Grainy American Buttercream

[RachelB]

Every time I try to make American Buttercream, it is grainy. I can make Swiss Meringe Buttercream successfully, and it is supposed to be harder to make. I prefer American Buttercream because I like my frosting very sweet. But, how can I get it smooth? Please help.

 

[chassis]

Please provide the recipe and describe the method.

 

[RachelB]

Please provide the recipe and describe the method.

I used the recipe below. When I added the heavy cream, it was so soupy and grainy. It is so hot and humid right now where live, that I tried making it again without the heavy cream, and it was still grainy.

• Orange Creamsicle Buttercream ingredients:
• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, left out of the fridge for 15 minutes
• 1 Tablespoon Mexican Vanilla
• 2½ Tablespoons Orange Emulsion
• Orange Food Gels/Coloring
• Pinch of Salt
• ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
• 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted

Instructions:

1. In the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy.
2. Add in the vanilla, emulsion, salt and heavy cream until thoroughly combined.
3. Slowly, about a half cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar. Add in any food coloring as desired. Turn the mixer to high speed for about a minute to add volume, then lower the speed for about 30 seconds to beat out any air bubbles.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I used the recipe below. When I added the heavy cream, it was so soupy and grainy. It is so hot and humid right now where live, that I tried making it again without the heavy cream, and it was still grainy.

• Orange Creamsicle Buttercream ingredients:
• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, left out of the fridge for 15 minutes
• 1 Tablespoon Mexican Vanilla
• 2½ Tablespoons Orange Emulsion
• Orange Food Gels/Coloring
• Pinch of Salt
• ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
• 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted

Instructions:

1. In the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy.
2. Add in the vanilla, emulsion, salt and heavy cream until thoroughly combined.
3. Slowly, about a half cup at a time, add in the powdered sugar. Add in any food coloring as desired. Turn the mixer to high speed for about a minute to add volume, then lower the speed for about 30 seconds to beat out any air bubbles.

1) Sugar: Use cane powdered sugar; the package must be specifically labelled pure cane sugar. Sugars just labeled “sugar” is from sugar beet or a blend. Sugarbeet sugar is inferior sugar in most applications.

There are differences in flavor and aroma between cane and sugar beet sugar; food scientists found sugarbeet sugar to be off-dairy, oxidized, earthy, and barnyard aroma, fruity and burnt sugar aroma-by-mouth, sweet aftertaste, and burnt sugar aftertaste.

Sugarbeet sugar has more impurities than cane sugar. The impurities may be the reason for differences in performance, flavor and aroma. Sugarbeet sugar does not caramelize well. In fact it cannot produce a molasses for human consumption (sugarbeet sugar molasses is only used for animal feed and industrial applications). To make brown sugar from beetsugar, the granulated sugar is mixed with cane sugar molasses.

Powdered sugar is usually mixed with cornstarch to prevent clumping. The percentage of cornstarch varies by brand. Cane sugar brands like C & H and Dominos are very consistent in the amount of added cornstarch. These brands also produce a high quality cane sugar in fine grain consistency. Selecting a quality brand and sticking with it is important for consistency of product.

2) Butter: use a butter that is 83% butterfat. In the US, the law mandates butter only has to be 80% butterfat. This low percent means more water. More water means more dilution and less flavor. If you are in the US, look for a butter labeled European Style, or use a brand like Plugra.

3) Heavy Cream: be sure that the cream you use is specifically labeled “Heavy Cream”. Heavy cream is 36% - 40% milk fat. Cream labeled “Whipping Cream” is 30% - 35%, with cheaper brands containing lower percentages of milk fat.

Do not add the cream all at once. Add it by a tablespoon, AND only as much as needed. You probably only need two tablespoons.

4) Sifting: measure powdered sugar BEFORE sifting. Sifting aerates, so reduces the volume. This recipe does not use correct baking methods, which include metric weight and temperature specifications. Volume measurement (cups and spoons) is the amount of space something takes up. How much space something takes up has absolutely nothing to do with baking. Baking is the chemical reaction of all the ingredients to temperature in time. It is the ratio of ingredients to each other. The standard for sifting is always weigh/measure first, then sift.

