Hello,

I need help.  I typically make my own buttercream icing using butter, crisco, powdered sugar and water.  However, lately I have noticed that when I color the buttercream icing with gel colors....the white tries to bleed through the colored icing.  One friend suggested that I omit the butter.  I tried that last night but the now the icing tastes very flat.  Any other suggestions!

Thanks.

Dream Job

What do you mean the white bleeds through? I don't understand what that looks like, so if you could describe it a little more you might get better advice.

I agree w/costumczar.  My 1st thought just from reading the title of your post is that most any color b'cream will bleed if freshly made and used right then and there.  It is best to make up the colors a day or two in advance.  The 'deeper/darker' the color ( like blue, purple, red, black etc) the more this is true.

Thank you kakeladi,

Basically, you could see bits of white peaking through the colored icing....particularly the darker colors.  Another cake maker suggested that I omit using butter or margarine during the colder months.  Also, followed your advice and made the icing a few days in advance.  The icing color turned out great.  Thanks!

I always use about 1/2 & 1/2 butter, shortening.  I do NOT suggest omitting butter.  I do seem to remember many moons ago having a similar problem but of course don't remember how I cured it :(     Are you sifting your powdered sugar?  Sometimes that needs to be done.  I know = a real pain but sometimes the sugar clumps even if only a bit, causing that.  Beat the butter/shortening WELL before adding any sugar, then add by about 1/3rds mixing well each addition.

Do you add salt?  Salt will speckle your BC after a bit - when the salt finally breaks down.  Just need to stir it up, no problem, but just a thought that it could be salt.

Oh yeah 640cake!  I forgot about that.   Use the finest grain salt you can find.  If you use any liquid in your icing mix the salt into it and let it sit to dissolves - a minute or two.