Hi everyone!

I'm new here so hopefully I'm posting in the right area. I finally made SMBC successfully (I failed the first two times I ever tried) and so I was very happy about that. I covered it and placed it in the refrigerator intending to use it the next day for cupcakes. When I took it out it was rock solid in the bowl and so I tried mixing it a bit with my spatula. Slowly it started to get workable and I used my hand mixer to get it to working consistency but I noticed it got all gritty and there was liquid coming from it.  It was so silky smooth the day before and now it was a mess. I read to try mixing it and as the butter warms it will come together but it didn't. I also read some suggestions to microwave some of the SMBC and mix it in but I don't own a microwave. 

I'm so sad! Do any of you guys know what happened and if there's a way to save it? I couldn't bear to throw a third batch out so I put it back in the refrigerator (and it's still separated). 

All of your help is much appreciated!

ATake it out of the refrigerator, let it get to room temp, and try mixing it again.

Thank you! Do you know if I will need to add more butter or anything? Or will mixing suffice? I will try this tonight. 

AJust mixing it should work. If not, come back and we can troubleshoot some more!

Time has passed that it's probably fine now, but the other thing you can do is take a small amount of the icing, put it in a separate bowl and microwave it for mere seconds...just enough to warm it up (it may be a bit liquidy, but that's ok).  Mix that back in with the rest of the icing.  It should come back together fairly quickly.

^^ that won't work with hard-as-rock icing, but will work once it has sat out for awhile, but is still not completely at room temp.

KathleenC, I can't microwave it as I don't own a microwave.

Thank to you both for your help! I will go with mixing once it's room temp. I will keep fighting!  I'm hoping once it's room temp it should come back together fairly quickly when I mix it.

"Broken SMBC" will come back together. Like magic....just turn the mixer on, walk away. It takes awhile. maybe even 15 minutes....but basically your beating it back to room temp. Pay attention to the sound its making when its beating...when you hear the sound change...that's when you know your getting close.

That's good to know! Thanks SandiOh. 

Hold the bowl over a open burner and get the bowl hot enough where it starts melting down the sides. Put it on to whip and see if it comes back. Keep doing that until it's soft and creamy again.

I can take it from 'hard as a rock' to soft and creamy in 10 minutes.

KathleenC: It's true I don't own a microwave; haven't owned one in years. 

Thanks for the help AZCouture! 10 minutes is pretty good timing.

I just wanted to post an update and tell you guys I was able to save it! I let it sit out at room temp all day on my kitchen counter and I whipped that baby back into shape! I whipped some air into it so it has some bubbles but I plan to cover it in fondant so no one will see.  You guys rock!

That happened to me, I made the SMBC and while I was adding the butter it turned into a liquid mess.  I searched all over the Internet for help with broken SMBC.  The answers I got were to refrigerate it it for an hour and mix it for a while.  It came back but I had to mix it for about 30 minutes.  It is an emulsion after all and you have to change it back into a solid, the best way is refrigeration then mixing.  I think that's why I prefer Crumb Boss's recipe because you just dump everything in at the same time and it leaves not time for errors  like the butter separating from the egg whites.  But this is just my opinion.

Oh I forgot, use the beater blade not the whip

Hi Enga,

I just left my SMBC out to get to room temp and it didn't come back together right away when I mixed. I then popped it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let it firm up just a bit (it looked like it was too warm and liquidy) and then mixed and found that it came together after a few minutes. I love the taste and feel of SMBC but I find it to be such a temperamental icing. 

I'm so glad it came back for you.  It is very temperamental but it has a lovely texture.  I experiment with all types of BC for different things like marshmallow for kids

 and ABC for people who don't like shortening in their BC. Different stokes for different folks,lol.

But my personal fav is SMBC.

I find that SMBC doesn't crust, is it supposed to? I'm wary of using under cakes bc of that.

Ah ok, good to know. Thanks

I work with ABC every now and then. I find it to be more reliable then SMBC even though SMBC tastes heavenly.