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Dream Whip in buttercream?


JeanneCake

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I have a client who just booked her October wedding with me. She has her heart set on Publix buttercream, which I have never had. (she wasn't crazy about the meringue buttercream which is our house buttercream.)

I'm told that it is fluffy - not the typical American buttercream with confectioners sugar, butter/shortening, milk and salt - this Publix stuff doesn't crust. The bride called her mom to see if she had the recipe, and the mom said it used Dream Whip but couldn't remember the other ingredients but she was sure it also had confectionery sugar in it.

Being a supermarket, I'm sure they don't use butter. Anyone have a recipe for a buttercream that uses Dream Whip? Or have an inside track on what Publix uses for their cakes? I googled Publix buttercream and got several hits but none of them seem appropriate (they all look like crusting buttercream to me).

Any ideas?

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You might look through the "Apron" section of the Publix site. I quickly found this recipe (scroll down to the dessert). It doesn't call for Dream Whip, but it does sound something like what you're describing.

It also reminds me of the chocolate "mousse" we served at the first place I worked: equal parts Dream Whip and canned chocolate pudding. It was better than a lot of "real" mousses I've had.

Dave Scantland
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dscantland@eGstaff.org
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Eat more chicken skin.

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Years ago I used to make "buttercream" with Dream Whip. The basic recipe was 2# powdered sugar, 1 1/2 cups Crisco or Sweetex, about 1 cup of water and 1 package of Dream Whip, and flavoring. You mix the Dream Whip in dry with the powdered sugar and then mix in the shortening and water. Then beat it for quite a while until fluffy. It tastes pretty good, but I doubt that a supermarket is using this, they are probably using one of the mixes like BetterCreme or a premade buttercream out of a bucket.

I have a large batch shortening and powdered sugar recipe that does not crust. If you want I will pm it to you.

check out my baking and pastry books at the Pastrymama1 shop on www.Half.ebay.com

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I'm only saying this cause you know me Jeanne! :raz:

I'd tell the bride if she wants a f$#ck'n Publix cake she can go to f$#ck'n Publix!!!! :raz:

You're awesome!! You always make me laugh! :raz:

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Orison Swett Marden

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I'm only saying this cause you know me Jeanne! :raz:

I'd tell the bride if she wants a f$#ck'n Publix cake she can go to f$#ck'n Publix!!!! :raz:

:wub:

:unsure: The client is on such a hunt for this that she's considering having someone send some of the stuff up here so I can taste it.

Has anyone had a Publix cake? What's the deal with this stuff? Why do so many people want to copy this stuff? (from what I found on the google search!)

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Because people who spend their whole lives eating store-bought cake think that's what cake is supposed to taste like. :wacko:

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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I'm only saying this cause you know me Jeanne! :raz:

I'd tell the bride if she wants a f$#ck'n Publix cake she can go to f$#ck'n Publix!!!! :raz:

:wub:

:unsure: The client is on such a hunt for this that she's considering having someone send some of the stuff up here so I can taste it.

Has anyone had a Publix cake? What's the deal with this stuff? Why do so many people want to copy this stuff? (from what I found on the google search!)

My neice had a Publix cake for her bday in March. However, when my sis and I ordered the cake, we ordered the whip cream. We both think the buttercream is VILE. I can dig up a pic if you want to see it.

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You know what's always gotten to me about brides?

She is so focused on HER wedding......it's MY dress...MY flowers.....MY food....MY cake......MY day....that they totally forget that things at the reception (the cake, the food, the music) are mostly for the GUESTS to enjoy.

I mean, it's bad enough that they have to give up a perfectly lovely Saturday or Sunday afternoon to attend her nuptials......and make the effort to go shopping for a wedding gift. If there weren't receptions complete with food and cake, who but the family would really make the effort to show up? Not many I'd imagine. :raz:

I'd always gently remind brides that the cake isn't only for her......mostly it's for her guests. So she likes Publix "buttercream"......what about her guests? I'm betting money they probably won't enjoy it as much as she does. :wink:

I used to have couples come in and tell me they wanted a (gluten free, vegan, diabetic, dairy free, etc) cake because one or both had special dietary needs. I'd always ask them, "And your guests have these same dietary issues too?" "Well......no.", they'd say. So I'd always suggest that they have the top tier be "their" cake and the rest of the cake be something that everyone else could eat. Most agreed that would be a good idea. What kills me is that thought never occurred to them in the first place.......... :wacko:

ok.....I'm done ranting now.

On the subject of Publix "buttercream", I bet it's something like Rich's Bettercreme.....I know people that just LOVE that stuff, and although we don't have the Publix chain out here in the West, I know a lot of grocery stores use Rich's because it's shelf-stable.

Edited by chefpeon (log)
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I live in the land of Publix buttercream and have had to face this very issue with a few brides. The funny thing is that this is sometimes a "dealbreaker" with a bride. She grew up on the crisco/10X sugar frosting and can't imagine eating anything else! (memories of childhood...) Those brides aren't going to be convinced that the cake is for their guests - it's all about them!

Here's the recipe I use when making a cake that's supposed to have "Publix icing". The recipe is from Domino's sugar and I've replaced all of the "shortening" with butter. (call me stubborn!)

1 pound 10X sugar, sifted

4 oz. softened butter

3 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

Mary

Beaches Pastry

May your celebrations be sweet!

Beaches Pastry Blog

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Hi Mary! Thank you for the recipe. Does this icing crust? (Does Publix icing crust? The bride in question says it doesn't, it stays fluffy but I wonder how that is if there's confectioners's sugar in it.) This is defintely a deal breaker for this bride :biggrin:

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This is defintely a deal breaker for this bride  :biggrin:

I knew lack of talent wasn't the only reason I don't do wedding cakes (it's just the main reason)... the other reason is that I would probably tell the bride to wedding march her arse out the door if she insisted I had to use crisco and confectioners to cover a cake. I know there's nothing wrong with doing it and I also realize that many people like it but I just can't do it. I'd be in the poorhouse in no time. :biggrin:

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Hi Mary!  Thank you for the recipe.  Does this icing crust?  (Does Publix icing crust? The bride in question says it doesn't, it stays fluffy but I wonder how that is if there's confectioners's sugar in it.)  This is defintely a deal breaker for this bride  :biggrin:

I honestly can't remember if this icing crusts, since it's been over a year since I've made it. Make a small batch, ice the back of a cake pan and let it sit for a few hours. That should give you a more accurate answer than my lame guess.

If I get a minute today I"ll stop by Publix and ask them what brand of icing they use. After all, I can see the tubs of it on the counters sometimes.

A deal breaker...isn't that hilarious and sad at the same time?

Beaches Pastry

May your celebrations be sweet!

Beaches Pastry Blog

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Thank you both for the detective work! :biggrin:

The only names I know of WRT mixes is Brill, and Henry&Henry because I see them advertising in Modern Baking - but I don't know anything about these companies. (Speaking of Modern Baking, does anyone remember the ad with the baker working on a cake in the middle of the night? Everything is meticulously clean, all the stuff on the shelves is perfectly arranged in line, labels out and nothing is askew or out of place! I always got a laugh out of that ad, but I couldn't tell you what brand it was promoting!! I only look like that in the first 30 mins of work.)

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