How Long Is Buttercream Icing Good For?????
Decorating By Carolina_Girl Updated 14 May 2006 , 4:27pm by Carolina_Girl
I forgot to put my buttercream Icing on the frig. Is it ok to use or should I just make another batch? I did use meringue powder in my icing.
It all depends on the ingredients you used to make the BC icing and the amount of time it was left out.
If you used milk instead of water, then I'd say make a new batch if it was left out for more than a few hours.
If you used a butter / Crisco combo (or butter at all) then I'd definatly say make a new batch, if it was left out for more than a few hours. Since butter has a tendency to go rancid (or even mold) pretty quick if left out.
I almost always use water instead of milk. When I do use milk, I use sweetened condensed milk, because it already has preservatives in it from the canning process.
I don't ever use butter unless I know the cake will be eaten right away or refrigerated. The only exception to this is when I use a mixture of 1/2 "butter" and 1/2 crisco. My 1/2 "butter" is actually a small amount of real butter and mostly butter flavored crisco.
I use the 1/2 butter and 1/2 crisco and I do not refrigerate my cakes or buttercream unless the filling calls for refrigeration. I don't use milk though, I use coffee creamer and water (got that idea from sugarshack).
I have heard though that even if u used milk in the buttercream you would be ok, becasue the sugar acts as a preservative (salt as well). Before I started using creamer and water I used whipping cream a few times and the cake was fine after a few days
I have never had butter go rancid or get moldy in a few hours. My grandmother leaves it (and margerine) out for days as we use it.. Of course its not like 100 degrees or anything like that in the house.
Here is the quote from baking 911...
Question: Why doesn't buttercream made with butter, powdered sugar and a small amount of milk need refrigeration?
Answer: Because of its high content of sugar and fat. Micro-organisms need water to grow. When the sugar content is so high, the sugar binds the water in such a way that micro-organisms cannot utilize it. Technically its called "water activity control."
I use a 1/2 butter 1/2 crisco reciepe and I leave the cake out..
Hope this helps!!
JoAnn
Thanks everyone. I use butter flavoring instead of butter and I use water not milk in my icing. I am going to go ahead and use it.
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