Last week, we tackled questions on cream cheese icing.  In this issue, we will discuss concerns about icing—this time, buttercream icing.  Don’t we all love the luscious, satiny texture of buttercream that melts in our mouths? We all do and let us explore the world of buttercream icing through these queries. Read on.

Q:  What do I do to make the butter icing fluffier? I noticed that it easily melts when  the cake is brought out from the refrigerator, and the icing is quite hard if eaten straight from the refrigerator.  What do I do to make the consistency stable?  (Gail Jimenez of Pasig City)

Adoree: Hi Gail. I have a feeling your butter icing only contains butter and sugar. Try making some Swiss meringue buttercream.  For me, it is more stable that it does not melt easily and it is not hard as rock when eaten straight from the chiller.  Meringue is first made by heating up the egg whites and the sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then the mixture is transferred to the mixer and beaten until stiff and completely cooled down before the butter is added and whipped together.  For a fluffier icing, be sure to beat in the butter well, adding it gradually and the butter has to be softened.

Jun Jun: That’s true, Gail.  A meringue that has some margarine and shortening other than the butter won’t easily to melt even during warm temperature. I also suggest to immediately ice your cake and don’t make your buttercream wait to such a point that it will absorb some heat from your room temperature.

Q: Hi, Jun Jun and Adoree. My concern is about my broken buttercream icing. At first, it was nice and smooth but after a while the mixture separated. What did I do wrong and can it still be remedied?  Thank you in advance.  (Jane de Castro of Muntinlupa)

Adoree: The common reason for a buttercream to separate is because the butter is cold.  It is proper to use softened butter so that the butter incorporates with the meringue which is at room temperature.  Next time this happens again, you can heat up the mixture over low heat for a few seconds only. This is done to melt the butter a little, enough for it to ‘warm’ up a little so it blends with the meringue well.

Jun Jun: The separation of the mixture is due to different temperatures of ingredients in the buttercream.  It takes awhile for the mixture to find that point which is essential to the best textured buttercream.  Just continue beating and after some time, it will most likely turn into a beautiful and silky buttercream.

Q: Can I make the buttercream in advance?  How do I store it and how long can it keep?  (Leni Cepino of Quezon City)

Adoree: Hi Leni. Sure, you can make the buttercream in advance and just store it in the refrigerator to keep for about a week. When you are about to use it, beat it first to whip up the butter so that it becomes spreadable again.

Jun Jun: I don’t really suggest keeping buttercream in the refrigerator; it is much better to immediately frost your cake and just keep the whole cake chilled after.

Q: How do you fix a melted butter icing?  Do I add more butter?  Also, what type of coloring can I use for it?  Thanks to you both.  (Ofie Saldana of Paranaque)

Adoree: Ofie, just put the butter icing in the refrigerator for a few hours then when the butter hardens, beat it again using the mixer to whip the butter and use the icing right away.  I suggest you use the coloring in paste form; this will blend well with the butter and the other ingredients.

Jun Jun: Just keep the mixture cool, then beat again until you get the right consistency.  Any coloring will do. Just make sure to test it with a simple sample of the color on the icing, so you can determine how much color should be added.