Cupcake buttercream frosting

[tazman]

Hi I"m working on a buttercream frosting for my cupcakes, i'm hoping to do a simple one w/just butter (1/2lbs), powdered sugar (8cups), milk (1/2cup) and vanilla extract..but it taste really grainy, is there a way around this? or a simpler recipe that i can use? Thanks

[Frayedknot]

Hey Taz how long are you mixing the icing? Sometimes the length of time mixing will take out the grainyness (?) in the icing. Be careful to not get carried away and whip air into the buttercream.

[tazman]

Oh i mixed it for a long time like almost 25-30 mins on high and it's still grainy i know that method works for like fudge frosting w/powdered sugar, but it's not w/the vanilla buttercream recipe i'm doing

[Frayedknot]

Well not sure then but are you using a creaming method to incorp the sugar... or just dumping it all in?? Did you sift the sugar before adding it???If you dump then it is hard for it all to be absorbed. Just add a little at a time...if you do not sift then you will have small lumps of sugar.
My buttercream recipe is a bit different than yours though.

[m brown]

I am not a fan of this type of BC however,
try heating the milk and adding it to the sugar, making a paste and adding the butter creaming well.
heating the milk will break down the sugar and hopefully drop the graininess.
Or better yet make a swiss meringue butter cream. light and fluffy and no grain.

[foodnfoto]

Seems like the ratio of sugar to butter is a little high. Have you tried using less sugar---about 5 cups instead of 8 along with the 8 ounces butter and 1/2 cup milk? That's usually the ratio I use. I also use cream or half and half for the liquid and it lends a silkiness that is quite nice.

[tazman]

uhm...ok i'll give that a try (adding in small amount and sifting and also melting it). Yeah i could use the swiss meringue bc but i usually use that for cakes not cupcakes, i wanted something quick...thnx

[itscrazydelicio]

whenever I make frosting it never makes it to the cake...my kids get to it