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Hi all,

I've used the same buttercream recipe for five years, and always used the same brands of ingredients.  The recips is Crisco, powdered sugar, clear vanilla and butter flavorings, and water.  I've never had anything but good luck with the recipe, and have made it hundreds of times. 

Well, last weekend, I made a batch and it looked fine -- even used some of it with no problems.  The next morning, it was discolored a light pinkish-brown in the bowl.  I made another batch, and the next day, same problem.  Does anyone have ANY idea what could be causing this?!  I have a wedding cake to finish in buttercream this weekend, and the bride does not want a pinkish-brown cake!

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It has to be one of the elements of your recipe. Chemical reaction I would guess. I'd start with the newest package you opened. For instance, if you had already used some of the sugar in the bag without issues then it shouldn't be that. But, if you opened a new can of Crisco that is probably the culprit. Hope you figure it out quickly.
It xcould also be your bowl if you are using anything other than stainless steel or something else non reactive.. if you are using aluminum that may be the problem...or an aluminum utensil like a spoon or spatula....
Have you mixed any brown or black or purple icing in that bowl recently? I started to roll out some white fondant on my silicone mat the other day.... after rolling out the black and forgot to wipe it clean and it turned the white fondant pinkish color.... my fault the residue from the black was still on the mat... glad I had lots of extra white!!!
Thanks, ladies, for the help.

Jeri, no I hadn't mixed any color in the bowl, prior to making the icing, plus the bowl had just been washed. (It's the big, stainless steel bowl that came with my Kitchen Aid mixer. The beater I used was also the one that came with the mixer.)

I did an experiment yesterday ... I opened a new can of Crisco, and mixed a batch of icing (with no flavorings added), in a plastic bowl. I put some of it in my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl and whipped it with the beater. I also put some in two separate containers: One had vanilla flavoring added, the other had vanilla and butter flavoring added. None of the samples changed color ... they're still a beautiful white.

So, I'm assuming that the Crisco from the brown batch was the culprit? The only problem is, I made three batches of icing with that can, and the first one didn't turn brown. grrrr. This is a very frustrating and disconcerting problem ... I don't know how to keep it from happening again!
It is a mystery!!! Never had that happen with buttercream!

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