Not So Sweet Buttercream

Decorating By MaryM1 Updated 17 Jan 2017 , 3:54pm by jchuck

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MaryM1 Posted 13 Jan 2017 , 7:18pm
post #1 of 15


I just made my 2nd decorated cake ever - both the mom & son (just turned 5) loved it - was a cute yet simple Smiley Face.

Some people said it was really good, yet the buttercream frosting was a little sweet.  I typically use un salted sweet cream butter, vanilla, heavy whipping cream & powdered sugar.

A friend said she uses 1/2 unsalted butter & 1/2 Crisco type shortening (this is something I've never used because I don't like the "funny" after taste the shortening leaves.  

I'm wondering if it's ok to use the solid coconut oil type of shortening in place of the regular stuff.  Setting aside the coconut flavoring, would there be any other differences?






14 replies
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kakeladi Posted 13 Jan 2017 , 10:24pm
post #2 of 15

This is an old ?.   It has been discussed many times in the past but to save you many hours of looking up old posts we'll answer you here :)   Just remember icing is *MEANT* to be sweet. 

You can cut the sweetness just a bit by adding up to 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a full recipe (2# of sugar).   Just be aware many people are allergic to coconut.    

I mainly used the 1/2 butter & 1/2 Crisco but let it beat (slowly) up to 10 minutes I don't notice a 'funny' taste.  Everyone is different so maybe you could give it a try and see how it is.

Another thing w/b'cream is most recipes do not use nearly enough flavoring.  Up your total flavoring to at least 1Tablespoon (even 2 is good!)  - and make it a combination of 3 flavors such as vanilla, almond OR lemon, and butter flavorings.  It will really improve your icings.

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Siftandwisk2 Posted 15 Jan 2017 , 6:45pm
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The style of icing you're making is the sweetest type.   For a less sweet icing, you will need to make another type. 

1. Flour or German buttercreams are the least sweet 

2. Italian meringue, which is my favorite, calls for less sugar because it's made with hot sugar syrup.  It's very white compared to other buttercreams, pipes like a dream, and in the world of buttercreams, it's pretty stable.  Every professional level cake class I've taken has insisted on teaching this buttercream because of its characteristics.

3. Rose Levy Beranbaum has a hybrid buttercream called mousseline that's an excellent buttercream to have in your repertoire. Like Italian buttercream, it's make with a boiled sugar so you can use less sugar. 



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jchuck Posted 15 Jan 2017 , 9:17pm
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I've been baking a long time. Any buttercream made with all butter and icing sugar will be very sweet. I make cooked flour icing, or swiss meringue buttercream.

http://leelabeanbakes.com/blog/frosting-filling/even-better-cooked-flour-frosting/

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.marthastewart.com/318727/swiss-meringue-buttercream-for-cupcakes%3Famp


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bubs1stbirthday Posted 15 Jan 2017 , 11:23pm
post #5 of 15

You can cut the sweetness in any icing by a small amount using a little salt to balance it a bit.

Personally I use mainly SMBC or Ganache (or a combination of both) on / in my cakes and I leave the ABC (icing sugar/butter mixes) for biscuits.

I also love cooked flour frosting but have found it is no good in any sort of heat as it is very soft.

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jchuck Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 12:50am
post #6 of 15

Funny I have seen adding salt to reduce sweetness a gazillion times. And I never found it ever worked. No matter it was still overly sweet. And bubs1stbirthday you are correct. In summer the flour icing won't hold up. I add some royal icing to the flour icing and it works great.

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Siftandwisk2 Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 1:20am
post #7 of 15


Quote by @jchuck on 19 minutes ago

Funny I have seen adding salt to reduce sweetness a gazillion times. And I never found it ever worked. No matter it was still overly sweet. And bubs1stbirthday you are correct. In summer the flour icing won't hold up. I add some royal icing to the flour icing and it works great.


your observation is correct and backed by science.  Sodium in low concentrations counters bitterness while enhancing sweet, sour, and umami.  It has to do with sodium's role in the transport of glucose through the receptor taste cells.  

