Welcome to the Cake Cream fam! You are going to love this incredible product just as much as we do! If you are wanting to try Cake Cream for the first time, or have already but got a bit stuck with the process, we are here to help. Cake Cream is super easy to make and use - and tastes unbelievable!
What is Cake Cream?
Cake Cream is a really clever product that takes all the hard work out of making Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Just add butter and water, whip for 6 minutes, and you have delicious buttercream!
Cake Cream can also be used to make many other things including macarons and brownies - did we mention it's really clever?!
What colours are available in Cake Cream?
We have 14 colours available - Bubble Pink, Frozen Ice, Midnight Black, Navy Baby, Pink Lace, Purple Rain, Sage Green, Vivid Red, Whisper White and White White. We also have 3 flavours which are also Whisper White in colour - Raspberry, Salted Caramel & Chocolate!
Where is Cake Cream made?
Cake Cream is manufactured right here in Brisbane, Australia, using 91% Australian ingredients. You little ripper!
What size does Cake Cream come in?
All colours come in a 400g bag. Whisper White and White White are available in not only the 400g bags, but also in 800g bags and 5kg buckets!! If you are looking for even larger amounts, please reach out to info@bycmproduct.com.au to discuss!
What ingredients do I need to make Cake Cream?
Just butter and water - yes, you did read that right! 200ml of water and 500g (or a full block) of butter, oh and of course your 400g bag of Cake Cream!
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
You can use either - it really comes down to personal preference as to your desired taste and what you have on hand. This also goes for the brand of butter. You can use any brand such as Coles/Woolworths, Western Star, Lurpak etc.
Note: if using White White or Whisper White, the whiter the butter you use, the more white your Cake Cream will end up.
What is the difference between White White and Whisper White?
Whisper White is completely uncoloured. Once made up, the colour will be a creamy off white. Please note that the final colour will be affected by the colour of the butter that is used. The more yellow the butter, the more off-white it will be.
The White White has an added whitener to the powder, to help counteract yellow from the butter. To get the whitest result, use the lightest colour butter you can find (Lurpak is usually a good choice) and beat it for several minutes to get it whiter still before adding the powder.
Can I colour the white Cake Creams?
You sure can! If you are after a vibrant colour, we recommend colouring the Whisper White. White White contains titanium dioxide (E171) to help get the whitest result so if you are after pastel colours, this is the one to choose.
Note: butter colour does affect how the finished product looks. Make sure to use a whiter coloured butter to get the whitest result.
What type of food colouring can I use in Cake Cream?
You can use any concentrated colouring such as Americolor Gel Pastes, Colour Mill, Loyal Gel Colours, Over The Top Gel Colours, Sprinks Gel Colours or even Sugar Art Powdered Food Colours. We do recommend steering clear of the liquid colours, such as the ones found in supermarkets, as this can end up adding more water into the Cake Cream mixture, which can make it too wet/sloppy. The colours aren't as strong either.
Can I flavour Cake Cream?
YES! You can flavour Cake Cream with just about any flavour or essence on the market. You can use LorAnn Oils, LoAnn Emulsions, Roberts Essences, Moreish More Max Flavours or Sprinks Flavouring. You can flavour your Cake Cream to taste by adding as much or as little as you wish. You can also use freeze dried fruit powder to flavour your Cake Cream (just note these will colour the icing too)
All colours of Cake Cream are vanilla flavoured, with the exception of the already flavoured mixes - Raspberry, Chocolate and Salted Caramel.
Is Cake Cream gluten free?
Cake Cream is not certified gluten free. The ingredients themselves are all gluten free, but it is manufactured in a facility that handles gluten.
Can I make Cake Cream dairy free?
You sure can! We have a recipe for this here!
Can I make Cake Cream vegan?
No. Cake Cream has egg white powder in it, so it cannot be made suitable for vegans.
Do I have to add butter or can I use shortening?
You can use all butter or you can use part shortening. It's just a matter of playing around with the amounts, you can do half butter half shortening etc. It will still work out, just keep in mind that if you are using only Nuttelex, this will make the Cake Cream super soft if you are not adding in the shortening component as well - this is not best for piping.
My Cake Cream looks like the wrong colour after mixing in the butter!
The colours in the powder are water activated, so the true colour won't pop until the water component has been added to the mixture. Don't stress! It will turn out just right in the end!
My Cake Cream is too soupy/sloppy/wet!
Never fear! Cake Cream is pretty unbreakable, so we can help you bring it back!
If your Cake Cream has gone a bit soupy, it means the Cake Cream is too warm. It could be that the water was a bit too hot and has melted the butter rather than emulsified with it.
