I posted this as a response in another thread too so sorry if anyone is reading and answering it twice...

I'm new to this forum and am attempting this icing today but its a little thin. It tastes wonderful but am wondering what to add to thicken it up so it will be thick enough to spread on a cake. Right now I'm pretty sure it would just slide off..

Thanks in advance.

By the way I used a recipe from a different website (like an idiot) that said it was the Whimisical Bakehouse Buttercream recipe so maybe she was wrong about the measurements?

My recipe I used is as follows...

In mixer bowl, stir together:

6 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Using whip attachment, add and whip on low speed:

1 cup boiling water (3/4 cup on hot days)

Whip until smooth and is cool.

Add and whip until smooth again:

2 3/4 cup hi-ratio shortening or regular vegetable shortening
6oz (1 1/2 sticks) butter; slightly chilled and cut into 1" pieces

Turn up mixer to medium-high. Whip until double in volume and is light and fluffy. About 10-20 minutes. recipe will almost fill a 5qt mixer bowl when done.

Thanks so much. If this is the wrong recipe please someone direct me to to correct one or let me know how I might save this one...

Thanks, Julie

That is the right recipe.....Is the icing completely done and still thin? I ask this because if you are at the stage where the slurry is made which is the icing sugar,salt(Which I never use) and hot water and the vanilla.You can add more icing sugar to the slurry to make it thicker.If you are at the end you can add more shortening to thicken it up but remember it is a non crusting BC so it is very soft and whipped.I use this recipe exclusively for all my cakes as my customers Love it!!

Yeah, I'm at the end. Gonna try some extra shortening. The taste is great. But its so thin that when I put a spatula in it and pull it out it kind of runs off. My slurry was pretty thin, like a powdered sugar icing (which is what it is I guess) that you would pour over a donut. I mixed until it was cool then went ahead and stuck in the fridge for 10 minutes just to be sure. My butter was still a little cool, not completely room temp. Hmm. not sure what happened. Trying the extra shortening...

Thanks
Julie

The slurry needs to be thick.Thicker than donut icing.It should run off the spatula but be thick.The butter should be cold.If you use a salted butter there is no need to add the salt to the recipe.Adding extra butter and/or shortening will thicken it up.HTH

Thanks so much

I added the extra shortening and it thickened up great. Took away some of the sugary flavor and made it a little lighter but thats not really a bad thing. I have to make it again any way, I'm realizing its not quite enough so I'm gonna make another batch making sure the slurry is a bit thicker and maybe adding more butter and shortening instead of just shortening. Also, my butter was not really cold. I'm gonna see if that helps.

I just made this recipe this afternoon. I did not care for it, texture or taste. Nothing wrong with the recipe, just preference. Sticking with a dif. buttercream that I found on here.
I found it to be quite thin also. Hope adding more works for you...Good luck!

Yes..The butter needs to be cold otherwise it gives it a different texture and you can't fix it! Glad to see you could save it!!!

Yeah the adding shortening def. fixed it and I made a second batch with cold butter but it was actually the same. Very thin. Although I again just added some shortening and also some butter this time and it was perfect. I mixed the two batches together and it was very good. I'm making my first wedding cake in October and am starting early on making different cake and icing recipes as well as decorating. I actually prefer IMBC but the bride wasn't that crazy about it so I'm starting on some different, more traditional butter creams. Anyone recommend another buttercream that I could try next?

Thanks again for all the tips.

Julie

UGHHHHH! Ok, so I did a crumb coat on my cakes, then I refrigerated the cakes for a few hours. I also put my buttercream in the fridge. I just took the cakes out and the buttercream getting ready to ice the cakes. The icing is like mush again. It just slides off the spatula. I tried to slop some on the cake but it just runs off. It's not really that thin right now. Much thicker than when I first made it and had to doctor it up. So I scrapped it off and stuck the cake back in the fridge. I guess I'm gonna have to make a different buttercream, anyone have any other recipes that will be ok with this buttercream as the filling. The cakes are filled and crumbcoated. Also, can I freeze these this way, or how long will they be OK in the fridge like this?

Thanks again,

Julie

Please also see:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-669964-.html

HTH

Extra Special Buttercream Icing Recipe

Posted by auntbeesbaking in Frostings

AMAZING!!

I use 2/3 cup hi-ratio shortening to replace the 1 cup shortening and it is one of the best buttercreams I've found so far....

Thanks so much for the tip on the recipe!!!