Cupcake buttercream frosting - too soft?

Question

I love cupcakes but when I decided to make my own frosting, it ended up being to liquidy and too soft for me to pipe on the cupcake.

Anyone got any better recipes or techniques?

Answer 1

BUTTER CREAM ICING
4 pounds powdered (confectioners') sugar
2 cups Crisco shortening
1/3 cup powdered milk mixed with enough water to make 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon clear butter flavor
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon Crème Royale or crème bouquet, optional
1/2 cup corn starch


Into the mixer bowl, place the Crisco shortening and cream until fluffy.

Combine the water and the powdered milk in a small bowl; add the butter extract, almond extract, and crème royale or crème bouquet, and salt.

Add the powdered sugar to the creamed shortening in the mixer bowl and mix. Add 1/2 cup cornstarch and beat well on low for about 15 minutes. Add milk slowely while mixing.

NOTE: This buttercream icing can be kept out of the refrigerator for around 2 weeks, I'd say. I usually use it so fast that I hardly ever get it in the refrigerator unless I am preparing large batches. It can also be frozen. The cornstarch helps humidity as well as helping to cut the sweetness. Play with it and use whatever flavorings you like.
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ML3005 --- This is a good icing but it requires a lot of mixing time wise. But if you have a stand mixer, no problem. If you use a hand held mixer I would cut the recipe in half.And to fix your own icing add some powdered sugar to it and mix it in good.
remember when you add powdered sugar to an icing you have already made the sugar needs to be sifted to prevent lumps!!!
I hope this helps you. jim b

Answer 2

Not sure of your recipe - but it probably had too much water or milk in it. Here is a recipe that I use for all my cake (or cupcake) decorating. It isn't gritty like some can be and it decorates really well - piping and spreading! I received it from a professional cake decorator.


Cake and Decorating Frosting
(makes enough to frost a two layer cake)

2 pounds powdered sugar
1 ½-cups Crisco – no substitutions*
2 Tablespoons powdered egg whites (or Meringue powder)
7 Tablespoons of water
2 Teaspoons of vanilla
2 Teaspoons almond extract
1 Tablespoon real lemon juice
¼-Teaspoons salt

Mix the egg white powder with the powdered sugar.
Put all liquid ingredients in large mixer bowl and add a little over half of the powdered sugar mixture and the salt – mix on low until well blended.
Add Crisco and mix well – then add the rest of the powdered sugar.
Mix well, then stop and scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Mix on about ¾ speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
Will keep well in the refrigerator for weeks.

*You may use butter if you like… What “no substitutions” means, is don’t use another brand of shortening because it tastes terrible. Note that butter (or butter flavor Crisco) will turn the frosting yellow).

Answer 3

If it's too soft, either add more powdered sugar, or less butter. But, buttercream frosting isn't the best thing to use when piping. I use royal icing for that.

1 pound powdered sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder or 1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites
2 tablespoons water
food coloring (optional)

Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder or egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat on low speed. Add water drop by drop. The amount depends on whether you used the powder or the egg whites, and on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen. Add the water slowly and do not let the mixture get runny - you will probably not use all of it. Beat until the mixture holds a trail on the surface for five seconds when you raise the mixer from the bowl. If you like, you can tint the icing with a few drops of food coloring. Makes 6 cups.

Answer 4

Buttercream Icing Ingredients: •1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening such as Crisco (you can omit this and double the butter if you'd like, or you can omit the butter and double this ingredient but use the butter flavored Crisco instead) •1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened •3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted (omit this if you want just regular Buttercream Icing) •1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract •4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.) •3-4 tablespoons milk Makes: About 3 cups of icing. Instructions: Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using. Chocolate Mocha Icing: Substitute cold brewed strong coffee for milk in Chocolate Buttercream recipe. Darker Chocolate Icing: Add an additional 1/4 cup cocoa (or one additional 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted) and 1 additional tablespoon milk to Chocolate Buttercream Icing. For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

Answer 5

I usually make these at Christmas Enjoy!


Ingredients
2 large eggs, cracked open
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g/4oz caster sugar
125g/4oz soft margarine
125g/4oz self-raising flour
To decorate (optional)
tubes of writing icing
marshmallows, white and coloured
food colouring, for icing
coloured sweets



Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat them together until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in colour.

2. Line a bun tin or cupcake tin with paper cake cases and half-fill each case with the cake mixture.

3. Cook the cakes for 18-20 minutes. You can tell they are done when they have risen up, are golden in colour, and spring back into shape when lightly pressed.

4. The cupcakes can be decorated using a basic icing, plus marshmallows, writing icing, food colouring and coloured sweets. You can even make a cupcake farm with animals such as Santa, Reindeer and Snowmen.

Answer 6

i made nigella lawson's choclate guiness cake which has a lovely cream cheese frosting, it's so much better than anything similar i have tried.

Icing:
300g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml heavy cream


4. For the icing, beat the icing sugar and cream cheese together. Add the cream, and beat again until it's a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake until it resembles the frothy top of a pint of Guinness.

the whole cake recipe is KILLER. i've made it several times, and it always goes down really with my guests.

my wife calls the icing "wrong mayonaise" lolz

Answer 7

Put less water or milk or whatever it is you put in it next time so it's not as runny
Type buttercream frosting into Google if you want a different recipe :)

Answer 8

I make cakes for a living and have had this problem before. All you need to do is add powdered (confectioners) sugar is small amounts and mix.
Do this until it's stiff enough.


Merry Christmas!

Answer 9

Will depend on on the context really. Which is better as a snack - fruits personally. It's tastier and gives you that little of sweetness. Which can be better as a snack if you are trying hard to slice back on sugar and lose weight vegetables

Answer 10

Did you use glycerine in your icing? That's what makes that icing that's pliable, like royal icing.

Also, sounds like you used too much water, in which case, add more icing sugar.