To fix it, pop your bowl into the fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes. This helps re-set the Cake Cream to a whip-able consistency again. After that time take the bowl out of the freezer, rewhip in your mixer and it should come together beautifully.
Note: If you accidentally leave it in the freezer for too long (or on purpose! Leftover Cake Cream can be frozen and used at a later date) just let it come to room temperature and then beat it until it’s beautiful and smooth again.
My Cake Cream is too cold/cool/hard!
If your Cake Cream is not going creamy and nicely emulsified, this is because the mixture is too cold. This could happen because the butter and/or water was too cold when added or that the weather/environment is playing a part. Winter room temperature is very different to summer room temperature! You just need to warm it up so everything can melt and emulsify together better! You can do this by:
- Holding the side of the bowl with your hands, or wrapping the bowl with a warm damp towel.
- Using a blow torch or hair dryer gently around the side of your mixing bowl - please don't aim the hair dryer into your mixture as you will find yourself covered head to toe in Cake Cream... Been there, done that.. LOL!
- You can even take some buttercream out, melt it in the microwave, add it back to the cold buttercream and mix that back together.
Note: even if you completely melt the buttercream to a liquid by accident with any of these methods, put it in the freezer until it’s almost set again, then beat it well and it will be good to use again.
My Cake Cream is curdled/split!
Can we fix it? YES WE CAN! If your Cake Cream mixture looks split or curdled - like cottage cheese - again, you just need to adjust the temperature of the mixture. If your bowl feels hot/cold do the above steps as needed, and this will solve the issue.
How do I store my Cake Cream and how long does it last?
Cake Cream powder must be kept sealed and stored in a cool, dry place.
Once you've made your Cake Cream buttercream, it will last approximately 2 days at room temperature, 7 days in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer. We recommend storing it in an air tight container.
You will need to warm your Cake Cream up before using it again. You can do so by placing the Cake Cream into a microwave safe bowl and microwaving in 5-10 second bursts on a defrost setting. Then mix by hand until it becomes its silky smooth self again. Alternatively, you can also use a blow torch on the side of your stand mixer and mix until smooth.
What else can I make with Cake Cream?
Cake Cream is a really innovative product and you can make heaps of other things with it:
Ooh! Macarons! Can I use all the Cake Cream flavours to make macarons?
You can use all the Cake Cream flavours except for CHOCOLATE as it contains cocoa powder, which reacts to the mixture and doesn't let the macarons rise/bake as required.
When you create your macarons, do not flavour the shells themselves as this will affect how they bake. Only flavour the Cake Cream filling. Macaron shells are never flavoured - only the fillings are, which means as the macarons mature the flavour is infused into the shells.
My Cake Cream macarons won't whip to a meringue consistency?
This could be a for a number of reasons however the main reason is that different branded stand mixers don't actually whisk the entire way to the bottom of the bowl. You may need to rest your hand with slight force on the top of your mixer to get this whipping up as it should.
Another reason could be that the measurements of the water/powder are off. You will need to be precise when following the recipe. We have found that the macarons will still whip to a meringue whether you use cold, warm or boiling water, so the temperature doesn't matter but the measurements DO!
Also, ensure the bowl and whisk are free of any oil residue as this will affect how the meringue whips up. Wipe them down with vinegar before starting to ensure squeaky clean equipment!
How many macarons will my Cake Cream make?
To make one batch of macarons (which is approx. 24 shells to make 12 full macarons) you need 125g of Cake Cream powder. A 400g bag of Cake Cream will make 3 batches of macarons.
The beauty with Cake Cream is that you can make the shells and the filling from one bag of Cake Cream. Use 125g to make one batch of macarons and then make the rest of the mixture up as buttercream to fill them. Genius! You could also buy multiple bags and mix and match your shell and filling colours to your heart's desire!
You can download our macaron template here, which is perfect for 125g of Cake Cream!
Do I need to have a macaron template?
No. You can free hand pipe your macarons if you wish however it is much easier to get consistent sizes using a template. You can also use templates to create fun shapes such as love hearts!
Which piping tip should I use to make macarons?
We recommend using the Loyal 2A piping tip for best results.
Do I need to use a silicone macaron mat?
You don't have to. You can use baking paper, a Loyal Bake and Line Mat or a Silicone Macaron Baking Mat.
My macarons are not baking evenly?
This could be because either your oven temperature is slightly off or because there is not enough air flow in the oven for them to rise and get feet. We recommend that if you are using a baking tray that has a wall around it, to flip it upside down so that there are no curved up sides to stop the air flowing. You can then place your mat on top and pipe your macarons that way. This will achieve a more even bake. Alternatively, you can use a flat cookie tray to bake your macarons on as these particular trays don't have any sides so get an even air flow. Only using one tray in the oven at a time can also help.