Butter Cream Frosting HELP!!!!!!!!

[rufalina]

I need help please.... Got a great cake going on, but I can not for the life of me make a good butter cream frosting.

Hit me with your recipes and tips please. Both for vanilla and choc...

I think my issues is the butter... Too soft, too hard, whipped to much not enough? dairy blend vs butter?

It is DS2's birthday next weekend, and I want to get this right for him...
Thanks

[Erin_25]

I just use black and gold butter, never had a problem. Leave it out to go soft and often just zap it a bit also if need be. I use the recipe found in the WW birthday books for Vienna cream;

125g butter
1 1/2cups icing sugar
2T milk

have butter and milk at room temp, place butter in small bowl of electric mixer and beat until butter is as white as possible (I just beat til it is nice and whipped). Gradually add half sifted icing sugar, beating constantly, add milk gradually then the other half of icing sugar and beat in. For chocolate add 2T cocoa to the icing sugar. I've never had a problem, once I didn't read the instructions and added all the milk, butter & icing sugar together at the start and just started beating....turned out great.

Otherwise, my sister just did a cake for her DD and she used the tubs of Betty Crocker icing....they are yummo!!! she said it was easy to tint, saved her lots of time and problems...only thing it didn't smooth as much as the Vienna cream but all the same great and great tasting.

i have found a ripper cake for my DS2 first birthday and as it is all covered in smarties I will just be getting Betty Crocker to make my icing

[rufalina]

Thanks... I really think it is how I bet the butter. I don't think I beat it enough.

I have considered the Betty Crocker, even have some in the cupboard... It is nice, but I am determined to get this dang butter cream frosting if it kills me!!!

[NaeNae]

150 g butter, softened
250 g icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons milk

I also use the regular black and gold butter i leave it room temp overnight before. I also whip it for ages, if it gets too soft you can always stick it in the fridge for a little bit

Nae x

[Mum2Romone]

You can over whip it.

I uses a heap of butter left out to soften and add the icingnsugar as I go for texture.....

[rufalina]

I think the last lot I did the butter was too soft and I used a big bowl... So small bowl, sightly harder butter and beat more... I am paranoid about the over beating... I need to just have more butter on hand and let the fear go...

[Erin_25]

yes, be at one with the butter LOL!

I have a 'thing' I got free from tupperware when I had a party a little while ago and it is for whipping things like cream etc. I used it to make butter cream once & it was amazing....small bowl etc worked well.

Go for smaller bowl so the whisks can move butter around better, I myself just beat til nice and creamy texture, I don't wait for it to go white. I have never found it to matter...like I said I've even put all ingredients in at once and have had no problems.

[Beach Mama]

Mine is called Betty Crocker choc fudge, or vanilla if I need to colour it for the kids. I have given up trying because I can never ever get it right. Good luck though the only one I fluked was with icing sugar, butter and some lemon juice and rind and I put in it the KA and forgot about it for a bit. Maybe that's the key!

[Manhattan]

I used the Crabapple Bakery recipe for the first time ever last week, and it was sooooo yummy, and tasted just like the ones in their stores.

200g unsalted softened butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tbs vanilla extract
8 cups icing sugar

Butter and milk both at room temp. If using milk from fridge, microwave for bout a minute.

Cream butter for 1-2 mins. Add the milk, vanilla and half sifted icing sugar and beat for another 3 mins. Add remaining sugar and beat for a further 3 mins until light and fluffy, and of a spreadable consistency. Add some extra milk if too dry, or extra sugar if too wet.

I am far from a good baker, and this work perfectly for me the first time. Personally though I would halve the ingredients, as I had a heap left over which is now in my freezer waiting for another cake to ice

Good luck hun, and I'm sure whatever you do will be perfect x

[Epacris]

Hey ruf, I should immediately declare that I don’t do icing, I do the baking, icing is DH’s department. But I do watch (and clean-up afterwards *sigh*) so I feel somewhat qualified.

I don’t know why you’re paranoid about over-beating, I don’t think you can over-beat it. Maybe we just have really crappy beaters (hence why I don’t do icing). DH beats it till it’s almost white. I guess if it's hot (the weather I mean) and getting too soft (the butter I mean now), yeah, cooling it mid-beat in the freezer for a few minutes is a good idea.

It’ll be tops mate!

[rufalina]

Thanks all for your tips.

I did another trial today with Erins recipe.. And I think I cracked it... I was "one with the butter", and beat it when I asked DH to taste, he kept coming back for more!!!... Which he never does... So I think we have a winner!!!

Thank you all for your help. Hopefully the final run goes as smoothly! Will try and share photos after the weekend...!!!

[Shanti]

I am another one who struggles with icing!!! Nothing beats a good butter cream on a yummy cake mmmmm!

[rufalina]

Shanti, I think I have finally overcome my icing fears! *Touch wood* It seems to be good now with this recipe. I think the key is really in the butter. Beat and beat and then beat some more. I had to stop making cakes, and I was having so much fun with it! LOL.