 

[Niki]

I make fluffy American buttercream very often, and here are the tips I could give!

1. Your recipe is saying to add the other liquid ingredients (extracts and cream) to the butter first then add the powdered sugar. I wouldn't do this. The amount of liquid you need to add to your buttercream will very depending on temperature of the butter, and of course how much powdered sugar you are using.

2. Make sure the butter is room temperature- where you can indent it with your finger- it is not too melty, but definitely not cold or hard. It should at least be malleable when squeezed between your fingers/hands. Your recipe says only to leave your butter out for 15 minutes- you said it is hot and humid where you live, although I have never heard of butter coming to room temperature that fast still in stick form. A trick for having it come to room temp more quickly and evenly- cut up the butter into cubes. This will drastically cut down the time, but do not focus on any number of minutes, it has to be the right consistency, which will vary.

3. Sifting the powdered sugar is super important, which I see your recipe states to do, so definitely continue to do this and make sure there are no little hard pieces in the sifted powdered sugar (as in humid/moist environments powdered sugar can clump and become hard. Make sure you are using a fine mesh sifter/strainer, and if/when you have hard pieces of powdered sugar left after sifting, you discard them- don’t dump them back in or try to force them through the sifter.

How I would attempt to make your recipe-
With completely room temperature butter (better slightly warmer than colder) beat in a mixer until creamy, then slowly add powdered sugar little by little. If buttercream starts to get very thick or crumbly, alternate with wet ingredients. Start with your extracts, and I suppose food coloring if you are wanting to add that, then start adding the heavy cream. Only little by little! Once all the powdered sugar is added, if still to thick, add heavy cream teaspoon by teaspoon until it is the right consistency. Just remember to add all the ingredients slowly- and don’t over whip! Have it on a low-setting and only increase speed every now and then to aerate and incorporate ingredients well. Pinch of salt can be added at any stage.

Hope this helps!!!! Good luck

 

[RachelB]

I make fluffy American buttercream very often, and here are the tips I could give!

1. Your recipe is saying to add the other liquid ingredients (extracts and cream) to the butter first then add the powdered sugar. I wouldn't do this. The amount of liquid you need to add to your buttercream will very depending on temperature of the butter, and of course how much powdered sugar you are using.

2. Make sure the butter is room temperature- where you can indent it with your finger- it is not too melty, but definitely not cold or hard. It should at least be malleable when squeezed between your fingers/hands. Your recipe says only to leave your butter out for 15 minutes- you said it is hot and humid where you live, although I have never heard of butter coming to room temperature that fast still in stick form. A trick for having it come to room temp more quickly and evenly- cut up the butter into cubes. This will drastically cut down the time, but do not focus on any number of minutes, it has to be the right consistency, which will vary.

3. Sifting the powdered sugar is super important, which I see your recipe states to do, so definitely continue to do this and make sure there are no little hard pieces in the sifted powdered sugar (as in humid/moist environments powdered sugar can clump and become hard. Make sure you are using a fine mesh sifter/strainer, and if/when you have hard pieces of powdered sugar left after sifting, you discard them- don’t dump them back in or try to force them through the sifter.

How I would attempt to make your recipe-
With completely room temperature butter (better slightly warmer than colder) beat in a mixer until creamy, then slowly add powdered sugar little by little. If buttercream starts to get very thick or crumbly, alternate with wet ingredients. Start with your extracts, and I suppose food coloring if you are wanting to add that, then start adding the heavy cream. Only little by little! Once all the powdered sugar is added, if still to thick, add heavy cream teaspoon by teaspoon until it is the right consistency. Just remember to add all the ingredients slowly- and don’t over whip! Have it on a low-setting and only increase speed every now and then to aerate and incorporate ingredients well. Pinch of salt can be added at any stage.

Hope this helps!!!! Good luck

Thank you so much!