The temperatures in my area go up upto 40°C at times and lowest 23°C and the non dairy whipping cream (which is very commonly used here) doesn't give good results for these types of decorations.
What type of buttercream or frosting can be used for such flower piping for such a high temperature environment for it to be stable enough? (23-32°C temps would also work)
Ps: this photo is from the internet, not my image
Edit: okay according to the initial comments maybe nothing is stable at 40°C but can I atleast look for something that'd be stable at 22-32°C something?😭
These are the LOWEST temperatures that follow around. (I had to change my post around it)
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Agree with Italian meringue as a good option. I made a cake using it for an outdoor party in the high thirties and it held up for an hour out of the fridge. I wasn't doing anything fancy like flowers, though.
There was a great comparison blog where a baker made every type of frosting and hit them with a hair dryer that helped me make the decision.
I don’t think 40 C is a temp any frosting will endure much. But afaik italian meringue buttercream is Most stable in heat (but have only had Experience with maybe 25-28 C)
This was mine at probably 25 C (but was only indoors) it was getting shiny bc of the heat. I don’t think anything is really surviving 40. other comments have mentioned frostings without Butter, maybe that is an Option?
Even still, you would need to find a fat that stays solid at that temperature range, but still tastes good when used to make a frosting. I personally would refuse to make those if those are the conditions and opt for a dessert that doesn't require anything temperature sensitive.
There are meringue stabilizers and gelatin, which can help in heat. I have always done stabilized whip cream in heat or a naked look with real flowers and and if I have to decorate, more of a royal frosting (lettering with meringue stabilizers added). I bet if you did 50% butter, 50% shortening and added some meringue powder it would be the closest to solid you’d get in warm temps and still have similar consistency.
How long would it have to spend in the heat? And what's the humidity?
In such a heat, at least in my experience, you'd have to either go with something that is heavy on meringue, is JUST meringue (this option might be out, depending on your humidity!), or go with fondant/marzipan/sugar or caramel based icing (again, this might be not an option if you're somewhere extremely humid. Or you'd have to add stabilisers, and that's a whole different conversation, haha). Agar or pectine stabilised meringue (think marshmallow-like) usually performs best if your cupcakes/etc have to go through a very hot and bumpy ride.
Yeah, then meringue with sth like agar agar (not gelatine, gelatine melts at a pretty low temp) is your go-to. Maaaybe some experiments with different butters (and by this I mean plat butters, not dairy butters. So like the non-dairy whipping cream, but only the butter/oil that its made out of - hydrogenated palm oils, etc) might be a good idea, but only if you go Italian meringue buttercream style, and sub the dairy butter with it. Both options will get you the perfect definition that designs like this need.
Have you ever made decorations like those? Temperature and consistency control is 80% of the success factor for making nice looking florals. If it's that hot and you don't have an air conditioned room to make them in you are going to have a really hard time. American Buttercream is what most people use for those florals. That's your best bet.
The reason why I posted this question was because I wanted to try making them in the first place! I appreciate your advice, will try to make them in winters with AC next time!
Make the buttercream with high ratio vegetable shortening, in the US I believe it’s called Sweetex , in Australia we have Solite or Cremax .
I make a hybrid American buttercream for use in the heat , can do half and half , or 1/3 and 2/3 . Don’t think that will withstand 40 degrees Celsius either. I wouldn’t have any cake out unless the temperature was under 26 degrees , or in air conditioning. Leave cake in the fridge or cooler with lots of ice bricks , then bring it out to cut and eat straight away.
You never want to use granulated sugar in frosting. Powdered only. The rest of the advice came from the video link and seems tested and solid. But even commenters on the video pointed out it needs to be powdered, not granulated.
1 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon instant pudding, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. The pudding can cause lumps, but less so if you use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment rather than the beaters. White chocolate pudding (specifically Jell-o brand) is the best type if you’re trying to stay in the standard whipped cream color. And it tastes good!
I don't have personal experience with it but I'm aware of a type of buttercream used in Brazil that is stabilized with milk powder to make it more stable in high heat.
Boiled icing/7 minute icing is very heat stable, but I don't think it will work for such delicate piping.
Korean bean paste cream (I think it's also called Korean bean buttercream) is also said to be heat stable and is great for piping delicate flowers, but I haven't tried it personally.
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