Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Cupcake Stylist Q&A Tuesday -- What type of icing should I use on my cake?

I must confess, I borrowed the term “Q&A Tuesday” from Marie Forleo – thanks Marie!

I receive a number of questions regarding cake and cupcake recipes, storage, fondant, shipping, etc., so I thought I would take the first Tuesday of every month to address your questions.





Today’s “Q”:  What type of icing should I use on my cake (and/or cupcakes)?

And the “A” to that Q is, it depends…

There are a number of things to factor in, but you can narrow your choices by answering the following questions:

  1. Will your celebration be held in a temperature controlled environment?
  2. Does your filling require refrigeration?

IF your filling requires refrigeration, it is safe to assume your cake will not be placed directly in the sun, and the temperature will be monitored. So, in this case you are safe with a Buttercream, Whipped, Cooked or Ganache icing.  These icing types do fine with refrigeration, and are a great base for fondant decorations, ALTHOUGH the fondant decorations should be placed AFTER the cake or cupcakes are removed from the refrigerator and before serving.




IF your filling doesn’t require refrigeration, you can use fondant to “ice” your crumb coated cake.  Once your layers are covered with fondant, you can store your iced cake at room temperature for up to 4 days.  To keep the fondant from drying out, simple wrap your iced cake with plastic wrap.  Do not refrigerate or freeze, as the condensation can cause the fondant to “weep” and the colors to run.



Then, on the day of your party, simply remove the plastic wrap, add your fondant decorations, and you are ready to wow your family and friends with a fabulous cake and or cupcakes!


If you would like additional information on icing types, check out Wilton’s “icing chart:    http://www.wilton.com/decorating/icing/icing-chart.cfm


Was this helpful?  If so, please leave a comment below to let me know if you are going to use fondant or another type of icing to ice your cake and or cupcakes! 

Happy Styling!

Deborah




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