Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › Making butter cream stiffer WITHOUT sugar?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Making butter cream stiffer WITHOUT sugar?

post #1 of 20
3/20/12 at 10:22am
Thread Starter 
I started using a less-sweet buttercream recipe (based on Sugar Shack's recipe) after a bride complained that my sample was just too sweet for her. Of course, as soon as I mentioned the complaint, several family members chimed in "It is awfully sweet." So -I decided to go ahead and fix it. icon_razz.gif

The "fixed" version is, in a word, fantastic. So delicious. But . . .it's still a bit on the thin side. In fact, the past several cakes I've done end up getting a "fat roll" where the filling icing is pushing out between the layers. I have attached a photo of this phenomenon.

I have tried making the filling icing thicker by adding much more powdered sugar, but it doesn't seem to work. I have worked with only room temp cakes, room temp icing, etc etc. The fat roll appears again and again. So - I have decided the frosting overall has to be too thin.

I have attempted to add both flour and cornstarch to the recipe with VERY yucky results. So - I was wondering if meringue powder would do the trick?

Any of you have experience with this? I think it's a TBS per 3 cups of frosting, but I'm not positive. I just don't want to have to add more sugar, as that defeats the purpose.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Ginge
LL
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 20
3/20/12 at 11:28am
If the icing is too thin, it would be sliding down or dripping off, and you'd see through it.

This is a bulge caused by settling cake. Cakes just settle... you can hurry along the settling process by applying pressure to your layers.

leah_s posted about her "trick" using ceramic tiles for weights...
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=633571&highlight=trick
2011 "I WAS FEATURED ON CAKE CENTRAL" badge:
http://media.cakecentral.com/files/2011/11/featured-on-cakecentral-badge.png
Reply
2011 "I WAS FEATURED ON CAKE CENTRAL" badge:
http://media.cakecentral.com/files/2011/11/featured-on-cakecentral-badge.png
Reply
post #3 of 20
3/20/12 at 11:43am
Thread Starter 
Well, the problem is, this NEVER happened with my old BC recipe -the too sweet/too thick one. So it's got to be the icing.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 20
3/20/12 at 11:48am
i think this frosting doesnt serve as a filling, so just scratch that option out, fillings with chocolate hold well, and why dont u try refrigerating?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 20
3/20/12 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gingerlycreative

Well, the problem is, this NEVER happened with my old BC recipe -the too sweet/too thick one. So it's got to be the icing.



It's obvious you don't have experience with this... too bad you don't like the answer when you asked for help from those with experience. Good luck getting a diagnosis.

I don't know when you switched recipes, but you have at least five bulging cakes posted. Is the icing to blame for all of them?
2011 "I WAS FEATURED ON CAKE CENTRAL" badge:
http://media.cakecentral.com/files/2011/11/featured-on-cakecentral-badge.png
Reply
2011 "I WAS FEATURED ON CAKE CENTRAL" badge:
http://media.cakecentral.com/files/2011/11/featured-on-cakecentral-badge.png
Reply
post #6 of 20
3/20/12 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gingerlycreative

Well, the problem is, this NEVER happened with my old BC recipe -the too sweet/too thick one. So it's got to be the icing.



Sorry, I don't have any experience with meringue powder. But maybe before you go trying to fix the icing that currently tastes just the way you want it, you should try weighing a cake down to help it settle, then try your thinner icing again. Perhaps this bulge never happened with the previous recipe because that BC was so thick that it held the filling in.

Otherwise, I do hope someone else can give you some meringue tips!
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 20
3/20/12 at 12:56pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks all! I think I might try that smooshing with the tile trick. I never even knew such a thing was possible! This will really help when I do the wedding cake next month for the bride who started all of this icing mess in the first place. Because her filling is Bavarian cream- I knew I was REALLY going to get the bulge, even with an icing dam.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 20
3/20/12 at 1:04pm
I had a problem with the whole dam/filling/bulging thing and wasn't ending up with much of anything between the layers. So what I did was to carve a slight indentation in the bottom layer about 1/2" in from the edge - - basically making a cake "dam". Then I fill it with frosting and it doesn't ooze out and everybody's happy with plenty of frosting/filling in the middle.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 20
3/20/12 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CWR41

Quote:
Originally Posted by gingerlycreative

Well, the problem is, this NEVER happened with my old BC recipe -the too sweet/too thick one. So it's got to be the icing.



It's obvious you don't have experience with this... too bad you don't like the answer when you asked for help from those with experience. Good luck getting a diagnosis.

I don't know when you switched recipes, but you have at least five bulging cakes posted. Is the icing to blame for all of them?



I didn't see the above link from Leah S when I read your first message. After clicking the link, I see what you mean about adding pressure.

I shall try it. I would look at your cakes to see how perfect and flawless they are, but you seem to have none in your gallery.

icon_razz.gif
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 20
3/20/12 at 5:11pm
You don't have to add more powdered sugar to the whole batch. Just take out enough for the dam and add more to that to make it stiffer.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 20
3/20/12 at 6:06pm
Psst! OP, I think you missed that little "featured on Cake Central badge" in CWR41's signature. Who needs a gallery when you have a badge?! *Insert evil laugh*
icon_biggrin.gif
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 20
3/20/12 at 6:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmarks0

You don't have to add more powdered sugar to the whole batch. Just take out enough for the dam and add more to that to make it stiffer.



I agree. That is what I do and it has worked for me.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 20
3/20/12 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by vgcea

Psst! OP, I think you missed that little "featured on Cake Central badge" in CWR41's signature. Who needs a gallery when you have a badge?! *Insert evil laugh*
icon_biggrin.gif



Of course I saw the badge. But I honestly didn't see the link in the first response and I thought the reply was kinda mean-ish. Oh well. Just messin. icon_biggrin.gif
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 20
3/20/12 at 6:40pm
Yeah, I would try the settling trick. In my experience, meringue powder doesn't really make bc more stiff, it just aids in crusting. If it did help with stiffness, you would probably have to add A LOT of meringue powder! HTH!

P.S. I agree that reply seemed kind of mean-spirited. I really don't understand why some people feel the need to get so crabby on this site. icon_rolleyes.gif
Before you ask- I'm licensed, inspected, insured, and all that jazz.
Reply
Before you ask- I'm licensed, inspected, insured, and all that jazz.
Reply
post #15 of 20
3/20/12 at 6:54pm
I think your cakes are pretty princess.gif
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Decorating
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › Making butter cream stiffer WITHOUT sugar?