Has Buttercream Ever Looked 'curdled' After A Couple Hours?
Decorating By parismom Updated 1 Mar 2006 , 8:08pm by parismom
The past 2 times I've made buttercream, It looks fine while I am mixing/whipping it. Then after about 2 hours, it starts to look seperated and 'curdled' if I take a really close look. Do I need to add more powdered sugar than I'm using?
Has this happened to anyone?
Well, (don't yell at me) but the past 2 times I actually didn't use one. I know. I thought I could get away with winging it on my own. I'm thinking no now. But I'd still like to know why it's doing this nonetheless.
I used roughly 1 and a half sticks of butter, 2 tbs milk and 2 lbs powdered sugar, maybe a tad less... and vanilla...
lol, hey I wouldn't yell at you for winging it! 
Hmmm, I'm not sure why it would be looking that way. It doesn't look like you're using too much liquid at all. Has this only happened with coloured icing or is this with white also? Just wondering if its maybe the colour separating and not the icing. 
Well, not exactly. It did happened to the last cake when I used no color at all. But I attributed the last time to using half fat butter. NEVER doing that again. I think I may be using too much butter. It is not as stiff as I think it should be... but it's super easy to spead and tastes good.... It didn't really matter last night b/c the cake was covered in fondant anyway.
The half fat butter I could defintely see, because it has a higher water content. Otherwise I am just wondering if maybe the butter is slightly melting, making it separate.
Hopefully someone else can post with their ideas to what could be happening! I know this always happened to me when I used to use margarine, but using the half shortening/half butter I haven't had this happen.
I would substitute some of your butter for shortening. It is way more stable than butter is and will help stabilize the icing. You could also be using a bit too much liquid--depending on how much vanilla you put in.
I would eliminate the milk unless it's needed and add it in at the end.
I know... I just HATE the idea of using shortening for icing. I just shiver thinking of eating shortening or feeding ppl that. I am going to just get over my fear and use this instead. I guess I'll just get the crisco sticks and start making it that way...
I read somewhere that it can go rancid... Is that true??
I've never had that happen...I'm pretty sure shortening has a long shelf life. I use a half shortening recipe and its never ever been an issue. I don't keep my shortening for extremely long amounts of time, but I mean a couple weeks doesn't do anything to it for sure.
I know... I just HATE the idea of using shortening for icing. I just shiver thinking of eating shortening or feeding ppl that. I am going to just get over my fear and use this instead. I guess I'll just get the crisco sticks and start making it that way...
I read somewhere that it can go rancid... Is that true??
There's no reason why you can't use butter. Get good quality, unsalted butter and use the plain old Wilton recipe. I like Land O Lakes unsalted.
It could be due to the fact that the butter is too cold. I'd leave it at room tempature and then re-whip. Same thing happens when you use IMBC.
I know... I just HATE the idea of using shortening for icing. I just shiver thinking of eating shortening or feeding ppl that. I am going to just get over my fear and use this instead. I guess I'll just get the crisco sticks and start making it that way...
I read somewhere that it can go rancid... Is that true??
I'm not saying to switch completely to shortening, either. Just replace SOME of the butter with shortening. You don't even necessarily have to go 1/2 and 1/2. Still stay with more butter.
I can't use all butter because I have "hot hands" and the icing would melt all over the place. Heck--have enough problem with the recipe I use and that's 1/2 and 1/2
Well, (don't yell at me) but the past 2 times I actually didn't use one. I know. I thought I could get away with winging it on my own. I'm thinking no now. But I'd still like to know why it's doing this nonetheless.
I used roughly 1 and a half sticks of butter, 2 tbs milk and 2 lbs powdered sugar, maybe a tad less... and vanilla...
Your recipe: Wilton/Basic Buttercream:
3/4 cups of butter 1 cup of butter
2 lbs (8 cups) icing sugar 1 lbs (4 cups) icing sugar
2 tbs milk 2 bs milk
? vanilla 1 tspn
Based on you recipe I would think that your icing would be crumbly and dry. Your are using double the sugar, less butter and there appears to no compensation in liquids. I would NOT recommend adding more sugar. How are you storing the icing? Is it in a hot/humid location? Can you post a picture of the icing so we can see what you mean?
No it was WAY the opposite of dry. It was very, very spreadable. More so than I prefer.
It all goes back to... this cake was so rushed. I had no time to go to the store and get ingredients. I used what I had and I didn't have much of anything so I just winged it.
It was not humid yesterday. The butter was just bought a week ago, so it was good. I don't have any pics. It's all a mystery to me. I think I'm going to get a better quality butter from now on.
It could also have been a bad batch of butter even though you bought it last week. Try making another batch and see what happens. If the same thing happens then change the type of butter you use.
Darn I just noticed you are using half fat butter. Get rid of it LOL. It's just gonna be a major pain in you icing. Besides icing is suppose to be good and fattening LMAO
In the future I promise to read the ENTIRE thread.
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