Does anyone that has the 6 QT KA, lift bowl.....have the exact measurement of liquid that you use when you are using Transfat shortening? I have tried it with hi ratio several times....haven't gotten it any better.(spent a lot more $ though, lol!)

I haven't given up..........been at this recipe a long time. Because I know it works.............I am determined to make it work with this Transfat shortening. I've made what seems like hundreds of batches with both hi ratio and the transfat....never got the smoothness in the video. But I have still been trying and using it how it is...smoothing to the best of my ability.

Does anybody have a tried and true recipe with the transfat shortening? I want to be the next one to say...I got the perfect sugarshack buttercream!

Thanks for any suggestions...I'll try them all. LOL!

Wendy has the lift bowl 6 quart and she uses this:

3 lbs sweetex (usse a kitchen scale)

6.5 lbs powdered sugar (use a 4 cup measuing cup, 4 cups=1 lb)

9 tbsp wedding bouquet

11 tbsp hot coffe mate liquid



cream sweetex and liquids on first speed very well. add half amount of powdered sugar, let mix 30 seconds, then add rest of powdered sugar. scrape sides of bowl very well turn speed up one notch, mix for 9 minutes. scrape sides of bowl around top, mix for 1 minute longer. (Do not turn off mixer durning this scraping!) now, turn off mixer, remove paddle and cover with plastic wrap. let sit for 1 hour or longer.

OMG I had posted this some time ago but never really got much help! I have the wide KA bowl too.. and wasted TONS of ingredients trying to get the sugar shack buttercream without bubbles... I have the KA 5+ prof. mixer and it has a wide bowl and is the lift type. Does anyone else have the 5+ bowl?? I dont know what size the bowl even is.. what the heck is 5 plus?

O.K. I dont even know what size bowl I have. I know that there are two types of KA, the lift bowl & the tilt head version which is what I have. So, with the tilt head version, which recipe should I be using?

Both QueenofSweets and Sugarshack mentioned 3 lbs. Sweetex and 6.5 lbs. powdered sugar (for a 6 qt. mixer). But I thought it was a 1:1 ratio -- 1 lb. Sweetex (or hi-ratio shortening) to 1 lb. powdered sugar. Where did I get lost, please?

Also, as Kitagrl asked, how long do you beat the icing to get rid of the air bubbles? I've gone through 15 lbs of shortening and 15 lbs of powdered sugar, am getting "close" w/regard to the taste, but the last batch still had lots of air bubbles, even after beating for the recommended 5-7 minutes (recipe card with the DVD). Does letting the icing sit, as Sugarshack mentioned above, help eliminate those air bubbles?

Thanks for any help!

Yes. If you let the buttercream rest (sit) for awhile it helps to eliminate some of the air bubbles. That advise I got from Indydebi

K guys, I am under a wedding cake now, but this weekend I am going to try to post all the variatins I know of and see if we can figure some of this out

we will NOT be defeated by buttercream!

I wish i could come to every house and figure it out for your mixers.

lol Sharon.. I wish you could come over too! I love your Buttercream DVD btw.. I am hoping to get the rest of the DVD's soon!

I agree.. we cannot let buttercream defeat us!! We must win!

I didn't give up...and I finally got it right! I have the 5+ professional...I used 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1 cup salted butter, 4 cups of shortening and 6 lbs of powdered sugar, 5 tbs of flavoring and 16+ tbs of hot liquid. (I had to add more liquid until I didn't get the "sucking" sound. It turned out beautifully!

My husband doesn't know why I am so excited that my icing doesn't have air bubbles in it since I only do freebies! Silly boys!

I had a 6 qt pro lift bowl & used Wendy's recipe (except I used 14 T creamer & 6 T flavoring b/c SS said just to make sure the liquids = 20 T). But it ended up killing my KA, twice. I loved the consistency (I like it thick enough it doesn't "smoosh" when I'm icing or using the hot scraper) but it killed my KA.

