I got a buttercream recipe off of here yesterday and followed it to the "T". After placing the iced cake in the fridge for only a couple of hours, I checked on it to make sure no little fingers had been in it....the icing was as hard as a rock. Today, I have let it sit out for 4 hours so far and the top is still very hard. What could I have possibly have done wrong?

I never refrigerate my cakes or icing, so I can't tell ya for sure. I can only think that maybe the icing was a little thick? Crusting is the result of the fat/sugar ratio ..... more sugar, more crusting.

We really need to see the recipe to make any judgement. Normally b'creams don't need to be refrigerated.
Are you sure it is hard as a rock.......all the way thru. OR does it have a nice firm crust of it?

We would love to see the recipe..
Edna

I put mine in the fridge to firm up so I can handle them without smudging the frosting. Mine does get very firm...but they don't stay that way after four hours. Which reminds me, I saw DreamWhip at the market the other day, gonna try out Indydebi's recipe next!

1/2 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
7 oz. of Unsweetened Chocolate Squares
1 tsp of Vanilla
1 pound of Powdered Sugar
5 Tbsp Milk

Let me know what you think.....

Other than the chocolate, looks like a standard ole' BC recipe to me, which would suggest it must be the chocolate making it so hard. But really...rock hard after 4 hours at room temperature? Very strange.