Hi there! I am new to cake decorating and I am having soooo much trouble with buttercream icing consistency! I have been making the Wilton class icing recipe which calls for 1cup shortening 1tsp. vanilla 7tsp. h2o and 4cups of conf. sugar. My buttercream looks oily, and disgusting and when i add color gel to it, it's as though the shortening is rejecting the color and it looks like white blotches through out the frosting. I have been using generic shortening and Domino confectioner sugar. Please help!!! Thanks, melissa

I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but I have had that problem before with red only.

I did notice that you did not mention the meringue powder in your recipe. Are you using it? Don't know if that will make a difference, but I know it is part of the Wilton class recipe, and it really helps me in warm, humid weather.

You might try another brand of shortening, although I get better results with generic brands which still have some trans fats.

Good luck, HTH

I had trouble when I used that recipe too. It's just gross and it leaves that greasy film in your mouth.

Try indydebi's recipe, it's AWESOME!

1 1/3 crisco
3 tbs Dream Whip(find this in the baking section by the pudding/jello
1/3 to 1/2 cup warm milk(depending on the consistancy you want)
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 to 3 TBS vanilla

This recipe works best for me when I add the ingredients in that order. It also helps to beat the crisco for a few minutes before you add the dream whip.

Good Luck!

I "dressed" up Wilton's recipe by ...

- Use 1/2 C Shortening and 1/2 C Butter combination (I get the generic brand of butter, which tends to be whiter for some reason - but you can always add their "white white" to clean up the color some).

- Replace the water for either half and half or heavy cream. Helps some and still keeps it a nice consistency in your piping bag when you are practicing in class (doesn't get as soft as the all butter recipes - though you'll like those better once you master your techniques!).

- Use 2t instead of 1t flavoring. Try the Butter/Vanilla emulsion or Princess Cake emulsions from Lorann Oils. YUMMY! Available online for cheap, or I've found at Hobby Lobby and Michaels, too.

Lastly - even though it doesn't tell you to - be sure to sift that powdered sugar. If all else fails, squeeze the bag in your hands a lot before opening it and dumping it into your mixer to get as many clumps out as you can.

Enjoy your classes!!!!

I have this same problem. I use Wilton's all-white BC recipe. So, no butter. I use water so don't have to worry about refrigeration. Mine does the exact same thing. I think that mine is getting too warm. I've placed my mixing bowl in the freezer. Seems to help but still does it on icings that I have to add a lot of color too. I have to work fast. Any more recommendations would be helpful.

tcwheeler,

you don't have to refrigerate even if you use milk. Sugar is a preservative, so it will be just fine. I have used milk and even cream in place of the water, and I love it! It gives a creamier texture.

I like Indydebi's much better than the wilton for both taste and texture. But I add the dream whip to slightly warmed liquid and let it "dissolve" then add it after I have beat the crisco for about 15 minutes. it is velvety.

Butter is shelf stable anyway -- how many of us have grandmothers who always kept the butter out on the counter?
It does "keep" longer if it's salted, and I make sure it gets consumed within a couple days. But technically, butter can sit out.

I only/always use crisco. This is not making your butter cream oily. Nor not adding merengue powder..that is not a required ingredient for successful buttercream.

Just a thought....I had an oily batch of butter cream one time. I had bought the generic shortening at Wal-Mart. BUT.......I did not buy the "vegetable shortening". Back when Great Value had a blue label (now white), I didn't realize that had TWO shortenings. One was vegetable shortening and the other was some yuck shortening. I think I used lard! That batch of buttercream was greasy.

Anyway.....are you sure you used VEGETABLE shortening? Just a thought.

ddaigle is absolutely right. Unless the shortening label says "ALL VEGETABLE" shortening it is vegetable and fat....yuck....I always use Crisco. Like the old commercials with Loretta Lynn saying "Crisco will do you proud everytime" Anyone else remember that commercial?

I also agree with ddaigle on the meringue powder. It is NOT necessary for successful buttercream. Honestly it has an awful aftertaste in my opinion.
I use Indydebi's bc recipe with real Crisco. Very good.

Mamarobin....we're showing our age remembering that commercial!

I remember Loretta Lynn's Crisco commercial, too Great point on the vegetable shortening. Glad to see I'm not the only one who bought the wrong tub and learned from the mistake on that one: Yuck! (Just the thought of "meat" in my cake is kind of gross...even though I know there are animal products with butter, etc....meat fat? egh!) LOL

Good luck with your icing - best way to develop consistency is practice practice practice...

Okay..I'm confused (not hard to do) Can someone set the record straight with the change in the veg. oil...is it still okay to use crisco with indydeb's recipe or is that the one that was changed? can any vegetable oil be used or only certain kind? Thanks!

Donna....crisco is fine. As a matter of fact, I think that is all IndyDebi has every used..don't think she jumped on the trans fat band wagon. I didnt either. Don't see a difference to make the change...My opinion. Others will say they only use a trans fat shortening. It's all what works for you and your climate.

Thank you Debbie!

I use pure vegtable shortning but if using a store brand add 1/4 teaspoon salt and one cup more powdered sugar.

For those that use butter here is my suggestion. use 1 cup shortning instead of the butter add 1 teaspoon of butter flavor I preferr watkins but my friend uses the wilton flavor and there really is not a dfferance in taste.

Gives a pure white shortning
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I honestly don't know how some of you say that you don't notice a difference between the transfat version and the non-transfat version. The consistency of the shortening is so different. Unless butter or something is added to keep it solid at room temp I don't know how it would work. Just my thought on it.

To the OP: I make the Wilton recipe all of the time. I use GENERIC shortening that has the 3g of Transfat and the recipe calls for 2T of water with the shortening. Cream that together with your salt. Then I add the powered sugar and the merange powder. Some say you don't need the merange powder, but I think it helps it to stay stable and to crust. Once you have your recipe all mixed (also mix at a very low speed or you get air in your icing and it is impossible to get a smooth finish) then you add more water to thin it to medium and more to thin it to thin consistency. Good luck!

[quote="julesh268"]I honestly don't know how some of you say that you don't notice a difference between the transfat version and the non-transfat version. The consistency of the shortening is so different. Unless butter or something is added to keep it solid at room temp I don't know how it would work. Just my thought on it.


The difference is INDYDEBI'S BC RECIPE. It is the same with or without the trans fat because of the addition of the Dream Whip in her icing. Dream Whip has hydrogenated vegetable oil which apparently makes her recipe work despite the absence of trans fat in the Crisco. She said that when everyone started complaining about the removal of trans fat in shortening she was surprised because she had noticed NO changes in her recipe.

No one ever said there wasn't a difference in shortening with or without the trans fat...What we're saying is that with Indydebi's recipe the absence of trans fat makes absolutely NO difference in her icing. I use her recipe because of the heat and humidity in my area and her icing will hold up to extreme 100+ temperatures.

I don't understand how the addition of butter would 'keep it solid at room temperature' since butter has a lower melting point than shortening.