Ok, I've had this happen a couple of times and I don't know why. I hope somebody can help me.

I been using the Wilton BC for about 7 years now and never changed my way of making it or ingredients, (walmart shortening, domino sugar). The other day I made a batch and thinned it for icing my cakes but by the time I was finished using it in my decorator bags, it was lumpy and it looked like it was seperating. For example, my light pink (and every other color) when I made it was perfectly blended and the perfect consistancy. But as I was piping it started having small BB size lumps of shortening (I guess that's what it was)that was forming and it looked like the pretty pink was breaking down and was turning white. When I piped my grass using my grass tip, the light green grass had very light green almost white tips.

Has anyone ever experienced this? Thank goodness I was able to finish the cake before it got noticable and the cake was fine, but I had a little batter left and I made cupcakes for my kids and when I piped icing on, you could acually feel the BB size lumps in it and the taste is very muted. I scraped the icing off and got some out of the freezer to put it on the cupcakes.

Please help!!! Any advise?

Thanks in advance!

It could be that your shortening is now trans fat free. that will have some negative impact on your icing.

There are a couple of threads about how to compensate for it. Search no trans fat

I keep a check on that everytime I pick up a new container and it still contains trans fat. So I know that's not it. I just can't figure it out.

Help...anyone...any other suggestions?

Thanks again!!

what are you using to thin it?

I use water in my BC, then my flavorings. I mixed it the same amount of time as I usually do.

I have no idea what happened to it, and it's done it several times. At first I thought it was from the heat of my hand heating the icing in the bags but I wasn't using one bag for a long length of time and the bag was pretty full so I'm almost positive that's not it.

Try using sugarshack's recipe or indydebi's recipe, they are both very good. I quit using shortening and started using hiratio for my icing and it really makes a difference.

When it's hot out, I can't fill my bags full, or the heat from my hands causes this. Try putting less icing in your bag, and putting it in the fridge for a few minutes after using it, or when you start to notice the spots.

this has happened to me a few times when I have alot of piping to do and I fill the bag to the brim. By the time I get towards the bottom, my hand has actually melted the buttercream and it makes the color separate out and white specks in the icing. Now I try not to fill the bag too much and if it happens anyway, squirt all the buttercream out of the bag, and refill it. If you don't want to discard it, you might be able to put it in the frige and rewhip it afterward

Perhaps it could be the thinning of the bc...sometimes if it's too thin, it can separate like that. I use the Wilton recipe with 1/2 shortening, 1/2 butter and I DO NOT thin at all. I use the same consistency from start to finish with no problems.

I keep an ice pack on the table (covered with a towel) and lay my bogs on it because I have hot hands. I fill 2 bags and rotate them so they don't get too soft.

p.s. try using corn syrup to thin the icing instead of water

Thank you so much for all of the help everybody!!! I really appreciate it!

I don't know what I'd do without CC!!!

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!