Could someone recommend an alternative to buttercream icing? I've been asked to do a cake and they do not like buttercream. I found a great cream cheese icing on this site! Tastes great but was really soft and I had trouble piping grass with it (although it might have been due to a mistake in my making it). I wonder if I can add some more powdered sugar to firm it up....
Ganache is a wonderful alternative. I had a couple that did not want the sweet taste of buttercream so I made some samples with ganache and they had their entire cake the triple chocolate fudge cake with ganache. It was oh so yummy!
The recipe I use is a 2:1 ratio... 2 cups chopped chocolate to 1 cup heavy cream.
Just heat the cream until it begins to boil, have the chopped up chocolate in a stainless steel bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute then stir until the chocolate is all melted. Be sure to use a rubber scraper because the chocolate on the bottom does not incorporate if you don't. Put a layer of saran wrap over the top and let it sit on the counter for at least 4 hours. I usually let it sit over night. You will be able to spread it like buttercream and it is wonderful. Great to cover with fondant but be sure you have it smooth. If you make a white chocolate fondant, use a 3:1 ratio. You can add liquor if you want it flavored too. Yummy stuff!
sometimes people don't know the difference between american buttercream and italian or swiss meringue buttercream. they may like it, just haven't had it before. if they're still not open to it, yes, ganache is a wonderful idea!
I didn't think of ganache. If I do a white chocolate ganache i should be able to add color to it, right? Might even give the italian meringue buttercream a try. Thanks for the ideas!
all of my familly don't like buttercreem and some of my custemeres too, so after lots and lots of recipes i came up with my on , great for icing cakes or piping hold its shape you can pip grass with it . i use 2cups of havey creem 4 tbs of cornstarch disolve in 4tbs of milk and mix with the creem coock until become thicker than pudding stirring constantly .remove and let it cool , put foil on top of the pudding to avoid skin . when cool completly add your flavering and 1 stick of butter ( soften) 1/2 cup shortning and 1 pakage of creem cheese and the amount of sugar you want .and mix all together for 3 mint.until nice and smoothe. if stiff add creem , you can colore it too ,
and if you want the creem cheese icing ( your on recipe) great for piping use less butter and more shortning , the butter melt outside shortning don't. hope it can help
Judy ~ I add meringue powder to my cream cheese for a thicker consistency. It will hold its shape on cake and I also color the cream cheese and decorate with same.
Diana, how much meringue powder do you add to your recipe?
Diana Viera said:
Judy ~ I add meringue powder to my cream cheese for a thicker consistency. It will hold its shape on cake and I also color the cream cheese and decorate with same.