Okay I went to my second class last night and brought my icing that we needed. I needed some icing that was thin. So I added water to thin it down. I go to class and go to use my thinned icing and it had curdled. I asked my instructor about this and showed it to her, this isn't the first time this has happened to me. She told me it was bc I keep my butter in the freezer. I buy in bulk and take it out when I need it, always have done this. She told me to not to use the 1/2 and 1/2 recipe to use the all crisco recipe, YUCKY! If I wanted to eat that much grease on my cake I would just go to a fast food place and order a burger or fries! So does anyone have any suggestions bsides the butter in the freezer as to why this is happening?
my only thought is that i use milk or corn syruo to thin???
but i use coffee in my chocolate - so maybe the water so maybe the water wouldnt matter
I keep my butter in the freezer I buy it in bulk but I let sit on the counter to thaw that has never happened to me and I use the half butter half crisco too I don't know what could be wrong hope someone helps you
Here's a thread:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=17983&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0
I read about people here freezing butter all the time. So her explanation doesn't sound right to me. My Wilton instructor wanted me to use the whole shortening recipe too. I did it with one cake and it was a disaster. It crusts much too fast and cracks when you try to smooth it with Viva. Never again. I use 1/2 butter, 1/2 shortening for icing and only 100 percent shortening for making roses, etc.
I also buy my butter in quantity and freeze until needed so I don't think that's the problem 
You didn't mention what type of icing you use or the recipe.
If it's a meringue based buttercream the answers would be different than for an American b/c.
If you make the Wilton class b/c and by curdling you mean runny consistency - you may be overmixing your b/c which then separates upon standing after being thinned.
There was just a thread on air in b/c that had many tips for other problems as well.
This WBH Buttercream thread has the hints:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-643453.html
HTH
Was it curdled or were there butter bits/lumps in the icing? I get butter bits in the icing when I don't let the butter come to room temperature. Sometimes I rush making my BC and don't allow the stick to completely come to room temperature. I beat my butter first to speed up the process of warming the butter, but every time I do this, I have little bits of butter in the icing. After having this happen a few times, I plan ahead and take out the butter sticks first thing in the am if I'm making a cake/icing later in the day. If I have a last minute job, I nuke my butter for 10-20 seconds to soften it (but you need to be careful not to melt the butter in the microwave). Not sure if this is your situation....
I have never had a problem using butter that has been frozen, but it needs to be thawed out and softened before you can use it. However, I also only use milk and corn syrup to thin my icing, never water.
I take my butter out the night before I need it an dlet it thaw to room temp! I also had this problem when I used milk to thin my icing. I noticed this the minute the water hit my icing! Next time I thin some down I will take a pic and let you all tell me. My thin was so bad, when I added my piping gel to the thinned it seperated even more to the point by the time I got it in the bag and went to use it I couldn't! Thanks for you tips!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%