Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

I'm not sure about everyone else but I have grown tired of making buttercream. I find that the baking is great and the decoration is wonderful and fun but making buttercream is tedious. I have the kitchen aid mixer which helps but I can't help but dread it. I called around to the local bakeries and found you can buy it from them in bulk. This sounds like the plan to me but I kinda feel like I am cheating. I don't sell my cakes but I still feel as though I am cheating somehow when it comes to decorating. OK I will quit babbling. Would like to know how you guys feel.

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I also make my own Buttercream and Fondant from scratch. I have to agree with Yvonne that it is part of caking, (at least for me). I should really post some pictures of my kitchen after I have made my MMF, it is a bit of a mess, but it does not take me long to clean up, and I had a great time in the process of making my own. It is so easy, so much cheaper and great fun to make your own.
As for making a mess with the counter top mixer kicking up the confectioner sugar, what I do is wrap a large piece of Plastic wrap around the bowl and top of the mixer...the mess stays in the bowl. it is so easy to lift the end of the plastic wrap to add more confectioners sugar. Just throwing some hints out there.
But which ever way you choose....just have alot of fun with it Sarah.
It is messy but for me personally it's a better in the long run. I make a 6 qt. batch and since I don't sell cakes it lasts awhile. I have bought some but it was way too sweet for my liking. I add popcorn salt to SS's recipe to cut down on the sweetness. It does help using towels to cut down on the mess. I have a shield for my 4 1/2 qt. but need to get one for my 6 qt. and a beater blade.
Although I make my own (only one in the area with edible dust!), I definitely see the benefits of buying it in bulk. If practicing, if making it stifles your creativity 'cause by the time you're done making it, you're too drained to decorate how you REALLY wanted, if your nose is so stopped up that you just can't inhale anymore powdered sugar...

If I were a cake decorator who happened to bake, I'd be buying EVERYTHING pre-made. I am a baker who happens to decorate so taste is where I channel my personality.
I must be weird but I don't have much of a mess when making buttercream.... but I add my powderd sugar very slowly allowing it to mix in very well after each additon. I do have my 6 qt kitchen aid that all my buttercream is mixed in and I do have the shield but I always put a towel over the mixer and it keeps everything right there. I won't say there is not any mess... but not a huge one. As for the fondant.. I will stick with Satin Ice.... too much mess and work. I did purchase redi made from Dixies. I think it is Dixies.com and the taste was not real bad but I does not hold up well under fondant. I had to travel from Oregon to Maryland to make our son's wedding cake and I shipped most everything back to make the cake but I could not ship my kitchen aid and settled for the redi made icing... the cake was not as good as I normally make and did not have my normal smooth fondant work. Just my experience.
So I have made some flowers with my store bought buttercream. WOW! My roses turned out better looking with it then my home made buttercream. The texture is smoother it seems. I am thinking that maybe I am not beating the buttercream enough when I do make it. My wilton teacher warned us not to over beat but I feel like it has some graininess to it and may need some more time in the mixer. But the roses I did turned out so pretty.
I think I will continue to use it. Afterall its just buttercream and there are so many other different icing to make. I have to say I tried a cream cheese icing on my father-in-laws birthday cake that was just to die for. I could eat it by the spoonful!!

Still working on perfecting MMFondant. One time it will be perfect and the next it will be lumpy or shiny. Until I get it right I use it just on practice cakes. For cakes that I make for friends and family I have been buying the Satin Ice which tastes pretty good. Easy to work with and its nice for backup if my homemade is off. :)
Sarah ~ can you post your rose so I can see it?

Sarah Robinson said:
So I have made some flowers with my store bought buttercream. WOW! My roses turned out better looking with it then my home made buttercream. The texture is smoother it seems. I am thinking that maybe I am not beating the buttercream enough when I do make it. My wilton teacher warned us not to over beat but I feel like it has some graininess to it and may need some more time in the mixer. But the roses I did turned out so pretty.
I think I will continue to use it. Afterall its just buttercream and there are so many other different icing to make. I have to say I tried a cream cheese icing on my father-in-laws birthday cake that was just to die for. I could eat it by the spoonful!!

