i'm making a strawberry cake this weekend for my brothers b-day. I don't have the funds to make a strawberry icing from real strawberries, so I found the McCormick Imitation sTrawberry Flavoring in the grocery store today and got it. i know this isn't the best way to make it but for money's sake, has anyone every tried this way before to make strawberry icing? It says to use, I think, 1 1/2 tsp (or maybe tblsp-it's not in front of me at the moment) to 2 cups vanilla frosting. Will this taste good? Will I get the strawberry flavor that i"m looking for with Wilton's buttercream recipe? Will the consistency work for icing the cake and decorating it? Please help!!

PM me for a recipe
Berta

strawberry milk syrup? you mean like the Hershey stuff that you squirt into your milk?

Yes

does it work well when icing the cake and decorating? Do you need the strawberry milk syrup or will the imitation flavor be okay to use. i ask that because i really don't want to go back out again for any more ingredients. Gotta stay within the budget.

Try it out with just the extract is should taste fine. Just try the frosting as you go so u don't use too much or too little.

Berta

I use those extracts all the time and love them! Adds just a bit of a pop to it-especially if making a cake flavor like lemon, etc. Start out with a bit and add as needed. Also-I have a flavoring that one of my instructors gave me to use instead of typical vanilla:

6TBL Butter flavoring
6TBL Clear Vanilla flavoring
3TBL Almond Flavoring
3TBL Orange flavoring
3TBL Lemon flavoring
1TBL Dark Vanilla Flavoring-
Mix together then use as an other flavor-makes approx 9oz of flavoring. Use 1 TEASPOON for each batch of icing. I make it and keep it in a marked bottle. I really like it and my customers seem to also. It's just a little "something is different but really good".

You probably won't need to buy strawberry flavoring again for a while, but I use the Lorann strawberry flavored oil. On its own the icing has a slightly artificial taste, but with a cake using fresh strawberries, it's really good!

Great idea on using the strawberry syrup, though. I may have to try that next time. I wonder how it would be in cream cheese icing?

Oh - one more thing. Make sure you add your flavoring before your liquid to make sure your icing doesn't end up to thin.

Ali

I use the Lorann flavoring on occasion but to me it tasted more like strawberry candy than the extract. It will work in a pinch though!

Berta

Glad I asked. That sounds yummy. After doing a birthday cake last month that was strawberry with cream cheese icing, I decided that's what I want for my birthday. I guess now I want strawberry cream cheese icing!

Thanks, too for the info about the extract. I assumed they would have similar flavors. What I like about the extract, though, is that you only need a few drops so it doesn't mess up your consistency.

Ali

i used the imitation strawberry flavoring from the same section in walmart as all the other flavorings (vanilla extract, lemon extract, etc) and was EXTREMELY disappointed with the taste. it tasted cheap and candy-like to me. know how those strawberry candies with the gooey centers taste - nothing like what you'd expect from real strawberries or strawberry jam or really, anything? that's how this tasted to me. i was really bummed...maybe i did something wrong though if some of you have liked the taste.

now i've read this i am dying to try some strawberry cream cheese icing that sounds soooo good! mmmm...i will dream, no eating cake for me for a while now. (diet)

Ive used before and think it taste pretty good.....