Buttercream Disaster

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Permalink Reply by Susie Charske on July 28, 2011 at 9:35pm

I would like an answer myself. Recently had the same issue....I added more confectionary sugar to try to stiffen it up-was awful. It was terribly warm thoufh but even when I put in freezer it wouldn't stiffen up!!

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Permalink Reply by Kim Hamilton on July 29, 2011 at 10:03pm

I used to use the "American" buttercream - confectioner's sugar & butter - but it never got stiff enough - always seemed to sag after a while and bulge between the layers. I started making Swiss meringue butter cream - it's kind of a pain in the neck, but it tastes awesome, is smoothe as silk and sets just perfectly. I haven't had any of the issues I had while using the other buttercream. If you want recipe will be happy to provide.

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Permalink Reply by Lynne Salmon on July 30, 2011 at 9:59am

It sounds to me like you have more than b'cream issues.  What size cakes are we talking about?  You mention carrot cake, dense and moist - scratch recipe or box mix?  Are you *sure!* it was baked through?  Was the cake cool - totally?  Did you think to put it in the fzr or frig to help it cool?  Were the layers level??

 If icing does not stick to the cake usually that is an indication (sp?) it is too thick and needs a bit of moisture to thin it down.

Same icing you always use but........ any new ingredients (new can of shortening or sugar) ?  Same brands as always?  Were you interrupted when making the batch?  Could you have forgotten something?  Search, search for something that might be different.

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on July 30, 2011 at 4:04pm

First, my cakes were scratch.  Yes they were baked through, had x-tra ,so self tasted.  Yes, totally cooled, were in fridge prior to icing.  Layers were perfectly even.  In retrospect, I did use a "new" recipe courtesy of caker here on CWB., and I think it was way too heavy.  But she swore she uses as her  go to icing for humid weather.  I should have made my swiss meringue buttercream as previously posted by Kim.  It is light, and can be piped.  I used this on my daughter's b-day cake in May, and everyone loved it.  And, unbeknownst to me, my friend whom I was making the  cake for is type 2 diabetic. So SMBC would have been lighter, not quite so sweet.

Well,  we learn from our mistakes.  Next time I decide to use a new recipe, will try it out first like I usually d. I am pretty experienced, so I was dumb.

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Permalink Reply by Goreti on August 14, 2011 at 11:11am

I would love the recipe.  I don't care for "American" buttercream and looking for other tasty options.

Kim Hamilton said:

I used to use the "American" buttercream - confectioner's sugar & butter - but it never got stiff enough - always seemed to sag after a while and bulge between the layers. I started making Swiss meringue butter cream - it's kind of a pain in the neck, but it tastes awesome, is smoothe as silk and sets just perfectly. I haven't had any of the issues I had while using the other buttercream. If you want recipe will be happy to provide.

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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on August 15, 2011 at 9:55am

Actually Goreti, I don't like standard buttercream either.  Too sweet.  I always use Wilton's buttercream flavoring to cut down the sweetness when this icing is requested.  The Swiss M buttecream is good, but tricky.  You can google SMBC from The Cake Bible.  She has a website....Rose Levy Bernambaum.  I have found what has been working for me lately, especially in our humid climate.  I make the standard buttercream, add 1/4 recipe of royal icing.  Then I make my buttercream icing made with flour. ( google flour icing, it will pop up ).  I mix the buttercream flour icing with 1/2 of buttercream/royal icing mixture, and it works.  The flour icing is a good cheat for SMBC because the flour icing is light, not sweet, and you have the stiffness and reliability from the royal icing.

It is a bit of fussing around, making 3 separate batches of icing, but the SMBC, if not done correctly, ruins easily, and with all the butter you use.....expensive mistake.

Hope this gives you some ideas

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Permalink Reply by Goreti on August 16, 2011 at 5:54pm

Thank you for your reply.  I will definitely be trying it.

June Kowalczyk said:

Actually Goreti, I don't like standard buttercream either.  Too sweet.  I always use Wilton's buttercream flavoring to cut down the sweetness when this icing is requested.  The Swiss M buttecream is good, but tricky.  You can google SMBC from The Cake Bible.  She has a website....Rose Levy Bernambaum.  I have found what has been working for me lately, especially in our humid climate.  I make the standard buttercream, add 1/4 recipe of royal icing.  Then I make my buttercream icing made with flour. ( google flour icing, it will pop up ).  I mix the buttercream flour icing with 1/2 of buttercream/royal icing mixture, and it works.  The flour icing is a good cheat for SMBC because the flour icing is light, not sweet, and you have the stiffness and reliability from the royal icing.

It is a bit of fussing around, making 3 separate batches of icing, but the SMBC, if not done correctly, ruins easily, and with all the butter you use.....expensive mistake.

Hope this gives you some ideas

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