What do you do with the left over , extra frosting? also the extra colored ones inthe piping bags. is there any way we can know how much to prepare before hand. even if i store it in the fridge or freezer it develops a particular odor so ultimaltely i have to throw it.

Would like to know what does every one do with it or do you refrigerate/ freeze it without any problem.

Thanx a ton.

Do you freeze yours in freezer containers or bags? I generally put mine in freezer bags and I have never had any problems with a smell. It's also best use a freezer that does not have a self defrost cycle. I have a chest freezer that I use for all of my baking.

Before I started measuring I typically ended up trashing the excess (I use SMBC exclusively so unlike American BC, it does not last forever). Sometimes I'll use the BC to practice some piping.

I tend not to have too much excess these days. I measure how much BC a batch makes and record how many cupcakes/cakes it was enough for so that the next time I know how to scale up or down to get just enough. One batch of my BC (approximately 28oz) makes just enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes.

Thank you all for your useful suggestions and tips.

For "The Cold Process Buttercream Recipe That's Been On the Back of the C&H Powdered Sugar Box Since Before Most of Us Were Born," I put together a chart for making smaller-than-full-box batches of the stuff. The math for scaling a recipe isn't exactly an exercise partial differential equations.

Are you putting down people who can't do simple division or are you assuming that the majority of CC members did not pass fourth grade math? What is your point?

If I am going to use in in a week or so, or want to nibble on it, I leave the icing in the fridge. If I don't plan on using it, or want it less tempting, I freeze it. I freeze it either in a rubbermaid-type container or a ziplock bag. I have read that some people gather the little bits of leftover colored frosting as a start when they want to make a black color. Or I will use the colors in my next project to help use them up. This chart tells you how much icing is needed for different sized cakes. http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-wedding-cake-2-inch-pans.cfm If you measure your normal batch you will have an idea how much to increase or decrease the recipe. This chart is also in every Wilton yearbook which makes it easy to refer to. I don't have a problem with "freezer" taste in my normal fridge/freezer.

I do the same as denetteb - leave it in the fridge if I will be using it that week or freeze it in ziplock bags....I must admit I still end up throwing a lot out as I then tend to forget I have BC already in bags in the freezer.....got to love the invention of cling wrap and freezer bags....lets us hoard that bit more before we end up throwing it out anyway

Thank you for your advice hbquikcomjames - whether we passed fourth grade maths or not.....it is always easier to see it there right in front of us than working it out, thank you for posting. SCP I really don't know what the point of your comment was - and you wonder why so members on here finally snap and are rude to you.....you really do not bring out the best in people sometimes on here with your comments....I don't really think a comment like that benefits anyone

I seem to remember something about a lady who use to put her leftover icings (colored) in saran and freeze then all she has to do it defrost, snip off one end of the saran, slip the color into her icing bag and use it.

Icing bullets!

Or frosting plugs.

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-38404.html

And thank you, hbquikcomjamesl. I've sent your little chart to a few friends.

Incidentally, half a box of powdered sugar produces enough, by The Recipe On The Box (and my chart), to barely cover a 13x9 served in-pan, with none whatsoever left over, and a rather thin layer at that.

I don't think I especially want to cut it that fine again.