Smooth Buttercream One Day - Bumps In It The Next. Why?
Decorating By CakeDiosa Updated 29 Oct 2009 , 2:10pm by ninatat
I don't know why this keeps happening but every time I make buttercream (either Deb's buttercream - substituting non dairy creamer for the milk or Sugarshack's) it is smooth as butter day one but after storing at room temp overnight it has bumps throughout. They seem to be powdered sugar globs when I pinch them. I've varied my storage techniques from wrapped in plastic "plugs" to placed in airtight container but the bumps still come and they definitely are not there after I've mixed everything so I know my PS is getting thoroughly mixed in.
Any suggestions on why this is happening and how to avoid this? Currently, I have to make my BC the same day as I'm going to ice because if I make it any sooner and let it rest overnight it'll have bumps.
ugh - help!
does it look like curdled cream or cottage cheese? I got that with indys
My first thought is that if you were using the shortening or butter that it was to cold and there for not creaming properly.
Make sure which ever you use be it shortening or butter that it is at room temp.
But since you said it was powdered sugar blobs I have to agree with step that you need to sift your powdered sugar before hand.
I never used to but tried it once and noticed such a big difference in the texture of it as well.
Try it and I am sure you will sift from here on out...one thing though are you using a stand mixer, hand mixer or mixing by hand?
Either the butter you use is too cold or the butter quality is low... Some butter you find is not exactly a butter but a mix (water, fats etc in it). The more stuff is in it the less you can add to it... Look for 82% butter with no adding - it should solve it.
Thanks for all of the responses!
I do sift. Always have and only use butter in Deb's BC and not Sugarshack's but will take the advice of finding the 82% variety just in case it could help.
My shortening and butter are always room temp and I use the powdered, non dairy coffee creamer hot. Throw that in w/ the butter/shortening and cream then add PS. But with Sharon's recipe there is no butter and still I get lumps the next day. Also, I'm thinking even if it were a issue of not sifting I'd have the lumps immediately after making the batch. I tried not sifting ONCE and had lumps right away. Have always sifted since. So, the great mystery is why do the lumps appear after storing the BC and not before? It's smooth as butter with zero lumps after I make it. I only get the lumps after storage.
sigh....
that is odd. a couple of times i got clumps, i changed PS. I know you are sifting but that is the next thing I would try.
.. but will take the advice of finding the 82% variety just in case it could help.
Unless you've mistakenly used a butter or margarine spread - all the butter and margarine made in the U.S. has to conform to USDA standards so that the minimum fat content for either is 80%:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/baking-basics/Baking-Strategies/Butter-+Margarine-Spreads-and-Oils-in-Baking.htm
http://tinyurl.com/yjlv5bc
(Margarine.)
http://tinyurl.com/yzv5wve
(Butter)
HTH
hmph....you know what else? As I though more about this, it occurred to me that I started adding a tsp of salt (dissolved in warm water) per lb of PS to my BCs because they were just sooo sweet.
Maybe that is what is causing it???? Tomorrow I'm going to make a batch and leave the salt out. I'll see if that makes a difference.
Thanks for weighing in Sharon, I was going to send you an email next asking you about this.
I'll omit the salt and let you all know if that helps.
Thanks to everyone for trying to help me solve this mystery! We're like a group of cake super sleuths!
Back to the lab.....
okay that sounds disgusting....
allow me to correct myself:
I have a bottle of salt water (salt dissolved in warm water) that I keep and use one tsp of (so 1 tsp of salt water - NOT straight salt - gross!).
Anyway, I'm going to omit THAT.
It's late.
I'm working on a 3D boat with oodles of detail....sorry for my confusion....
back to the boat...
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