Please help...I'm driving myself crazy trying to make this darn icing!!

I'm on bacth #4, today!! The first two batches were extremely running and had to be thrown out. The third batch was gritty also and I just threw it out and thought I'd try again. Then the fourth batch is also really gritty and I can't figure out what I did or what is making it gritty. I used the Whimisical bakehouse recipe and followed all beating instructions to a tee!! I don't know if have it in me to try again!!

I really like this icing and so does the person who wants the cake.....but after all the eggs and butter I've used....I'm paying to make this cake!! I've had more problems w/this seemingly simple icing!!

May have to just stick w/what I know works!!

Any advice on what went wrong would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks
Christine

couple of things that good go wrong with this icing. Its usually when you are cooking your sugar syrup that problems can occur. 1st if its raining that can effect it, and cause grainess, don't ask me why, but its the same with making candy. 2nd is if you have introduced sugar granulauls while the syrup is cooking, has to do with the molocules turning. This can happen if you scrape down the sides of the pan while its cooking. You are best off to place a lid on the pot and let the steam wash the sides for you.

As far as runny icing. Thats usually because you have introduced the butter to the egg white sugar mixture while its still too hot. So the answer there is to let it cool longer.

Ok, thanks for replying so quickly! I just got a KA ( ) the other day and made the first two batches in that. After I added the sugar syrup and beat for 10 min....I thought the bowl was still a little hot...but figured 10 min. was enough in my old mixer so went ahead and added. After the second batch I went back to my old mixer...just to get gritty icing!! I'm going to add a lid to the syrup this time and see how it works.

Going for batch #5!! This will be my last try......outta eggs after this!!!

Wish me luck!!
Thanks again!!

Is your recipe one with egg whites beaten and your 240 degree hot sugar syrup poured into it slowly...then eventually butter added bit by bit?

If you beat your egg whites too much, to the dry stage, before adding the sugar syrup...you essentially cook the whites, creating little gritty bits of egg throughout your icing. It looks grainy and bumpy.

The solution is too only whip your egg whites to the soft peak stage...beyond that you are going too dry!

I've done this many times before...even once with a 6 x batch using 12 lbs of unsalted butter...$$$$$$!! To save it, I passed the whole icing bit by bit through a fine seive and it took out all those nasty bits. The remaining icing was 90% better, but I used it for filling the cake instead.

Pinkbunny: I can sympathize with you!!! I finally got mine right after 4 tries, well 3 and then at the 4th time got it right... But it was because I was used the WRONG pasteurized egg whites. The only ones I am supposed to use are Egg Beaters Eggs which specifically tells you that YOU CAN use them for meringue. The other ones were not the right kind. However, even with the wrong whites, I got it working it.

This icing is worth it though!! I froze it and will be using it next week for my husband cake. I will be posting it next week...

Ok, had to take a break from making this icing! I was not going to let it get the better of me!! But I finally got it!! I put a lid on my sugar syrup while boiling and made sure my egg whites were not 'dry' when I added the syrup! PERFECT and soooo worth all this trouble!!


But I did the save the other batch to use for fillings!! Thanks for that suggestion! Seems someone always has a use for 'scraps' or what would otherwise be considered trash! No waste.....I love it!!
Thanks for the help!
Christine