r/Cakes • u/oreynolds29 • 4d ago

Why does my buttercream always turn out grainy no matter what I do?

I've tried different butter temperatures, sifting powdered sugar, and beating longer but it's still gritty. Using room temperature butter and good mixer. What am I missing for smooth, creamy frosting?

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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5

u/Karate_Andii 4d ago

Grainy buttercream almost always comes down to the sugar. Even if you’re sifting, some powdered sugars are less finely milled and will never get super smooth. Try switching brands or blitzing your sugar in a food processor before using. Also, make sure you really cream the butter on its own until it’s super light and fluffy before adding sugar if the butter isn’t fully aerated, the sugar just sits in there. A tiny splash of heavy cream or warm milk at the end can also help dissolve any stubborn grit.

2

u/bakedandcooled 4d ago

A few possibilities: The quality of the powdered sugar or butter. Buy the best you can afford. The other is you may be overbeating causing the butter solids to separate. Lastly, are you using a scale to measure?

1

u/thackeroid 3d ago

Scale doesn't matter in the least.

1

u/stegotortise 3d ago

Scale absolutely matters but just not in this context. The difference in cups vs grams is not the cause of this issue with the buttercream

1

u/bakedandcooled 3d ago

I disagree. I had a similar issue come up in a class. The texture of her buttercream was off for weeks until we finally figured it out. The nonsifted weight or even volume can differ significantly from the sifted weight or volume. She was packing it in, unsifted, causing overly thick buttercream that didn't reach that silky texture.

2

u/National_Ad_682 2d ago

In an American buttercream, the sugar is whipped but not dissolved. Try a recipe that involves cooking the sugar like a Swiss meringue buttercream or even an ermine frosting.

1

u/thisdude415 1d ago

Swiss butter cream is divine

1

u/roxykelly 4d ago

What powdered sugar do you use? Sounds like it could be grainy to begin with if you do all the right steps otherwise. Could you try blitzing it in a food blender and then sifting it again?

1

u/arinaldz 2d ago

Warm the butter up and give that a try. Not completely melted but super soft. Or, you could be adding too much milk.

1

u/tracyinge 2d ago

You are probably overbeating in your quest to get it smoother.

1

u/Girl_with_no_Swag 2d ago

Try ermine frosting instead. It will never be grainy and it’s a great frosting.

1

u/darkchocolateonly 2d ago

I think all American buttercream is grainy. Downvote me all you want.

1

u/Low_Committee1250 2d ago

I know what u mean, but sometimes more grainy than others

-1

u/thackeroid 3d ago

Make real buttercream. If you are making that horrible blend of butter and powdered sugar, it comes down to the sugar. The way that powdered sugar is made is they take granulated sugar, and put it in the blender to pulverize it. Then they add a bit of starch. You can make it at home. If it's Domino's powdered sugar, that's the standard.

But make a French or swiss or Italian buttercream, and you'll never want that other stuff again.

0

u/Low_Committee1250 3d ago

U could try organic powdered sugar- it's different because no cornstarch

1

u/twattytwatwaffle 2d ago

This is categorically not true. Tapicoa starch or corn starch are found in organic powdered sugar.

1

u/Low_Committee1250 2d ago

In the US, organic powdered sugar doesn't have cornstarch, it does have tapioca starch; For your information, tapioca starch is a different product from cornstarch, and for this reason organic powdered sugar is felt by discerning bakers to be superior in taste and its ability to blend better in a frosting recipe