Buttercream Battle

May 29, 2008 8:52 AM

Can my batch of (sorta)buttercream frosting be saved?

I am making a birthday cake for tonight and I fear I may have ruined my buttercream. I am following this recipe with one exception: because the birthday boy is lactose-intolerant, I substituted Promise sticks (which say they can be used for baking) for the butter. Yes, I know, butter is best . . . but he told me he wanted it lactose free because he doesn't want to take lactaid. I have also used Promise in baking cakes and making icing before with no problem. However, this time, my frosting is nowhere near the right consistency - it looks like cake batter. I am not sure if this is due to the Promise, the fact that it is hot in the apartment and maybe the egg white/sugar mixture wasn't cool enough before I added the Promise, or some technical mistake. Also, the recipe just says "sugar," so I used granulated sugar - when I have only used confectioner's sugar for icing in the past. There are many ways I could have gone wrong, I guess! After following the recipe, I then dumped several cups of confectioner's sugar into the mix, which thickened it somewhat, but I think it is also getting on the verge of "too sweet." Is this icing salvageable? If so, how? If not, does anyone have a substitute lemony buttercream icing that is vegan or lactose free?

posted by tuff to food & drink (14 comments total)

Try refrigerating the buttercream for a little while--maybe 15 or 20 minutes. It should start to firm up and once it's a little firmer you can spread it on the cake.

For future reference, it WAS supposed to be granulated sugar, so adding the powdered sugar may have just increased the liquid factor. I don't know about using margarine, but I do know that if the egg white/sugar mixture is too hot, it will melt the butter and cause the frosting to be soupy, which may have been part of the problem. A good way to judge is to feel the outside of the metal bowl you're using to whip the frosting--if it feels room temperature (ie, not at all warm) then it's ready for the butter to be added.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 9:14 AM on May 29, 2008

You can always add in some flour to thicken, but do it sparingly. Sift an eighth of a cup of flower into the frosting, stir it in gently but thoroughly, repeat.

Of course, a hot room will make buttercream frosting melty.

I did cake decorating competitively, and we used Crisco in the frosting because it wouldn't melt like butter and is bright white.

Try putting it in the fridge for 10 minutes if you have the time and see if that helps.

Good luck!
posted by sondrialiac at 9:17 AM on May 29, 2008

I don't have a substitute icing offhand, and I'm not sure about whether your frosting is salvageable. However! Are you near a bookstore? The book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (you can take a look at the table of contents at Amazon) has a whole slew of wonderful frosting recipes, all dairy-free and all delicious. They have one in there for Raspberry Buttercream, which sounds perfect for your cake.
posted by Greg Nog at 9:22 AM on May 29, 2008

When I've made buttercream before its just been icing sugar (which I guess is what you call confectioner's sugar - fine white powder?) + margarine or other butter substitute (I tried 'low fat spread' once and that didn't work so good). I believe margarine is lactose free and I don't think a 1/4 of lemon juice would change the consistency too much.
posted by missmagenta at 9:28 AM on May 29, 2008

Thanks for the answers so far! I have put the frosting in the fridge, and it is firmer now, though still not as stiff as I might like. It is forming soft peaks (or what I, as an obviously inexperienced baker, perceive as such). I realize it should be a little sticky so that the coconut will stick to it, but I am not sure how much so, and I am concerned about whether the frosting will melt at room temperature. Any guidance as to how stiff it should be? I will let you know how it all turns out!
posted by tuff at 9:33 AM on May 29, 2008

oh, and while I have your attention, master bakers . . . will this cake recipe fail if I substitute soy milk and margarine for the milk and butter?
posted by tuff at 9:36 AM on May 29, 2008

The book that Greg Nog recommends is awesome, and you can search inside the book on Amazon. Their buttercream frosting is here. Maybe you could use lemon juice instead of soy milk? I never use the amount of liquid that the recipe calls for because it tends to get runny here as well.

I and many vegans I know substitute soy milk and margarine for milk and butter all the time, and it works well, if you use a good quality margarine. (If you don't, it still works, but it will not taste as good, obviously).

That cake sounds delicious by the way!
posted by davar at 9:51 AM on May 29, 2008

The coconut will stick. If it doesn't just put it on the top, where gravity will do its work. No one will care if it's not on the sides.

Keep it in the fridge until right before you serve it. Cover it if you can so it doesn't get fridge-smell. No one will notice if it melts while they're eating it.

will this cake recipe fail if I substitute soy milk and margarine for the milk and butter?

Depends on your definition of "fail". It will definitely taste different, but it won't kill anyone.

You can also use lactaid milk, which works for this lactose-intolerant. It's a bit sweeter than regular milk.

And, take a deep breath! He will love it, even if it's a bit runny or whatever.
posted by sondrialiac at 10:22 AM on May 29, 2008

Oh, and soft peaks is just fine for this frosting/filling!
posted by sondrialiac at 10:24 AM on May 29, 2008

margarine

Don't use low-fat or non-hydrogenated margarine. Those are basically oil and water whipped together and won't work at all. A block of margarine wrapped in parchment paper (the kid that is sold like butter) will work fine. And soy milk is no problem.
posted by GuyZero at 11:47 AM on May 29, 2008

GuyZero: most people on my vegan baking forums use non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance is a favorite of many people there) and that works fine (but like I said, I use less liquid, perhaps to account for the water in the margarine). The vegan frosting I linked to is half shortening, which is 100% fat.
posted by davar at 12:11 PM on May 29, 2008

Ya know, I'm pretty sure butter has at most only trace amounts of lactose, if any. I read it again last night in my copy of Mother Earth News (hippie, much?), which had reprinted this story (butter has no lactose is on page 7) from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Barbara Kingsolver is lactose intolerant.

From the wikipedia entry on lactose intolerance: The butter making process separates milk's water components from the fat components. Lactose, being a water soluble molecule, will not be present in the butter unless milk solids are added to the ingredients.
posted by Stewriffic at 12:12 PM on May 29, 2008

Thanks to everyone - lots of good information here for my future baking attempts!

The cake was a success overall. It was a little "short" for my liking, so I think my substitutions may have affected its ability to rise. Other than that, though, it was very tasty, and my fiance says it's his "new favorite cake!"
posted by tuff at 4:54 PM on May 29, 2008

Put your frosting in the fridge for at least a couple hours, and re-whip. That's what it says to do in the Dessert Bible.

Also, keep your cake in the fridge till it's time to eat it.

Oh, you already ate it. Well, for future reference!
posted by GardenGal at 8:42 PM on May 29, 2008