What happened to my cupcakes?
As an absolute cupcake fiend and lover of buttercream icing, I decided to try my hand at making my own cupcakes. Easy right? Um, no! The actual cupcake making went fine, but the buttercream icing was a disaster. Instead of thick, creamy icing that can stand up on its own, it turned out watery and slid off the side of the cakes. Can anyone tell me what happened? I followed a basic vanilla buttercream recipe, but still disaster.
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14 Comments:
hmmm..maybe the temperature in the kitchen was too hot, so the butter melts..or you beat the butter for too long. Did you use egg whites for the buttercream or not, because there are a few types of buttercream
nindi_18 at 6:53AM on 08/27/08
Egg whites? No eggs in the recipe at all - icing sugar, butter, water. Did I use the wrong recipe perhaps?
EatersRegret at 7:33AM on 08/27/08
Perhaps too much water and your butter was to warm? Just like when making pie dough, add the water a little bit at a time until you get the thickness you want.
Good luck!
NuJoi at 7:36AM on 08/27/08
I am not sure where your mistake was, as I don't know your recipe. I have used the Magnolia Bakery basic buttercream recipe for years with no problem.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted very soft butter
8 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and the vanilla extract. Beat until smoothe and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency( you may not need all the sugar).
for 24 cupcakes
Mich23 at 7:54AM on 08/27/08
The cupcakes were not cool enough?
The butter was too warn and not just softened?
you added too much liquid to the frosting?
Honestly cupcakes are a "cake walk" Can we here what you did to the icing please? It helps me to know what you did so I can advise.
JerzeeTomato at 8:15AM on 08/27/08
It sounds like the icing broke - overbeating, perhaps, or a too-hot kitchen (so the butter started melting). If you tried to frost the cupcakes while they were still warm, you'd have the same problem.
Also I have never heard of a buttercream that uses water, only milk or cream - maybe that has something to do with it? (Though it sounds like it's from a recipe, so probably not.)
producestories at 8:37AM on 08/27/08
The recipe was as the one given above, I'm not sure the butter was unsalted. Also I added everything together, not gradually as you said - rookie mistake?
EatersRegret at 8:58AM on 08/27/08
Post cupcake mistake remorse is something that happens. Once the shame is gone and you eat the rejects, irradicating the evidence you will feel better.
Get back on the horse ASAP, and make some frosting. Practice Practice Practice. In due time you will be frosting and baking in your sleep.
A cupcake is simplicity. It is by far the greatest little bundle O cake and icing you can create. Soon you will be out tring to get some fancy cupcake papers and topping decors with holiday colors. Making fondant embellishments. You will be on the heroin with the rest of us.
JerzeeTomato at 9:32AM on 08/27/08
I believe you iced them while the cupcakes were still warm. Not knowing your recipe it is hard to know. Buttercream is virtually foolproof following a very simple recipe. Hope you'll try it again soon....
dianeb at 9:50AM on 08/27/08
Crisco instead of butter, just use some butter flavor with the vanilla. It may still be temperamental because the trans fats have been taken out of Crisco and all hell has broken loose. Cake decorators everywhere are having to switch to the more expensive hi-ratio shortening.
And as many buttercream recipes as I've used not one can you overbeat. It only makes it smoother.
DCraver at 10:36AM on 08/27/08
My favorite buttercream is Rose Levy Beranbaum's Neoclassic Buttercream. It's delicious and once you get all that butter in, it's amazing in consistency. Before all the butter is in, however, it looks like a mistake. Very scary - the first time you make it...LOL.
therealchiffonade at 12:31PM on 08/27/08
You say you added everything together, just dumped sugar, water, butter etc. in the bowl and then mixed? That is going to affect the outcome for sure.
I never make American style BC (too sweet and greasy for me) and always make a fluffy one, or an Italian or Swiss meringue and never have issues. You have to cream your fats with a BC like that first, always. Then add the sugar slowly and the liquid last or it simply won't end up as it should.
You want to read about cupcakes?
http://www.cakecentral.com/index-cake-decorating.html
sadiepix at 3:50PM on 08/27/08
Get a can of Wilton Meringue powder and use the recipe on the insert. Also, if your cupcakes were still warm, that could have made your icing collapse. The new Crisco works great. I just used it this weekend.
beth1 at 5:03PM on 08/27/08
Jerzee lol! Thanks for the advice everyone - will attempt a batch at the weeknd and try your suggestions
EatersRegret at 4:09AM on 08/29/08