Meringue Powder In Buttercream Icing
Decorating By tcturtleshell Updated 28 Apr 2016 , 2:38am by DormCat
Haven't ever had the Wilton boxed mix for icing. I guess it really is a matter of personal taste. Some folks grew up with bakery type icing and this is what they are used to, so they like it. I grew up with butter icing and so I prefer the taste of the butter in the icing and real vanilla and I like the texture better. Generally most people feel that it is easier to make roses and such from the class all-shortening recipe. I think for the taste, you are really going to have to give it at try and see what you think.
Hugs Squirrelly
I do use it in my buttercream. I like a good crust. So I feel it is a matter of taste. I usually add almond extract to my buttercream. I also will tell you that I do use the all shortening crust. Especially if the cake is going to out for a while. I think that I may be a spazz about milk & butter spoiling. I really dont want anyone to get sick
Wish me luck! I have a home bakery inspection for tomorrow to get offically licensed in Ohio to sell cakes.
Teisha
www.mysweettreats.com
Good luck tomorrow. I am sure all will go well. Hi Teisha,
All the best of luck with your inspection.
Commercial and licensed bakeries are subject to different restrictions when it relates to the handling and storing of perishable items. Generally, a licensed bakery would have to refridgerate a cake iced with an icing containing dairy products. This is likely due in part to the fact that most commercial kitchens are very warm and it is an added precaution.
But as to butter and milk and cream buttercream being safe at room temperature, even Wilton states that it has the same shelf life at room temperature as the all shortening and water based recipe.
I have been using milk and ceam and butter in my icing for more than 30 years. I find it keeps fine on the counter for up to about 5 days at a room temperature below 75F, mine is a constant 70F. No one has ever gotten sick from it, nor has it ever turned or spoiled.
It keeps about 2 weeks in the refridgerator prior to using it to ice a cake, although generally I prefer to keep it one week maximum.
For commercial bakeries the restrictions are a lot more rigid, an example would be that eggs can not sit at room temperature for more than 20 minutes. For most folks, it takes longer than that to get them home from the grocery store.
You are wise to follow accepted food safety proceedures in your licensed bakery in the home. Not following these guidelines would result in your being fined or your license being taken away.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
I haven't been baking/decorating cakes for very long, and in that time I've only used the all Crisco icing made at home. After taking part in the forum discussions, I plan to try the half butter half Crisco next time I make icing, even though I like the one I've been using all right, and it tastes good.
I can't imagine using Wilton's canned stuff, most of their products, in my opinion, do not live up to their hype.
I checked TC and Weisbaden, Hanau, and Darmstadt does not have the meringue stuff... maybe Vogelweh or Ramstein might...I will check just to see...I still want to wait. I dont want to have alot of this stuff packed.
ARE YOU IN GERMANY FLAYVUR?
Just wanted to add, that if you are doing the half butter, half shortening recipe, you don't add meringue powder to it, I guess you could if you want to, but you don't generally.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
I may be in the minority, but I really like the shortening-based icing we make in the Wilton courses! I use half vanilla and half almond extracts and have gotten lots of rave reviews on it, including one man telling me that he loves buttercream and mine was the best he's ever had.
Makes me wonder how much better it'd be with butter!
You know, with the icing, it seems to be what people have grown up with, whether it is all shortening or part or all butter. Guess a lot of it is what they are used to expecting.
Regarding salted or unsalted, well the reason is use salted is to cut down on the sweet taste, but also because the salt in the butter works at both preserving the butter and the icing. If I don't have salted butter, I do use unsalted, but I keep a closer eye on it for spoiling just in case. The sugar does act as a preservative to a degree, but the salt tends to preserve it even longer. Plus unsalted butter is almost twice the price of salted here in Ottawa, Canada.
Anyway, just my opinion.
