the standard recipe just for decorating now.

Let us know how your experiments turn out!
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 17
7/27/12 at 6:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dawnybird

What about substituting your liquid with flavored coffee creamers? I've used Bailey's Creme Brulee, caramel flan, white chocolate almond, etc. I would make a test batch first, though, to make sure you like the taste. I live in Centreville, MS, just 40 miles from McComb, so I know about the heat! The liquid coffee creamers hold up well in our heat.




I'm from Cleveland, MS.... and it is hot here. I have never tried the coffee creamers. Sounds great!!!! Can't wait to try it out!!
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Recipes
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › Need to spruce up Wedding Cake Recipe and Icing