white-white wedding cake

[Eeyore]

I know this has probably been discussed here before but...

What is your favorite recipe for icing on a wedding cake that must be white-white?

I have a few but wonder if there isn't something better.

thanx in advance,
eeyore

[W.DeBord]

Bright white icing has to have shortening in it, all butter is always ivory once it sits. I'd go 50/50, butter/shortening many places go 100% shortening (100% shortening is what most people complain about with bakery frostings).

Other way to get a bright white, use rolling fondant over your butter cream. Wilton sells a white food color to whiten frosting. If your making more of a simple frosting using clear vanilla extract instead of reg. which can darken your white.

[Eeyore]

Thanks, those are the basic ideas I had. I have found that even a 50/50 ratio will turn off-white. But I just cant stand the thought of Crisco icing.

I have used the stuff called "white-white" It takes so much to really make a difference, Im wondering if I do an entire wedding cake with the stuff it will effect the taste. Is that possible?

Isn't there some margarines that aren't yellow? Would they at least be better than straight shortening?

ugh
eeyore

[roon]

I'll probably be burned alive for this, but oh well-

Use lard (non-hydrogenized), not shortening. It's the same consistency, is pure white, and isn't trans-fatty junk. I also think (and it may just be my imagination!) that it tastes better, in icing, or anything that calls for shortening. I haven't bought shortening for ages now.

[marmalady]

I used a white chocolate/cream cheese icing on a wedding cake in July last year - It held up really well in the hot weather once it was chilled.

[Eeyore]

hmmmmm....interesting. Recipes?

[roon]

I've always used the Wilton Buttercream Icing recipe, and just substituted lard for the shortening. The lard should be soft, room temperature. It's shelf-stable, so refrigeration isn't necessary as long as you wrap it up each time you're done with it. If you buy lard in buckets, of course, just put the lid back on each time you're done with it.

[thebighat]

Used to use Fleischman's corn oil margarine in a buttercream at a place. Wasn't totally white, but it's a lot less yellow than butter. I think a teeny bit of blue will make the white whiter. We used to warm 18 eggs with 4 cups of sugar and then beat it till fluffy, then beat in 11 lbs margarine. The advantage of a buttercream made this way, or with an Italian meringue, is that you don't get that gritty confectioner's sugar feeling on the roof of the mouth. I would not under any circumstances use lard on a cake unless you wanted it to taste a little meaty. Disgusting..sorry.

[momoreg]

Meaty, indeed. Plus, forget eating any if you're a vegetarian.

TBH, do you mean eggs or egg whites?

[roon]

I've never noticed any kind of "meaty" taste when using lard- but it could just be me!

[marmalady]

Re recipe -

Hey, Eyeore - I used the recipe from Rose Levy Berenbaum's "Cake Bible" book - got it from teh library, but don't have the whole recipe. Sorry. I do remember that there was a tip from Shirley Corriger, who said she used much less butter for a wedding cake in the hot Atlanta summer, and it worked fine. Sorry I couldn't get the whole recipe for you.

[thebighat]

Whole eggs is what we used. Warm them up real good and them beat till thick. Course, this was 20 years ago before there was a lot of concern about eggs not being cooked to 145 or whatever. But it does make a nice buttercream.

[roon]

Ok, just to make sure I was not nuts-

I just went and did a little taste test. Tiny bit of lard. Tiny bit of shortening. Tasted each separately. They taste exactly the same to me. No meaty flavor in the lard. Nor the shortening (which was created to be a substitute for lard, I believe- so they made the taste mimic lard as closely as possible!) Just in case you want to try it.

However, good point about the vegetarians not wanting to eat it! Didn't think of that.

[Isa]

Originally posted by roon
However, good point about the vegetarians not wanting to eat it! Didn't think of that.

Vegetarian or not, it doesn't sound very appetising...

[thebighat]

Lard is deodorized in the manufacturing process, but I still think it has a funny taste. Every year I want to make a plum pudding, but the bit about the suet increases my pucker factor too much. I broked down and made a pie crust with it this year, but I really can't handle the idea of the stuff.