Icing Decoration That Will Last without Refrigeration

[BakerAunt]

For a bake sale on Saturday, I am going to use some Bundt Pan Molds that make medium sized Gingerbread houses. I think that they would be stunning if I piped on some icing highlights. However, they will be sitting out, so I would need a recipe that does not require refrigeration. Can anyone here suggest such a recipe?

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[luvpyrpom]

Are the gingerbread houses going to be eaten? My only thought is maybe something similiar to a royal icing or something without dairy in it. I'd like to know, too, as I'm sure I would bake something that requires icing and will have to sit out.

[Mike Nolan]

Royal icing is what is traditionally used for gingerbread houses, both because it does not require refrigeration and because it sets well and can be used as glue to put your house together. (Professionals making showpieces often use an aerosol freeze spray to set it faster, but that's not something found in most home kitchens.)

You can mix it up in advance, refrigerate it, and color it in small batches (once colored it should be used within a day or the colors might get blotchy, gel colors seem less likely to do this than liquid or powdered colors.) Allow it to get up to room temperature before using it, and keep it covered with plastic wrap so it doesn't develop a skin.

[BakerAunt]

These are not gingerbread houses that are put together, but small ginger bundt cakes shaped as houses. (Each two house pan holds 5 cups of batter.)

I have thought of buying (gasp) store icing in a tube.

[S_Wirth]

I was going to suggest trying to buy some small tubes. I've only had two tubes in my life when I needed bright green and bright red. It is quite hard to make those deep colors so I got the tubes. It was a very long time ago so there are probably improvements to the tips and even the icing and they should be easy for you to use for your small cakes.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by S_Wirth.

[Mike Nolan]

I think this is one time when most of us would buy a small tube of colored icing. I've used black icing in a tube because black is another color that is terribly hard to get right.

However, I would have my doubts that they've improved the tips or the icing itself in the past 20 years. If anything, I'd almost expect quality to have suffered somewhat. (Call me a pessimist.)

One of the local grocery stores with an in-store bakery sells icing in pint and quart deli containers, I suspect they buy it in 25 pound buckets, I don't know whether it's made with high-ratio shortening.

[rottiedogs]

Try one of the Wilton icings. The second link is for their buttercream icing. Made with all shortening it doesn't have to be refrigerated. They also have a ready to spread version that is available at Michaels or Joann's. Meijer also carries it. If you go the ready to spread route I would thin it down a little so it pipes easily.

http://www.wilton.com/icing-and-topping-recipes/?sz=30&start=0

http://www.wilton.com/buttercream-frosting/WLRECIP-41.html

[BakerAunt]

Thanks! I'll check out what Michael's has. It's to late for a mail order, since the sale is on Saturday.

[BakerAunt]

The designs came out so distinct that I may not use any icing highlights after all.

[Mike Nolan]

Can you post some pictures?

[BakerAunt]

I took a couple of pictures. I don't know how well the detail will turn out, as I have a basic point and shoot camera. I'll try to find time to work on getting them posted, but I'm swamped right now.

This is the second Bundt cake I've made recently that required melted butter. I think that the detail may show up more clearly for Bundt cakes that use this technique.

[Mike Nolan]

Noting wrong with a point-and-shoot, all the shots I took at Chocolate Boot Camp were with a Nikon Coolpix S6200, that's also the camera I was using for shots on this site before mid-July when I bought my Canon T6i. My wife has an even older Coolpix that she uses all the time at work, taking shots of students in Agronomy and Horticulture at UNL.

With all the ornate Bundt pans that have come out in the past few years, I'm glad to know they work well.

[RiversideLen]

I know it's too late for you Baker Aunt but I'm posting this for future reference.

No refrigeration frosting

[Mike Nolan]

We don't drink coffee, and the non-dairy stuff (which, btw, is generally NOT vegan) is awful in tea, so we never have it on hand. I wonder if the baker's dried milk that KAF sells would work? I'd probably use high ratio shortening, too.

[RiversideLen]

Wouldn't using dried milk require refrigeration once it's been hydrated?

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