My buttercream split three times before I figured out the trick

I was making a birthday cake for my niece last Saturday and my American buttercream kept separating. First batch looked like curdled milk, second one was greasy puddles. I got so frustrated I almost threw the whole bowl across the kitchen. Turns out my butter was too cold and I was adding the powdered sugar too fast. Third time I let the butter sit out for 45 minutes and added sugar one cup at a time. It came together smooth and my niece said it was the best frosting she ever had. Has anyone else had a buttercream meltdown mid-recipe?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.laura14d ago

You mentioned "adding the powdered sugar too fast" - how slow did you actually go on that third batch? Like a full minute between each cup or more like 30 seconds?

david56214d ago

Three batches in one day? You're probably overthinking it. @carter.laura it's just sugar, not rocket science. Dump it in, stir it up, move on.

king.aaron11d ago

Stared at the bowl for a solid 30 seconds after reading this, because honestly I've been there. My first batch of buttercream I dumped a whole bag in like a maniac and ended up with a grainy mess that looked like sad plaster. But that third batch you mentioned, I tried pacing myself by counting Mississippi's between scoops, about 15 seconds each, and it came out way smoother. @carter.laura I think the trick might be less about exact timing and more about letting it all melt into the butter before you add more, like watching for that glossy sheen. Of course then I got distracted by a delivery and left the mixer running too long and ended up with soup, so maybe I'm not the best example.