I am not fond of the artificial flavourings like the clear vanilla or the butter flavouring or the artificial almond, I only use pure extracts and such. I think some folks are more sensitive to the chemicals or the taste from the artifical flavourings. I don't like clear vanilla because it tastes and smells to me like coconut, which I don't like as a flavouring. Guess it is really a matter of personal taste with most folks.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
By using meringue powder with the Wilton all shortening (I don't call that buttercream since there's no butter in it) icing recipe, my roses come out beautiful. I have tried stiff buttercream with no meringue powder and the results are not as good. But I love the buttercream taste so much better, so I compromise & keep a small batch of the all shortening for my roses, and use buttercream for everything else. I have not noticed much of a taste difference between salted or unsalted butter, so I use both, whatever is on sale. Usually the salted butter is cheaper.
By using meringue powder with the Wilton all shortening (I don't call that buttercream since there's no butter in it) icing recipe, my roses come out beautiful. I have tried stiff buttercream with no meringue powder and the results are not as good. But I love the buttercream taste so much better, so I compromise & keep a small batch of the all shortening for my roses, and use buttercream for everything else. I have not noticed much of a taste difference between salted or unsalted butter, so I use both, whatever is on sale. Usually the salted butter is cheaper.
hey nash! i think you just answered my question. i went to my wilton class last nite, my 2nd one.. and we were doing the start of roses.
well, i made dawns BC,which i love the taste of, i made the thick consistancy and my base would just fall over! LOL! we were dying laughing. it was soo funny. so i was confused at to what to do!
So, maybe ill use the wilton all Shortening recipe for the roses then use the BC for all other decorations? is that what you do? or use all shortening ofr all the decorating and use dawns BC for icing the cake?
Has anyone else had their base fall over? I've not had this happen. I've had my petals be softer than I like. But not the base. I'm very curious. I need to know so I can advise others. Thanks!!
Has anyone else had their base fall over? I've not had this happen. I've had my petals be softer than I like. But not the base. I'm very curious. I need to know so I can advise others. Thanks!!
ok guys!! we have figured out the problem lol!
i put water in the icing, that is why it was falling over LOL!
thanks!!
I use water in my icing and haven't had a problem. My instructor said not to use milk for fear someone would get sick. Doesn't seem like this is a problem after reading here, though.
My icing recipe does NOT like water. Never has... that was the issue. It breaks down when water is added.
Sugar is a major preservative. It takes a lot for the milk to go bad. Or you can use the non-dairy flavored coffee creamers.
Yes, there are a lot of fear-mongers scaring folks from using milk or cream in icing. Sugar is a preservative as is salt, so if you use salted butter, you have double action as preservatives. The only issue you might have, is as a commercial baker, where the food safety rules are a lot tougher, mainly due to the fact that they have to cover a lot of possible hazards or risks. Mainly due to the fact that the temperature in a commercial kitchen can be extremely high and the heat is an issue when using dairy products or eggs. In fact, the standard for egg use in commercial bakeries, is 20 minutes maximum at room temperature and then dispose of them. That time frame is likely less than the time it takes most folks to get the eggs through the checkout line and home from the supermarket.
I know on the Wilton site, there are and have been a lot of folks scaring people about using dairy products in their icing. I know this because I took it upon myself to dispute these claims and educate some of these folks and it has on a few occasions, annoyed a few folks. BUt the truth is, that Wilton gives the same time-frame for both kinds of icings on cakes to be stored at room temperature, 2-3 days all shortening and water or butter, shortening and milk and cream. Now generally, I find that the timeframe is much longer.
Anyway, Dawn, it is nice to see that you are on the same bandwagon, haha! Hhmn, I may have to recruit you onto the Wilton site the next time this issue comes up. I need support, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
Got yours too kiddo! Perhaps not always effectively, but I do try! Geesh, is there an emoticon for a private joke?
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
Yes, I use the Wilton all shortening recipe for roses. I use regular buttercream (with no meringue powder added) for all the rest of my decorating and basic icing on the cake and it seems to crust just fine. I always add milk to any icing recipe, even the Wilton one. I remember Dawn saying oil and water don't mix and that just stuck with me. I like Dawn's recipe and I also use the Dream Whip icing alot.
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