SO, I ditched the KA-----long story short, I hate their customer service.! Oh, it's still on my counter b/c I paid almost $400, but I got the Cuisinart 7 qt. I was hoping to make bigger batches of buttercream, but the bowl is taller & slimmer. I have found that using SS 5 qt recipe in my CA 7 qt is PERFECT! It doesn't strain the motor & b/c it's a deeper bowl & I assume a diferent style paddle it has come out perfect every time! I will also add I LOVE their splash guard & that it has a timer. I usually beat 12 min after the last of the PS has been added.

Keep going for it & you'll get it in time. It's taken me quite a few batches too. But don't toss airy batches. Use it as filling, to ice cupcupakes or sugar cookies, etc. Or eat it out of of spoon like me & my dd's .

ChRiStY_71 thank you so much for your reply. I am going to give this another shot! I was just going to buy another KA like the one Sharon uses in the DVD... but this changes things!!
Thanks again!

Thankls Sharon and everyone for there imput to my question on the first page! this is wonderful, I will not give up, cant wait to try the 6 quart variation and get this right! Your the best Sharon!!

I finally made sharon's buttercream....after the powder sugar settled in my kitchen, it was the most beautiful buttercream I'd even seen. Victory!!

WTG, Cupcakeatheart!!! But, sounds like you forgot to throw the towel over the whole mixer to prevent the powder sugar from getting all over your kitchen! It really does work...then you just shake the towel out after you are done & throw it in the wash! No more having to clean up the whole kitchen! Best ever buttercream, huh?

Definately going to do that next time. Thanks! My son walked in and he's goes "uh oh" (he's two)

And yes, hands down the best ever. I used a vanilla/butter flavoring I get from my cake shop

YAY! Success!

WE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY BUTTERCREAM!

Ok..so i have read this thread and everyone is just raving on the taste of Sugarshack's recipe for Buttercream......ummmmmmmmmm
where can i find this recipe?

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/5313/sugarshacks-buttercream-icing

OMG!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!! I just followed the recipe that wendy uses on the previous page and I DID IT!!! PERFECT SUGARSHACK BUTTERCREAM!!!!! It is totally amazing!!!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY

HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!

OK...I just made it again, using store brand shortening with trans-fats, though, not Sweetex. As I said before, every time I've made it (even using hi-ratio) it comes out waaaaay too soft. The last time I made it, I used 3 Tbs LESS liquid than the recipe calls for (I have a 6 qt KA), thinking I'd add more if needed, and it was still way too soft.

So...this time I used:

3 lbs shortening (by weight)
6 Tbs Wedding Bouquet
9 Tbs hot liquid
6 1/2 lbs powdered sugar

...and it looks wonderful! I took pix, but they're really dark lol! The recipes I've been seeing use a total of 20 Tbs liquid (flavor & creamer, etc) but I found that to be so thin. This batch looks good, and I think it will work fine, but I could probably get away with using even 1 less Tbs of liquid.

I'm anxious to let it sit for a couple of hours and see if it develops air bubbles. All of my previous batches have, including the hi-ratio batches.

IT'S A MATTER OF PRIDE NOW LOL!!!

Sassy,

it is going to be way soft right after you make it because of the hot liquid and the friction from beating it. Are you letting it cool before you use it, and of so, still too thin?

Can you make this in advance and freeze it?

Sharon,

Yes, I'm sure it's cooled. I usually make icing at night for use the next day. It's very rare that I make it during the day...only if it's an emergency lol.

It does stiffen up a little after cooling/sitting over night, but the last time I made the icing, it literally slid off of the cake I was practicing on--yikes! I'm not sure why, but it just seems that I have to use a lot less liquid. This batch is looking great so far. I made it about 2 hours ago, so I'm not sure when it will be totally cooled, but I won't use it till tomorrow. We'll see!

Kepp me posted Sas, for some reason you just need less liquid. It can vary with the season, batches of PS cornstarch content etc....

I just made a batch with 13 TBS liquid, rather than 16. It will vary from time to time, and we just have to adjust it!

I love using Sharon's recipe when I have to do a buttercream cake, especially a sheet cake. I've never tried piping with it though, and I find myself in need of that. Can you pipe with it?

DCHOCK, you can do anything and everything with it!