Buttercream Frosting/Icing: The Topic

[beacheschef]

Great idea - no discoloration from scraping with the edge of the acetate?

How about for edges - that's really where I use the "spackle and scrape" technique.

[Lisa Shock]

Well, there will probably still be discoloration after refrigeration, but, the acetate method means that you get a good finish quickly and can be done before you put the cake in the fridge.

For edges, get s closer grip on the acetate and give it the curve you desire as a result. For a sharp corner, hold it straight and do the top then the sides, or an upper surface then the lower surface.

[piracer]

Ok so i tried to make Thomas Keller's buttercream from his bouchon book and just for reference its about:

1.5 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 pound unsalted butter

4 large eggs

flavoring

First of all i halved the recipie, secondly i used salted butter (its what i had). I follow recpie as instructed (beat eggs, make syrup, combine, add butter etc) and what i noticed immediatelly that it was 4 whole eggs, not whites. So what eventually happened was that the mixture was incredibly wet at the end and upon cooling it down (in the freezer), it eventually became thicker. Then it started to seperated, butter chunks were forming. Clearly something was seperating and going wrong.

Now im thinking that its because of my salted butter that somehow the salt extracted the water from everything and hence the seperation. As mentioned in some recipies, i tried mixing it further which just totally seperated the entire thing. So, is there an error with it being whole eggs and not whites? Or would it just simply be because of the salted butter? Thanks for any help.

[Badiane]

I use salted butter all the time, so I doubt that is the problem. Maybe the temperature of your syrup or the amount of time you spent beating it. It always takes way more beating than I think it's going to.

[Edward J]

Yeowwwch, all salted butter? That stuff usually has 2-3% by weight salt content.

It's not the salt in the butter, nor the whole eggs, it's the beating and the temp of the syrup.

Usually the temp is 118C (have absolutely no idea what that is in F), or a sneaky trick is to dip a reugular fork in the syrup, and when you can blow bubbles from inbetween the tines, it's ready.

Beat, beat until it's cold, then add your room temp butter in stages. Beat, beat untill it comes together again.

[stuartlikesstrudel]

That's a neat trick with the fork, Edward! I'll have to try and remember that one.

[pastrygirl]

Did you put the eggs in the freezer to cool down then try to add the butter to cold eggs? Even a really cold bowl would probably have a negative effect. Whip the eggs on high until cool and thick and fluffy, no need for extra chilling, you want room temp eggs and soft room temp butter. If the eggs were very runny, its also possible you did not cook your sugar long enough.

Try letting the butter cream come to room temp then beating it with the paddle while waving a propane torch or a heat gun under the bowl until the butter softens fully and your icing is smooth.

[LindaK]

I'm no buttercream expert, but if you're putting it in the fridge/freezer beware: I learned to bring a buttercream back to room temp before beating, otherwise it can curdle.

Assuming that you're using a stand mixer, I've found that switching from the whisk to a paddle attachment helps bring together a buttercream that's begun to separate.

[piracer]

I only put the butter cream into the freezer after i incorporated butter and everything - the mixture was very liquidy and i thought cooling it down would stiffen it up, which it did but also slowly made the entire thing seaperate.

Since it just seperated into one giant mess, i left it in the fridge and just now there was a layer of relatively normal consistency butter cream which had a layer of froth from the air i think, but below it was liqiud coffee - my flavoring. So now i think what happened was perhaps way too much coffee liquid to butter cream ratio that the emulsification didnt hold up, as i didnt have any instant coffee powder i made regular coffee and reduced it, but i guess i didnt reduce it enough.

When cooling down the eggs with the syrup though, how cool is it supposed to come to be? It was cool relative to in the sense that it wasnt hot, like anywhere from 40C or so (i live in the tropics). thoughts?

[Edward J]

Ahh! S'pore, no wonder you couldn't get unsalted butter, it's a wonder that NTUC even stocks butter at all.

No, whip your eggs until cold, around 20-25 C. If they are too warm, the butter will melt, and once butter is melted it won't whip well.

[piracer]

wait a moment, whip them until 20-25C? That would be impossible since i dont have an air conditions kitchen, unless i bust out the hand mixer and do it over ice (which i dont think i can really be bothered). But NTUC does sell unsalted butter, just didnt have it in the kitchen at the time But i guess the lesson is i still have to cool it down as much as i can. perhaps a wet towel kept in the freezer...

[Edward J]

Yes, a frozen towel would work. K.A. also makes an "outer bowl" to slip outside of the regular mixing bowl, and this can be filled with ice or hot water. Don't kow if Poon Huat is still around, or even Win-Sin, used to be a place (a loooong time ago) on Upper Serangoon Rd. that sold K.A. stuff.

Another trick is to use slightly chilled butter, not quite room temp. butter.

[oli]

I have a recipe I was given many years ago and would like to make it, finally.  There are some parts in the recipe I am not clear on, that I need help.

Thanks

[Tri2Cook]

It would probably help if you actually mentioned what specifically you need help and/or clarification with.

[oli]

I have a recipe called, CHOCOLATE TORTE (SCHOKOLADENTORTE), that I am hoping there is a detailed explanation of the frosting. 

[liuzhou]

Much as would like to be of help, we are not mind readers. We understand you have questions about the recipe, but we don't have the recipe. Tell us exactly what your problem is, then we may be able to help.

 

Only saying "I have a problem. Please help" will get you nowhere.

[oli]

Here is the area of confusion for me: In top of a double boiler, beat until thick and lemon colored 

6 EGGS

At the end of the recipe it says: to blend the grated nuts into the 

frosting after blending in the egg-yolk mixture.

Is the egg-yolk mixture referencing the 6 eggs?

 

 

[btbyrd]

It would be a great help if, when asking for help understanding a recipe, people posted the full recipe. Otherwise, we have no freaking idea what you're talking about.

 

Luckily, my Google-fu is strong.

The recipe appears to be from this text. The hazelnut buttercream frosting recipe calls for 6 egg yolks, not 6 whole eggs. The "egg yolk mixture" consists of the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, cream, and vanilla extract.

 

"Butter-Cream Frosting: A Base Recipe

In top of a double boiler, beat until thick and lemon-colored:

6 egg yolks

Add gradually, beating constantly, a mixture of :

3/4 cup sugar
l teaspoon cornstarch

Add gradually and stir until well blended

3/4 cup cream

Set over simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 17 min).
Remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Cover; cool slightly. Set in refrigerator to chill.

When mixture is chilled, put into a large bowl:

1.5 cups firm, unsalted butter

Beginning with medium speed of an electric mixer, and as soon as possible increasing to high, beat until butter is fluffy. Gradually add the chilled mixture to the creamed butter, beating after each addition just until blended. If necessary, set frosting over ice and water until firm enough to spread. If frosting should curdle, beat again until just smooth.

This frosting will keep several days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Beat just until smooth before using. Enough to frost sides and tops of three 9-in. round torte layers

— Hazelnut Butter-Cream Frosting

Crate 1/2 cup (about 2.5 oz hazelnuts (about 1.5 cups, grated). Follow the Buttercream master Recipe; blend the grated nuts into the frosting after blending in the egg-yolk mixture."

Edited April 7, 2015 by btbyrd (log)