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bubs1stbirthday Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 8:43am
post #8 of 15

I find that interesting as I don't eat salt usually but will add it to my icings and find that it alters the flavour to be stronger and less sweet, perhaps in enhancing the flavour of the icing it reduces the focus on the sweetness?

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-K8memphis Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 11:25am
post #9 of 15

you can use buttermilk for the liquid or add some white balsamic vinegar

https://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/61811/white-balsamic-american-buttercream

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MaryM1 Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 3:52pm
post #10 of 15

Thank you for all of your thoughts on my "buttercream" issue ... I'm going to try using a little coconut flavored type shortening plus a little more vanilla (adding a little salt) & see what happens.  

I am fairly new to the "making a cake for others scene" and can use all the help I can get.




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-K8memphis Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 9:53pm
post #11 of 15

idk about the coconut shortening because it goes liquid at room temp -- so please update on your results -- i would not count on this to act like butter or regular shortening -- but i'm guessing so please update i'm wildly curious -- lazy but curious hahahaha --

however i will say this -- coconut shortening is THE best body oil stuff i have ever used -- i even got my husband to use it and he looks 10 years younger -- seriously  what it does to wrinkles is amazing -- what it does to moisturize is equally amazing -- i'd maybe use it once a week or so -- fabulous stuff!

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jchuck Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 10:16pm
post #12 of 15

K8memphis

I saved your icing with balsamic vinegar. But where I live here in Canada, I have not been able to find it anywhere.  Just the usual dark balsamic vinegar, which obviously, would darken the icing. I love coconut oil, bake with it, use as a moisturizer, and our fav...tumeric lattes with coconut oil. A tablespoon or so of coconut oil daily helps the brain too.  I tired using coconut oil in a icing, but didn't like the results. What I'd like to try is organic palm shortening. But I can't  get a small container here, not even at the health food stores. I can buy like a 20 lb tub online from a supplier in Canada, but at a hefty price. It's sourced from dedicated farm land, and imported, so understandably pricey.  Palm shortening is a much healthier alternative to regular shortening.

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MaryM1 Posted 16 Jan 2017 , 10:35pm
post #13 of 15

I wasn't crazy about using the Coconut Shortening - while the consistency was good (could have been a little more stiff) - I wasn't impressed with it.  

Once I added the coconut to the already creamed butter, I found there were little "lumps" of shortening, so I had to mix it a little longer.   Adding a little salt didn't seem to do anything either- it was still sweet. 

Next time, I'll try the soild shortening.

Thank you ALL for your thoughts.





 

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-K8memphis Posted 17 Jan 2017 , 2:26am
post #14 of 15

jchuck -- too bad you can't find the white balsamic hopefully maybe it will turn up -- the palm oil is controversial so it's good that yours would come from dedicated farmland -- i know i've had it but i just mostly stick with olive oil, butter and a leetle bacon grease -- and when i use coconut oil i can gain weight real easy so there's that -- but it is such a great oil --

what's weird is that coconut oil is so healthy and popular now  -- it was run out of town in years past -- they made it seem like it was single handedly gonna destroy all the arteries on the planet -- but i guess they make if different now -- anyway nowadays it's just about gonna save the planet -- who knows - ha!

mary, best to you 

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jchuck Posted 17 Jan 2017 , 3:54pm
post #15 of 15

Yes things change as more research is done. The palm oil shortening..yes controversial. The site I was on stressed there was no deforrestization, no chopping or burning to plant the palm trees. But dedicated farms just for the palm trees. 

And your right about the coconut oil, great stuff, but extremely fattening. So, use sparingly. I haven't given up on finding white balsamic vinegar. Just because my grocery stores don't have it, doesn't mean I can't find it in a specialty shop. I love that you can create a cream cheese like bc, without the worry and it is stable.

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