# Icing - Which way do you go?



## bgan10 (Jan 28, 2007)

I was wondering what the verdict is on Icing. I make cupcakes alot and usually just go with the betty crocker icing from the store. What do most of you do for icing? Do you make it or do you go with store bought? I haven't tried making it yet but I'm sure I will try it soon.


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## short st. cakes (Jan 29, 2007)

Its worth the time. 
I use a basic cream cheese icing that goes with pretty much everything: 1 stick butter, 2 pkgs cream cheese, 1 t. vanilla, and 4-5 c. powdered sugar. (start with everything at room temperature; beat the butter and c.c. together first til smooth, then add other ingredients and beat til smooth.) viola. 
then you can start adding extracts to get different flavors, lemon, mint, caramel, coffee, whatever. 
good luck,
Jodi


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## mellybelly (Jan 22, 2007)

Depends on how much time I am able/willing to spend. Sometimes I will make a cream cheese frosting, because cream cheese is my weakness lol. Other times I will just buy the frosting from the store. 

I have yet to make any buttercream or anything at home. I have a really good recipe too from school, but it uses so much butter. LOL


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## carlaird (Jan 16, 2007)

It depends on you! and who you are making them for!
I just started making my own through the Wilton recipe but some people actually have a taste for store bought icing!!???
HOW COMMON!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I'm not an icing/frosting fan. The one exception that makes the rule is cream cheese frosting on carrot cake. 

Otherwise I find frosting too sweet, too fatty and obstructs the flavor of the cake/cupcake/cookie.


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

This is quite a bit of trouble for the cake crowd. Cake box mixes taste different to an excellent scratch cake made with the best ingredients, but some people like those cake box cakes. I suppose it has to do with what you grew up with or are used to.

The Wilton recipe? The one with shortening? shiver :lol:


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## carlaird (Jan 16, 2007)

THATS RIGHT! I would never pick box cake to say a slice of cake from the Magnolia Bakery (NYC)
WHATS WRONG WITH THE WILTON RECIPE AND THE SHORTENING???


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I have never been a fan of frosting. I'll eat a well-made cream cheese based frosting and some buttercream frostings if they're not too sweet, but that's it. A delicious cake with just a dusting of powdered sugar or some other sparingly-applied garnish is much more to my preference.

I find most commerical frostings on cakes to be greasy and gritty- they set my teeth on edge. A shortening-based frosting would be one I'd scrape off so I could enjoy the cake. I've had friends steal the scraped-off frosting off my plate and offer me their cake.  

CarlAird, please don't be offended when people note their dislike of that type of frosting. Taste is highly subjective and personal! I have friends who would not eat homemade buttercream but would prefer the Wilton type and eat it with gusto.

It's just what I like.


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## jessiquina (Nov 4, 2005)

i'm unfamiliar with the wilton recipe, but usually shortening leaves a greasy undesirable mouth feel.. thats why i would prefer a butter based frosting. 
for every tablespoon of butter, i use one cup of powdered sugar, and add milk until its creamy. oh, and add vanilla and salt and whip it for a little while to get rid of that weird powdered sugar texture.


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## frayedknot (Dec 17, 2006)

I agree, here in the south I only use shortening in the summer when the heat is a factor.. Jess no almond??


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## carlaird (Jan 16, 2007)

The recipe says 1 cup of Crisco How would I sub with butter AND
Will it mess up the texture?
what temp. should the butter be?


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

Crisco is a transfat. Horrid for you.. more horrid than the sugar and butter would be. Not only that, but it is used because it is easier to work with than real butter, which is temperamental when it comes to temperature. That's why Wilton uses Crisco instead of butter... for the ease of work, not the taste.

The book "The Icing on the Cake" helped me quite a bit. I did the Wilton thing too, but I prefer to cook for taste as well as presentation and Wilton tends to go for only presentation (including the fake vanilla extract, which I refuse to use as well).


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## carlaird (Jan 16, 2007)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT FAKE!?????
THEY NEVER TOLD ME THAT!
Even if you use The Veg Crisco it still is all Trans Fat?
Will you get the same textures with butter?


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

If you want real vanilla essence without the price, you should make your own. Turns out it's as easy as pie to make -- okay, easier than pie to make. Problem is, it won't be clear like the imitation Wilton stuff. It will be the natural color of the vanilla bean, brown. Wilton recommends the clear stuff because it won't interfere with the coloring of your icing. The natural vanilla color will interfere with your food colors.

Crisco is by definition a hydrogenated oil, which is a transfat.

As for butter having the same consistency, no it won't. Butter will change consistency with temperature, so if you have the right temp, you'll get the same consistency. Wilton wants you to have the same consistency, especially while learning, which is why Crisco is used for that. Once you get the techniques down, you can experiment with icings that will work for what you want to do.

Just an aside... I use natural food colorings from India Tree and they are superb.


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## fiveiron (Jan 26, 2007)

Homemade. Plus I like a light amount on the cake, etc. There is always too much icing on cakes in my opinion.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

always home made, always with good ingredients, meaning *real* ingredients, meaning no crisco, margarine, or other junk food. 
butter, cream cheese, sugar, cream, sour cream, etc. etc. etc. 
The recipes are countless.
get used to the real thing and you'll be able to taste the fake-o stuff, the flavor enhancers, the artificial greases, the stuff that is surely bad for you, but mainly bad for your taste buds - and your soul!
remember, man does not live by bread alone, cake is also good, and frosting, don;t forget the frosting.


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## carlaird (Jan 16, 2007)

I dont skimp on Vanilla I pick up the William Sonoma 3 pack But they did tell me in class to get the clear BUT did not say it was fake! THANK YOU for the answer on subbing w/ butter!


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

So, CarlAird, when are we going to see some of your work? I need to take photos of mine as photography is a hobby of mine, but I've been sans scanner for a while. Time to make that $99 investment.

Will you post some photos of what you're up to?


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## carlaird (Jan 16, 2007)

Sure!!
How Do I Do That And Where Do I Do That!??


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

You can use Imageshack (www.imageshack.com)

And just to be specific... I'm talking chocolate cake pics, not beefcake.


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## bgan10 (Jan 28, 2007)

I will defiantly make sure and try to make some icing from scratch. Might as well take the plunge and start walking up the stairs. Thanks for all the input!


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