frosting for cake

[pastrycake]

Hey pastry friends,
I am new to this forum. Love the expert info so far. I am trying to bake a cake for my daughter's first birthday. I am taking wilton's cake decorating class. Their buttercream frosting (mainly crisco and powder sugar) is too sweet for me taste. any alternatives to decorate with and not too sweet? I bought a cupcake shape pan and plan to use it. BTW, I tried the Rich's whip cream I bought from Albertsons, but it got soft and did not frost well . New at baking and would like any input. Thanks

[Zukerig]

What could be more suitable to serve at a toddler's birthday party than a recipe included in Jennifer Low’s Kitchen for Kids: 100 Amazing Recipes Your Children Can Really Make? (Published earlier this year by Whitecap Books.) Naturally, your 1yo daughter isn't ready to whisk, yet...But enjoy, nonetheless!

The author’s Chocolate Frosting:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup whipping cream
sprinkle of salt
drop of vanilla extract

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl and mix.

In small bowl, beat the cream and salt until fluffy.

Whisk in spoonfuls of the icing sugar mixture until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Add a spoonful more icing sugar to thicken -- or a few drops of cream to thin, if needed.

[m brown]

Swiss meringue butter cream is always nice.
look in the Cake Bible or any baking books for a swiss butter cream formula
Swiss and Italian are make with warmed sugar and whites.
Swiss is whipped over a double boiler and Italian has cooked sugar poured into whipping egg whites.
Both are very stable!
mmmmm

[pastrycake]

Thanks for the advice. I don't have the cake bible but I will try to request for it at the library first. Do anyone know of a website link for the swiss buttercream frosting in the meantime. Thanks

[cakerookie]

Yeah,try cakecentral.com you should find it there.