Frosting Keeps Turning Out Grainy!! Ugh
Decorating By Misskitty90 Updated 17 Sep 2020 , 10:54pm by doz
Now all of a sudden my frosting is grainy like. Am I mixing it too much? I have switched powdered sugars and sifted them. My recipe is 1/2 cup of crisco and 1/2 cup of butter and 4 cups of powdered sugar. It worked before. I dont know what happened!! Maybe I need to make one batch at a time instead of 2?
Is it the food coloring? I use a gel food coloring and have never had an issue with coloring affecting my frosting texture before.
Not ever trying that recipe I can’t say for sure what’s causing the problem but I’m leaning towards the “new” bag of sugar... what brand is it? Also how long do you mix it? Gel color should not effect the texture at all. Maybe it’s time for a new recipe..... try this one ... it never comes out grainy — ever:)
<2 of EVERYTHING ICING>
As posted it does NOT crust but a 'fix' is mentioned at the end along with how to make it into “cream cheese” icing :)
Ingredients
2 cups butter
2 cups shortening *
2 pounds powdered sugar*
2 Tablespoons flavoring
2 generous shakes of salt shaker
*see notes below*
DIRECTIONS:
In KA mixer (best) mix together butter and shortening on medium speed with wire whip for 8-10minutes. Add about 1/3 of the sugar; mix 5-10 minutes; add another 1/3 of the sugar, along with the flavoring, mixing 5 minutes; add the remaining sugar and mix on low 10 minutes until smooth.
There is NO liquid needed in this recipe.
Want this icing to crust? Reduce either the butter OR the shortening by 1 cup OR reduce *both* by 1/2 cup
*NOTES*:
*I have always used salted butter—but unsalted is good if you prefer. And even with the change in shortenings a few yrs back I still use Crisco; any good brand hi-ratio will probably be better.
* Flavorings can be *ANY!* combination you want. What I used mostly is: 1 part vanilla; 1/2 part butter flavoring and 1/4 part almond. A "Part" can be any measure you want. Do you make many, manyr cakes? Mix it up by the cupfull, pint or even gallon:) OR if for only one cake/icing use teaspoons as the 'part'/measure.
- for an even stiffer icing that dries even more add up to 1 cup more powdered sugar
- For a shelf stable cream cheese tasting version simply add 2 Tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar with the 2nd addition of sugar. (that tip comes from another baker friend)
In all of my life, I've only recently experienced any graininess in my buttercream and it occurs only when I use half Crisco and half butter, never when I use all butter. It seems to me, since the new formula Crisco, when I beat the butter and Crisco until it is light and fluffy, shortly after I start to add the sugar, the fluffiness turned to a strange, almost broken texture, similar to your picture. I blame it entirely upon the new formula Crisco without transfats. Never had the problem with the old high ratio shortening or even the old style Crisco. Since I rarely use Crisco in my shortening, it is of little concern, but I do believe it is the culprit.
used to be, the answer was using beet sugar instead of cane sugar -- idk about the different fats -- i always used butter --
but all that to say you can totally multiply out your icing recipe to fit to the top of your mixer! do not back off on multiplying it out -- too much work to make it one small batch at a time -- we just need to diagnose the issue and you should be fine --
it sounds like maybe the water in the butter is perhaps causing grief -- try adding some cornstarch, a couple tablespoons at a time and mix it on slow for lengthy periods like 10, 15 minutes -- the cs might help --
I figured it out, it must be the crisco. I had opened a new container and that's when it fell apart. My frosting doesnt even taste the same!! What did they do?? What other brand should I use to get the yummy taste and smoothness back?
Sorry to say, I've found no replacement for the shortenings which contained transfats. I always used Sweetex, which make wonderful frosting even at 100%, but the removal of transfats was a government mandate. If you use all butter to make the buttercream, it is still delicious, smooth and creamy.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%