I've just recently starting decorating cakes. I'm using the buttercream recipe from the wilton website and after I finish mixing before I even add any corn syrup it's already way too thin to use for flowers or most decorating. I even tried adding more confectioners sugar and that only helped a little. I followed the recipe exactly! What am I doing wrong??
thanks so much for the help!!!

I noticed with a batch I made at Christmas time that it was almost soupy - I had used a store brand of shortening instead of my usual Crisco. Could that be the problem.

I made the Wilton Cream Cheese recipe and it looked like cool whip. I thought maybe the recipe wasn't compatible with the South, so I switched and had no problems. Not sure what your issue is. Good luck!

Corn syrup? I use Wilton's recipe all the time and mine doesn't call for corn syrup.

Basically it's:

1C shortening
1 lb. (4 cups approx) 10x/icing sugar
1 T Meringue Powder
3 T water
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt

I have never had a problem. Are you sure you put enough icing sugar in it? What about the meringue powder? It sounds like short measurement or over measurement some where along the line.

My recipe's the same except half butter, half shortening.

in the recipe I found it's
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tables spoons milk
4 cups con. sugar
and it said that would make a thick consistency. it said to add 1 1/2 - 4 tablespoons corn syrup to make med to thin consistency but before I even add that it was already really thin. I don't understand what i'm doing wrong...

Leave the milk out unless you need it. That might help.

Lexismom - just add more powdered sugar until it is the proper consistancy. Thats the nice thing about simple buttercream recipes... to thin add more sugar to thick add a little milk or water.

Are you melting the butter or using room temp butter?

room temp

There's not enough liquid in that recipe to produce anything "soupy." You're not melting the butter or the shortening? Does your shortening have transfats or not?

It might be the "new" Crisco. That stuff is heinous.

I agree with Saramachen. Keep adding powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. It always works for me! Corn syrup? I've never used that in my recipe.