Still working on perfecting MMFondant. One time it will be perfect and the next it will be lumpy or shiny. Until I get it right I use it just on practice cakes. For cakes that I make for friends and family I have been buying the Satin Ice which tastes pretty good. Easy to work with and its nice for backup if my homemade is off. :)
Congratulations, Sarah. So happy the icing worked out for you. Would love to see photos of them.

Sarah Robinson said:
So I have made some flowers with my store bought buttercream. WOW! My roses turned out better looking with it then my home made buttercream. The texture is smoother it seems. I am thinking that maybe I am not beating the buttercream enough when I do make it. My wilton teacher warned us not to over beat but I feel like it has some graininess to it and may need some more time in the mixer. But the roses I did turned out so pretty.
I think I will continue to use it. Afterall its just buttercream and there are so many other different icing to make. I have to say I tried a cream cheese icing on my father-in-laws birthday cake that was just to die for. I could eat it by the spoonful!!

Still working on perfecting MMFondant. One time it will be perfect and the next it will be lumpy or shiny. Until I get it right I use it just on practice cakes. For cakes that I make for friends and family I have been buying the Satin Ice which tastes pretty good. Easy to work with and its nice for backup if my homemade is off. :)
Hi can you tell me if I can seperate the icing that you bought into different containers and can you safe them and for how long will it last once you open the container and seperate?

Sarah Robinson said:
I purchased 28lbs for $30.56 at Sam's tonight. They only sell it in those large batch containers. It does seem thicker than what I am used to but right now it is freezing here and I think I need to bring it up to the right temp. I know I can thin it out if need be. I think it will be a pleasant break from making buttercream. And it tastes just as good as home made. I am going to give it a chance and see what comes of it this week.

Diana Viera said:
I know BJ's doesn't sell it. Do you know if Costco sells it? I'm curious and am interested in checking it out, despite what I've heard in my classes.
The ladies at the bakery stated it could not be refrigerated but I that I could keep it in containers for up to 6 months. I am keeping it in the container that it comes in just because it is a 5 gallon bucket with a air tight lid on it that takes 5 minutes to get into!!! I figure if I have a hard time to get into then it is sealed well enough.

And I will get pictures on here as soon as my camera charges so I can pull the images. :)

Ivette Mendez said:
Hi can you tell me if I can seperate the icing that you bought into different containers and can you safe them and for how long will it last once you open the container and seperate?

Sarah Robinson said:
I purchased 28lbs for $30.56 at Sam's tonight. They only sell it in those large batch containers. It does seem thicker than what I am used to but right now it is freezing here and I think I need to bring it up to the right temp. I know I can thin it out if need be. I think it will be a pleasant break from making buttercream. And it tastes just as good as home made. I am going to give it a chance and see what comes of it this week.

Diana Viera said:
I know BJ's doesn't sell it. Do you know if Costco sells it? I'm curious and am interested in checking it out, despite what I've heard in my classes.
Thank you

Sarah Robinson said:
The ladies at the bakery stated it could not be refrigerated but I that I could keep it in containers for up to 6 months. I am keeping it in the container that it comes in just because it is a 5 gallon bucket with a air tight lid on it that takes 5 minutes to get into!!! I figure if I have a hard time to get into then it is sealed well enough.

And I will get pictures on here as soon as my camera charges so I can pull the images. :)

Ivette Mendez said:
Hi can you tell me if I can seperate the icing that you bought into different containers and can you safe them and for how long will it last once you open the container and seperate?

Sarah Robinson said:
I purchased 28lbs for $30.56 at Sam's tonight. They only sell it in those large batch containers. It does seem thicker than what I am used to but right now it is freezing here and I think I need to bring it up to the right temp. I know I can thin it out if need be. I think it will be a pleasant break from making buttercream. And it tastes just as good as home made. I am going to give it a chance and see what comes of it this week.

Diana Viera said:
I know BJ's doesn't sell it. Do you know if Costco sells it? I'm curious and am interested in checking it out, despite what I've heard in my classes.
You should try Dixie's Buttercream, it tastes great and is reasonably priced. You can purchase the white or in colors and also in chocolate.
I found Dixie's online and ordered her sample package. I can't wait to try it out. It did say it is a non crusting buttercream which scares me. Not sure if I can get it perfect without the smoothing technique. We will see though. Thanks!!

Angela Wright Pineda Kyle said:
You should try Dixie's Buttercream, it tastes great and is reasonably priced. You can purchase the white or in colors and also in chocolate.

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