Help With Crusting Buttercream!

Baking By Trilip Updated 26 Feb 2014 , 7:10pm by enga

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Trilip Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 6:20pm
post #1 of 11

AI tried a recipe on here that I saw for crusting buttercream frosting. I'm not sure what happened but it didn't crust! I did butter and shortening with vanilla, butter flavoring, powdered sugar and a little milk. Should I just do the shortening and no butter and add a bit of meringue? I premade my cakes the night before and froze them tightly wrapped. Maybe they were still too cold? Anyways please help! I don't know what the best recipe is and what I could have done wrong! Thank you for your help!

10 replies
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leah_s Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 6:29pm
post #2 of 11

Meringue powder has no effect on crusting.  Crusting is completely a result of the fat to sugar ratio.  If it didn't crust, its your recipe.

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Trilip Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 6:37pm
post #3 of 11

ADo you have a good crusting buttercream recipe to share? I would be very grateful! :-)

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Trilip Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 6:42pm
post #4 of 11

ADo you have a good crusting recipe you can share with me? I would be very grateful! :-)

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AnnieCahill Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 6:46pm
post #5 of 11

Here's one, just from a Google search:

 

http://iambaker.net/the-perfect-crusting-buttercream/

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Trilip Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 6:59pm
post #6 of 11

AThank you!

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Eachna Posted 26 Feb 2014 , 2:54pm
post #7 of 11


Gwen's Notes on American Buttercream Frosting:

 

Full batch (this is a lot of buttercream)

 

1 cup of butter
3  teaspoons of vanilla essence
4 cups of icing sugar
3-5 tablespoons of cream, half-and-half
, or milk

 

To make chocolate buttercream, add 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (for a half batch 1/3 a cup is good).

To make mocha buttercream, make chocolate buttercream and substitute fresh brewed coffee for the cream
To make green tea buttercream (great on a "matcha" cake) add 2 tablespoons matcha powder.
To make lemon buttercream mix in the zest of one lemon, and substitute lemon juice for the cream.

 

From C&R: Buttercream tips (their base recipe is similar but with only 1 tsp vanilla, you can use the same measurements with the above recipe):

Peanut Butter Crunch:Substitute peanut butter for butter; sprinkle either candy peanut butter pieces or chopped peanuts over frosting.

Chocolate:Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, adding milk 1 tsp. at a time until desired consistency. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

Orange:Substitute fresh orange juice for milk, add 1 tsp. orange extract and 1 tsp. grated orange zest. Top with thin strips of orange peel.

Lemon:Substitute fresh lemon juice for milk, add 1 tsp. lemon extract and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest. Top with thin strips of lemon peel.

 

Vanilla essence is just "real" vanilla extract in Australia. I prefer a good quality salted butter. The salt just makes the flavor richer. You can (of course) use unsalted butter. To reduce the buttercream to enough for two 8' or 9" round cakes, then cut the above recipe in half.

 

You can reduce the chewiness of the zest if you pulse it with just the sugar in a food process or a small blender/grinder (Magic Bullet, etc) until you can't see it anymore.

 

What to do with leftover buttercream? Make cookies:

http://www.squidoo.com/what-can-i-do-with-leftover-frosting-cookies

 

I grind the frosting cookies down to make cookie crust. :D.

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Trilip Posted 26 Feb 2014 , 4:04pm
post #8 of 11

A

Original message sent by Eachna

Gwen's Notes on American Buttercream Frosting:

Full batch (this is a lot of buttercream)

1 cup of butter 3  teaspoons of vanilla essence 4 cups of icing sugar 3-5 tablespoons of cream, half-and-half , or milk

To make chocolate buttercream, add 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (for a half batch 1/3 a cup is good). To make mocha buttercream, make chocolate buttercream and substitute fresh brewed coffee for the cream

To make green tea buttercream (great on a "matcha" cake) add 2 tablespoons matcha powder.

To make lemon buttercream mix in the zest of one lemon, and substitute lemon juice for the cream.

From C&R: Buttercream tips (their base recipe is similar but with only 1 tsp vanilla, you can use the same measurements with the above recipe): Peanut Butter Crunch:Substitute peanut butter for butter; sprinkle either candy peanut butter pieces or chopped peanuts over frosting. Chocolate:Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, adding milk 1 tsp. at a time until desired consistency. Top with chocolate curls, if desired. Orange:Substitute fresh orange juice for milk, add 1 tsp. orange extract and 1 tsp. grated orange zest. Top with thin strips of orange peel. Lemon:Substitute fresh lemon juice for milk, add 1 tsp. lemon extract and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest. Top with thin strips of lemon peel.

