Oh wow.
So I had to buttercream another cake this week for @jen2cee (okay granted I didn’t HAVE to – I wanted to). And the SAME THING HAPPENED – the buttercream was clumpy and was releasing this weird clear liquid when it defrosted. I was at my wits end. About to cry. About to call Bonnie Gordon College and scream “I QUIT” into the phone….
Then I remembered I’m a digital woman – at the time I didn’t have any hardcore bakers on my Twitter stream (I do now) so I turned to the all faithful Google…expecting nothing to come up but hoping for the life of me something did. I googled “Why is my defrosted buttercream releasing gross liquid stuff?” (or something to that effect – okay so my googling skills fail slightly).
And I got answers!
The first on the list was this awesome website, which I had visited a few days earlier, called “Sweetapolita“. I love this website. It was absolutely awesome and has so many amazing recipes and baking tips – and it’s so pretty!!!!
This post that demystifies Swiss Meringue Buttercream (which is what I use) on Sweetapolita had my answer – the little hidden gem in the middle of the post that said (and I quote) “if buttercream still doesn’t have its satiny finish after rewhipping, microwave 1/3 of the buttercream for approximately 10 seconds and add to remaining buttercream in mixer bowl, beating for a few moments to incorporate.”
So I said I may as well try it because nothing else was working – my hand mixer was about go give up on me (yes I have yet to purchase a stand mixer) and my arms were killing me from manually beating this buttercream, trying to get it to submit to my desires….
I scooped out some and microwaved it and took out a goopy, liquidy mess. The Doubting Thomas that I am was thinking RIIIIIIGGGHT, but something made me mix it in anyways. Possibly the “nothing else is working ” attitude I had that night.
As soon as I started mixing.
Everything.
Came.
Together.
I mean everything.
I had a bowl of perfect, silky, cream cheese buttercream.
Life was all good again.
@Jen2Cee got her cake in perfect condition….
….and ate it too from what I hear
So I have to give a HUGE shout out to @sweetapolita (Rosie Alyea) for her amazing, informative tips (that TRULY WORK!) on her blog.
I’m subscribed and I do follow her on Twitter – and I think you should too if you’re interested in baking at all.
And as she said in the same post….now…a moment of silence for the Swiss Meringue Buttercream that got thrown in the trash the other day…
