Hello all...I think I need help...I've not even had a chance to practice but I plan on making some cakes for upcoming parties I'm a pretty crafty person so think I could do an okay job (not as grand as most of you girls) but I bought a cake mix and whipped cream topping for a cake I'm going to make for my sons birthday but i've noticed that not many of you mention whipped icing what would be the easiest and best tasting icing? I hear a lot about BC and foundut (spelling ?) but I'm not real sure if I could figure it all out. do you al think I can decorate the spiderman cake in my photo's with whipped icing and make it look nice? Thanks for any one that might help.

Also where is everyone getting all their neat pans that their cakes are on?

Thanks[/i]

Have you taken any Wilton courses?? there BC made with butter is what I use to ice and their classic BC to decorate
Michelle

No, that was another question I was going to ask thou I've never heard of there classes are they online or books? I would love to do that. ARL

I'm sure a more experienced decorator will post and give you better answers than I can. But I can tell you from my experience with whipped topping.....I tried it on my mom and dad's anniversary cake and I will never do it again lol. It iced it fine.....but when you but it in your bag to do the actual decorating......after a few minutes it starts to have a lot of moisture and on my cake actually had liquid come out of my bag It was horrible.....here is a link to the post I posted about it and I got some good advice.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-9683.html

And as for buttercream (BC) look in the recipe section of cakecentral....I use one with real butter and shortening.

Good Luck....I hope I've been of some help.

I too use the BC with the butter to ice and I also use that to make my borders, stars, etc. When I attempted my rose I used the stiff BC. I have never tried whipped cream.....good luck!!!!!

Beth

The kind of topping I bought was "Duncan Hines whipped frosting-easy spead" do you think it wouldn't fdo very good I dont think it's like whipped topping like I was calling it???? Do you think it would be better to just make my own I'm just scared it's not going to taste good I've been looking up recipe's and they dont seem to be very hard, I've just never done it. Thanks. ARL

I think the canned frosting would be too soft to hold decorations. I have also noticed that it really does not crust and can not be smoothed with a viva paper towel. I did an experiment with a can of chocolate frosting one time. I think your best results will come from making your own frosting. Follow the recipe in the wilton yearbook and you should be fine. I use the 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter recipe and I am really happy with the way it decorates. Good luck...by the way...neat spidey cake!
traci

What is the paper towel thing? I've heard that a couple times too. Do you recomend a certian book in particular for the recipe's or just any Wilton year book I don't have any so I need to figure out what to buy, Thanks

Andrea

The paper towel thing is where you use the Viva Paper towel (it's the only brand that is smooth). When I use my Viva method, I use the buttercream that uses 1/2 Crisco 1/2 butter. I just ice it, let it sit for a few minutes, then lay my paper towel over it and smooth. It taste yummy too!! I was scared to try it at first, but I can make it now without looking at the recipe.. HTH.

Beth

I use the 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter.

Use the Brawny towels with the designs.

I love the background effects it gives to my cakes...didn't like the Viva.

For character cakes like Nemo, Elmo, Kim Possible, etc... I like 100% Crisco... Its nice and thick and withstands heat very good....

Maria,

With the 100% crisco buttercream, have you ever had a problem like this- when you taste the buttercream, it doesn't melt in your mouth, instead a lot of shortening stay on your tongue,as if though it separates from the sugar? How do you fix this problem? Sorry it sounds gross, I don't know how else to describe it.

Hi
I use fresh cream for all my cakes. Its called Chantilly cream here in Australia. Its made with Fresh cream, vanilla essence, icing sugar (powdered) and a powdered stabelizer, which helps to keep its shape and easier to, work with. I'm not sure if in the USA they have a similar product..I buy mine from a cake decorating shop. This cream can be made without the stabelizer, you just can't play around with it as much. I have used it with and without. I also fill my cakes with this cream along with Jam.
I hope that helps

Tash

Same here witht he 100 % crisco..it smooths great and handles well..but I cannot eat it at all.On the other hand when I make my 100% butter BC with a lil extra butter flavor as well and a little popcorn salt..I could almost eat it with a spoon..lol. But some LOVE the greasy kind...my kids do..and a lady I just did an order for specified that she knew a little about cakes and WANTED all crisco..that it was what a birthday cake was "SUPPOSED" to taste like to her..lol..no accounting for taste!

I love the whipped frosting but it is very soft and would probably be hard to work with if trying to do something like fondant...
Try mmf..

Hi! Just jumping in & definitely NOT an authority on cake decorating! If you are talking about Duncan Hines canned whipped frosting, I have used it (& other brands) several times-though just for simple family b-day cakes & have found it sooooooo soft that it NEVER hardens. It also bulges between layers & forget smoothing it. The "creamier" & more "whipped" the icing, the worse it is on my cakes. When I do the borders & very simple decorations (stars, shells, etc.)-not anywhere near the beautiful cakes done by the talented people on this forum & definitely not shaped or 3D cakes-they don't hold up well & are very sloppy. Sometimes the homemade buttercream icing (1/2 Crisco, 1/2 butter/marg.) for dec & border icing will be OK, but still, the slightest touch on the canned icing & what a mess!!! Of course, cake decorating aside, my family loves the taste of store-bought, canned icing.

When i made the all shortening BC i also thought the texture was extremely oily. I tried flour,vanilla extract, almond extract ,and butter extract(all different batches) ,but nothing seemed to make the texture less oily or hide it. Maybe adding more sugar to the recipe?

Maria, I would really appreciate if you could post that buttercream recipe using flour to cut down on greasiness and sweetness. I just need an idea of how much flour to add.

Maybe people do get used to the 100% crisco, I can't! The problem here is that humidity is sooo high that nothing else will hold up.

Some months ago I tried the dream whip buttercream. This is fantastic but here people don't refregerate cakes. I made the mistake of leaving it out overnight and I got sick. I did it again to make sure and it made me sick again. So, I don't sell cakes with it, but I make it for home, but I keep it in the fridge. My home is usu. around 95F during the day, by night it might be as low as 89F or 90F. Right now, it's a little cooler cauz a cool front is passing.

Chao.