Vanilla essence is just "real" vanilla extract in Australia. I prefer a good quality salted butter. The salt just makes the flavor richer. You can (of course) use unsalted butter. To reduce the buttercream to enough for two 8' or 9" round cakes, then cut the above recipe in half.

You can reduce the chewiness of the zest if you pulse it with just the sugar in a food process or a small blender/grinder (Magic Bullet, etc) until you can't see it anymore.

What to do with leftover buttercream? Make cookies: [URL=http://www.squidoo.com/what-can-i-do-with-leftover-frosting-cookies]http://www.squidoo.com/what-can-i-do-with-leftover-frosting-cookies[/URL]

I grind the frosting cookies down to make cookie crust. :D.

Thank you so much!!! I'll have to try this! :-)

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enga Posted 26 Feb 2014 , 4:10pm
post #9 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eachna 
 


Gwen's Notes on American Buttercream Frosting:

 

Full batch (this is a lot of buttercream)

 

1 cup of butter
3  teaspoons of vanilla essence
4 cups of icing sugar
3-5 tablespoons of cream, half-and-half
, or milk

 

To make chocolate buttercream, add 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (for a half batch 1/3 a cup is good).

To make mocha buttercream, make chocolate buttercream and substitute fresh brewed coffee for the cream
To make green tea buttercream (great on a "matcha" cake) add 2 tablespoons matcha powder.
To make lemon buttercream mix in the zest of one lemon, and substitute lemon juice for the cream.

 

From C&R: Buttercream tips (their base recipe is similar but with only 1 tsp vanilla, you can use the same measurements with the above recipe):

Peanut Butter Crunch:Substitute peanut butter for butter; sprinkle either candy peanut butter pieces or chopped peanuts over frosting.

Chocolate:Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, adding milk 1 tsp. at a time until desired consistency. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

Orange:Substitute fresh orange juice for milk, add 1 tsp. orange extract and 1 tsp. grated orange zest. Top with thin strips of orange peel.

Lemon:Substitute fresh lemon juice for milk, add 1 tsp. lemon extract and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest. Top with thin strips of lemon peel.

 

Vanilla essence is just "real" vanilla extract in Australia. I prefer a good quality salted butter. The salt just makes the flavor richer. You can (of course) use unsalted butter. To reduce the buttercream to enough for two 8' or 9" round cakes, then cut the above recipe in half.

 

You can reduce the chewiness of the zest if you pulse it with just the sugar in a food process or a small blender/grinder (Magic Bullet, etc) until you can't see it anymore.

 

What to do with leftover buttercream? Make cookies:

http://www.squidoo.com/what-can-i-do-with-leftover-frosting-cookies

 

I grind the frosting cookies down to make cookie crust. :D.

 

WOW! thanks for posting this recipe and the link, who would of thunk,lol. No more left over BC, yay!

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Eachna Posted 26 Feb 2014 , 4:31pm
post #10 of 11

Quote:

Originally Posted by enga 
WOW! thanks for posting this recipe and the link, who would of thunk,lol. No more left over BC, yay!

 

I know, right? The full batch of buttercream is enough for four 8"cakes (at least) frosting between all the layers. I hadn't made it in a while and I forgot to only make a half batch. I ended up with a giant bowl of buttercream. No one could eat it all (it's just too rich for us).

 

When I have leftover buttercream I usually make little frozen "pats" of buttercream and I put it in hot tea ("buttered tea") or melt it on pancakes. But, there was too much even for that.

 

I found that recipe on Squidoo and made chocolate cookies with it. I didn't really like them, but when I ground them up they made AWESOME cookie crumbs. I used some as a crust for mini-cheesecakes in cupcake wrappers and some as a crust for my lemon bars.

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enga Posted 26 Feb 2014 , 7:10pm
post #11 of 11

Those are all great ideas, love the cookie crumb one for cheese cakes. I usually freeze left over buttercream too but one time I made some that was super gritty from the inferior powdered sugar I used :-? and didn't know what to do with it all. I wish I had of known then what I know now.

 

Thanks again ;-D

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