Icing help!

I am making a rainbow layered cake for DD's birthday - have bumped Onyx's thread about cake mixes - I think the Betty Crocker one is the way to go but I need a white icing for in-between each of the 6 layers and then for all over the top and sides and Im not sure what to use. I have used the BC vanilla one before but I can't stand the taste and it's a bit off-white and was hoping for a white icing.

Any advice appreciated!!



cake.jpg This is the cake Im making!

Oooh pretty cake! I'd used a butter cream like in the Onyx thread personally.

I'd second the butter cream if you don't like BC vanilla one, or you could make a cream cheese one. I generally just use the BC ones because the kids love them, even though to me it tastes like you're eating a bucket of sugar with each bite!

That cake must be THE latest thing - you're the 4th person I know making it for their LO's birthday.

Happy baking.

buttercream would be the way to go but beat the crap out of the butter for as long as possible to get it as white as you can.

I've replied in the other thread but....... something not too sweet which is why I like the cream cheese recipe.

Or...... how about Nextix' French Cream Icing. It's fluffy so it will give good coverage whilst not being overwhelming.

French Cream Icing

5 tblsp plain flour
1 cup milk (not sure if you can use skim milk?)
225g butter, soft
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Whisk flour and milk together in small non-stick saucepan over low heat. Stir with whisk continually until thick and starting to boil. (mine never boil, they just seemed too thick, but I do cook them for a few minutes). Remove from heat, spread over a cold dinner plate to cool faster, stirring and turning over with a rubber spatula to speed things up a bit. Give the odd stir and turn while whipping the butter. It must be completely cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
Whip butter until fluffy.
Add sugar and vanilla, beat until mixture is smooth and sugar is dissolved.
Add the cooled flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat until smooth and stands in peaks.
Spread over cupcakes (makes more than enough for 24 cupcakes, maybe even 36), or use to fill and spread over the two round cakes.

Delicious! Don't be put off by the 'cooked' aspect of this icing. I think this is MUCH better than cream cheese icing. One of our friends said it tasted like ice cream, and seemed to be wondering how this ice cream icing wasn't melting at room temperature.

Both recipes found on the internet, but can't remember where!

Wilton has a snow white icing recipe. It uses vegetable shortening (cophra) not butter.
They also sell a white icing colour to whiten buttercreams.

Thanks ladies! Lulu that cake is all over Pinterest! She chose the theme too - unicorn rainbow!!! Made a rainbow bunting tonight and am making a little paper one for the cake as well - just need to get the icing right. I think my problem in the past has been not whipping the butter for long enough and it's gone all weird and soggy!!! Being winter and freezing here we have the heating on and it just oozed which I do not want happening on this one! Onyx that french cream one looks good too - not sure what to do now!

Does anyone have a cream cheese one that is reliable and white?!!

I've just tried to find mine but can't. I think I must have ditched it when I culled and organised all my recipes a few months ago

When do you need it? If you don't get one from anyone else in the meantime, I'll chase up another copy from Mum tomorrow.

Thanks babe, need it tomorrow! Am thinking I will just make the buttercream one and whip the ***** out of it to make it firm - should work hey?!!! PS 11 days OMG!!!! xoxoxo

Another qs! Can I make these the day before????? party is at 10 tomorrow!!

I would use the fluffly frosting that you cake find in the women's weekly cake books (whipped egg whites with hot sugar syrup beaten in). It is pure white. However, I don't think you'd be able to do it the day before. Maybe the night before seeing as it is cold.

DS has an egg allergy Bloom so I can't use one with egg in it (he's ok with cooked egg) DD is sick now so am thinking I will do a mini cake to test it all out - maybe a swirl through it somehow to test the colours for next week.

Red velvet NEEDS a good cream cheese frosting!

Just realised you are doing rainbow

I do Swiss meringue icing. I actually don't like buttercream at all. Swiss meringue icing is pasteurised. I have made this icing with this cake before and it's perfect. White, fluffy, light and not too sweet.

You can buy ready made buttercream too, in all sorts of colours. I bought some for the first cake I made DD, from Crabapple Bakery - did a course with them and they're local to you if all else fails. Best bit is you use what you need and freeze the rest!

Oohhh thanks Rouge - that looks ace and the whites are cooked so DS can have it too!

Rouge I am a bit scared after reading the Swiss meringue recipe on the Martha site - lots of people saying it doesn't work at all and stays all soupy. Is the key room temp ingredients??

Have you got a stand mixer?

It works fine. Don't use castor sugar (it will burn and you'll have gritty bits in your icing). You'll know the eggs are cooked when they are warm to touch, not hot. Warm. If they are hot they will crystalise. I have made this icing a billion times and never had any disasters if I follow this method. I use my KA and use the bowl for the KA over a pot of simmering water and stir gently with a whisk till all the sugar is dissolved. I just rub a bit of whites between my fingers to feel if it's dissolved. Then I put it onto the mixer and on about speed 8 I whisk till stiff peaks and then from there continue for 7 minutes, or until the outside of the bowl has completely cooled. Then I slowly add the butter with the flat beater a few cubes at a time. And if it appears to separate beat again at a high speed. And then on a slow speed to remove air bubbles. If it's clumpy you need to beat again at a high speed.

Sometimes I add all the butter sometimes I don't. So just do it to taste. And know it makes a lot of icing

This is one of my secret weapons

Yep got a KA, thanks so much am going to give it a whirl! Looks so great! One more qs.... When it says crumb icing what does that mean?

The crumb coating contains the crumbs. I pop the cake in the fridge/freezer till cold and firm. Then do a light coat of icing over the entire coating to contain the crumbs. Then back in the freezer till firm. Then coat again and your icing will be PERFECT and crumb free