Decorating Icing that actually tastes good??

[lindrusso]

Is there such a thing?? Forgive me if this has already been brought up, but I'm looking for an icing for cake that I can use with decorating tips, so it needs to be a fairly firm icing that holds up well. In my experience, this usually means that it's nothing but shortening and powdered sugar - ugh.

I'm doing sports cupcakes for my son's birthday party on Sat., and I'm using a tip to make "grass" for the soccer and baseball cupcakes. Any good recipes out there?? TIA.

[lisas3575]

Don't have any great icing recipes (I usually use royal icing; check Martha's web page for the recipe), but my mom always used tinted coconut for grass on cakes. Looks really cute!

[RobinC]

A while back when I did a bunch of cake decorating and before I learned by buy icing in the 10 to 25 gallon tubs :D , I had a decorating icing recipe that had a package of dream whip, flour, and rum extract in the ingredients. It worked well for decorating and had good flavor. When I get home from work, I will dig through my cake stuff and see if I can find it. (yup, I am killing work time surfing the boards)

I also use white butter when making decorating icing. The icing has much better flavor than when using crisco. I get the white butter at a cake supply store.

[BlueMoose]

lindrusso....

How old is your son going to be? My daughter is going to be 4, and I'm having a party on Sunday. (My mom is doing the cake, though :D )

Chrisi

[Chefmom]

I have used this buttercream for YEARS with great success. I use it for all my basic cakes, decorated cakes, even wedding cakes with compliments.

Several people have contacted me and given their thumbs up since I added the receipe to my pages!!

http://RecipeCircus.com/recipes/Chefmom/Buttercreams/Chefmom39s_Classic_American_Buttercream.html

Tami

[lindrusso]

Thanks for the ideas - it's too late to try the coconut idea (since it would involve more running around), but I will file that away for the future. Still not quite sure what I'm going to do yet - but too boring and complicated to get into here ;) . And thanks for the recipe Tami!

Chrisi - my son will be 4 also!! Actually he turned 4 today (the 9th), but the party isn't until Saturday. The weather is supposed to be 78º and sunny - perfect. Good thing, because my house is small and we'd have a hard time with 11 kids running around! Hope you all have a wonderful time. Aren't they just growing up too fast???? I can't believe my youngest is already 4! But he's still a cuddlebug, so he still seems like my baby....

[clairea]

I have used the following buttercream recipe several times, and it has worked really well for decorating (and everyone seems to think it tastes good)

1/2 pound butter or margarine (or half butter, half margarine), softened to room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla
2 pounds confectioners' sugar

Place butter, milk, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Cover with about 3 cups of sugar. Beginmixing slowly, scraping sides of bowl from time to time. Gradually add the rest of the sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. It will be an off-white color and creamy. Cover the frosting with a damp towel or keep in an airtight container until ready to use.

(From Creative Cakes, by Stephanie Crookston)

My son is turning 4 next Wednesday, and we are having his party tomorrow too! I am planning on being outside also -- I'll send good weather thoughts your way. I just finished making the Scooby Doo cake -- have to go find a safe place to keep it for 24 hours.

[BlueMoose]

Happy Birthday to all the 4 year olds!!!!!!!!!!

[lindrusso]

Clairea -

Are you doing the Wilton Scooby Doo? I've done the Wilton cakes a few times and although it was quite a project the first one or two times, once you have the rythmn, it's not so bad making all those stars! It's the smooth icing that I hate doing - it never looks as nice as I'd like. But I keep telling myself that the kids don't care!

The more challenging ones I did were those I did freehand - Pooh and Blue the dog - but they came out pretty well considering.

Well, I have the adult desert done now, time to go make and decorate those cupcakes! And yes, Happy Birthday to all the 4 year olds and may you all enjoy your family and friends!

Alysha

[clairea]

Alysha --
I did make the Wilton Scooby Doo. I have done several Wilton cakes, and I agree they are not too bad once you get the hang of it. The freehand ones are much harder (I have done a dump truck and Thomas the Tank Engine this way) -- I like the way they come out, but the time involved is sometimes more than I can manage.

How did your party go? Did you have good weather? They have been predicting rain all week in Georgia but said it would be clear this weekend -- so of course it started pouring last night. It had stopped raining by party time but everything outside was soaking wet so we had to move inside. It wasn't too bad, and the kids all seemed to have a good time. Now I just have to get all those chocolate cake crumbs and ice cream drips off the floor :eek:

Chrisi -- hope your party goes well tomorrow.

Happy birthday to all the four year olds!!

Claire