Argghhhh..HELP...Buttercream icing disaster...

[Ingles2]

For the blardy cake sale this afternoon.
I'm following a hummingbird recipe from the internet
450g butter
450g i sugar
6 tablespoons flour
440ml milk

it's a horrible curdled mess

What do I do?

Gosh, that sounds a really odd recipe. Is the flour uncooked? Sounds like far too much liquid.

Be-ro recipe suggests 50g butter and 100g icing sugar and NO extra liquid. i.e. double the amount of sugar to butter. This is enough to sandwich an 18cm cake.

I think that possibly your icing is beyond saving. (unless anyone else has better advice)

Gosh, that sounds a really odd recipe. Is the flour uncooked? Sounds like far too much liquid.

Be-ro recipe suggests 50g butter and 100g icing sugar and NO extra liquid. i.e. double the amount of sugar to butter. This is enough to sandwich an 18cm cake.

I think that possibly your icing is beyond saving. (unless anyone else has better advice)

I don't think you can do much I'm afraid except start again.

Are you sure about the amount of milk? I really don't see how that recipe could work - there isn't anything to absorb the milk. You could try beating it like hell with an electric mixer - but I think it might be a lost cause.

Try again, using 1:4 butter to icing sugar, and a little milk IF NECCESSARY to make the right consistency.

Sorry, double the amount of posts from me there!

Never followed a Hummingbird recipe, but that seems weird to me. Why add flour? It will be uncooked. And that's an awful lot of milk to add as well. I wouldn't normally add more than a few spoonsful of liquid to a buttercream.

Have you tried beating it really hard with a mixer (ie electrical, not by hand)?

Or maybe it's meant to be cooked and chilled?

Might be best to just cut your losses and start again with a bog-standard buttercream.

I have never added flour or liquid to butter cream icing. I always use half a block of butter and then I just keep adding icing sugar untill it tastes and looks right.

Could you start again?

Agree with others I'm afraid, I do 100g butter to 200g sugar with up to 2 tblsp milk, water or lemon juice if needed.

I always use half the amount of butter to icing sugar and a splash of orange juice. So for example, 8oz icing sugar and 4 oz butter.

Adding flour does sound rather bizarre!

Good luck!

I know...I thought it seemed like a weird recipe but I wanted that light frosting on top of the cake instead of the butter/sugar I put in the middle.
and I agree about the uncooked flour...
link to recipe
I'm sobbing out of sheer frustration..have been beating for 30 mins...arggghhhhhh

Personally I prefer margarine/spread in butter icing. I know this doesn't help rescue your current bowlful.

Depending on the type of cake you could just give up for today (I wouldn't blame you!) and sandwich it with jam and sprinkle with a dusting of icing sugar.

Intersting. I use far less butter than most on here - 1:4 not 1:2. It works fine - if anybody wants to try a SLIGHTLY less butter-heavy recipe!

weird recipe, personally I start with a suitably sized peice of butter, I dont bother to weigh it just judge by eye, the gradually beat in icing sugar until it reaches the desired level of sweetness, then beat in any flavours such as cocoa powder again until the required taste is achieved.

Using this method you will have the advantage of eating tasting as you go..

I did some searching on the internet and it seems you have to cook the flour and milk first until it thickens and then whip in the icing sugar and butter. I know that's probably not much help now but at least you know where it went wrong. I think it's from the Magnolia Bakery recipe for red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

Dh has solved the problem god love him...
He dyed the horrible mess pink, slapped it on the fairy cakes and covered in hundered and thousands...
watery

PS. Pretty poor of the Guardian not to give proper instructions about the icing so it's not your fault.

i have never used flour for buttercream.

just the same amount of butter to icing sugar. i.e 4 oz each then stir in the choc powder or whatever flavouring. If it is a tad dry then add a drop of milk. But must say i have never heard of the flour bit before.

If you want a light fluffy frosting, try this one: Seven Minute Frosting. BTW, they don't say this, but it setss quite quickly as it cools, so don't delay when you come to spreading it ont he cakes.

Good for DH, I'm sure they're still lovely.

It may look lovely - but have you tasted the icing? Or maybe the other parents will think it's a child's work, so will be (ahem) charitable.

ahh thank you for this tread, will be making butter cream this afternoon and never really get it right, will follow ideas here

What does it taste like?

Actually it tastes fine...just like butter icing, no hint of the uncooked flour.
I think it'll probably all slop off on the way to school, but I've gone past caring.
Thanks everyone...
And that's the last time I trust anything the Guardian says.

I know this is an old thread, but in the Hummingbird's defense, I have made their vanilla frosting and it has been lovely. I think the Guardian may have misprinted - that is not the topping they recommend for the red velvet cakes either.

Yes- ick to raw flour in thr icing, In times of dire need, try cold, thick custard as a cake filling, or sweetened flavoured philly, or if desperate, get the Nutella jar out and use that (obv, not for possible nut allergies). Sounds like your DH saved the day!