Homemade frosting/icing...why so hard??

[MyNyssa]

I was about to paint some cupcakes on this box I have and they looked really good, so I decided that I wanted to make some cupcakes! I am very new to the cooking lifestyle, since I have not owned an oven most of my adult life
I have never baked cupcakes before. I made sure I had all of the ingredients for both the cakes and the frosting or icing...not sure which it's called? I did. So I made the cupcakes first, so they could cool. Easy, done in 20 minutes. I made a recipe for frosting from an online recipe. I had to get a "substitute" recipe since I had no confectioner/powdered sugar. The first recipe I made didn't work, I couldn't get the milk and flour to form a paste, I figured the recipe had to be wrong. I dumped the ingredients. I moved onto another one, didn't work, it was like soup, dumped ingredients. I made another one, it was a little better but still soupy and I figured maybe it needed to cool, so I put it in the fridge, waited an hour and...still soupy, I'm holding out hope that it will get thicker through the night so I have not dumped it yet. I'm wondering what I'm missing here? I hate to just wimp out and go buy frosting but now I have 15 frostless cupcakes and a sad hubby and child!! Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

[Alix]

Can you post the recipe you used? Its easier for us to troubleshoot if we can see the recipe. Welcome!

 

[MyNyssa]

Oh, so sorry...here it is
(This is the 3rd recipe...the one in the fridge)
2 tblsp. flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cups butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

In saucepan, add a small amount of milk to flour then stir to make a smooth paste. Add remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Cool.
Cream butter using medium speed of electric mixer. Gradually add sugar and salt, beat well, add cooled milk mixture. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.

Everything seemed okay until I mixed the two main things, it never got light and fluffy, it's just soupy.
Is there another way to do this but making my own powdered sugar? I don't even know where to start again, I'm discouraged...
Thank you

 

[NoraC]

MyNyssa, I suspect you didn't let the white sauce part of the recipe cool enough before mixing in the butter part, so the butter melted and lost its air bubbles. I haven't tried your recipe here, though. My go to recipe for frosting without powdered sugar is old fashioned 7 minute. As long as you work OVER, not touching the boiling water, it is pretty fool proof, which helps me a lot. Try this:
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup water
* 2 egg whites
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Put all but the vanilla in the top of a double boiler – or a metal bowl that will sit nicely ABOVE the water. Beat for about a minute, then place over boiling water and beat until fluffy – about 7 minutes. Mix in vanilla and frost cup cakes.

 

[Kayelle]

I hate to just wimp out and go buy frosting but now I have 15 frostless cupcakes and a sad hubby and child!!

You don't need to buy canned frosting, but after having 3 frosting failures, I don't understand why you don't just buy some powdered sugar? I hardly ever bake, but even I can make a simple frosting out of powdered sugar, soft butter and a little milk. It doesn't have to be such a big deal.

 

[Mama]

Don't be discouraged MyNyssa. You can make your own powdered sugar in a blender or food processor. It only takes a few minutes to turn granulated sugar into powdered sugar. Here's an easy recipe for buttercream frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla till light in color. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy.

 

[MyNyssa]

Mama,
So all I have to do is put the same amount of white granulated sugar in a blender or coffee grinder (that's all I have) and blend it? How do I know when it's done? Is it the same amount or do I blend more or less? This would have been so great to know last night! Thank you all for your help. Mama, please let me know. Thank you

 

[chopper]

I have also made powdered sugar. You need to blend it on high (just taste it, you will know when enough is enough). I usually measure after I blend (I am not sure if that is what you should do, just what I do). I bet the cupcakes will be great. Cocoa will thicken things up a bit if you are wanting chocolate.

 

[NoraC]

Powdered (AKA confectioner's) sugar has cornstarch in it as well sugar. You can get superfine sugar by blending sugar; depending on the coffee grinder you might be able to that way also, but not confectioner's sugar. You may not need the cornstarch component for a buttercream, but you definitely do for recipes that involve a cooked application with powdered sugar.

 

[AnnieDrews]

I've never tried to make powdered sugar, but wouldn't using a coffee grinder give it the taste of coffee from previously using it to grind beans?

 

[NoraC]

AnnieD - multiple grinders are your friend! cumin/coriander grinder, sweet spices grinder, 2 for pepper only, one for cardamon only...I don't have one for sugar, but I buy my confectioner's sugar, and my ground coffee, LOL.

 

[AnnieDrews]

AnnieD - multiple grinders are your friend! cumin/coriander grinder, sweet spices grinder, 2 for pepper only, one for cardamon only...I don't have one for sugar, but I buy my confectioner's sugar, and my ground coffee, LOL.

Well, that's what I thought. Definitely use a separate grinder for sugar. Or just go buy some!

 

[joesfolk]

Don't be discouraged MyNyssa. You can make your own powdered sugar in a blender or food processor. It only takes a few minutes to turn granulated sugar into powdered sugar. Here's an easy recipe for buttercream frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla till light in color. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy.

I have tried doing this and no matter how much I processed the sugar it did not become smooth like powdered sugar. The end result was always very grainy. And I processed like a maniac.

 

[NoraC]

I usually pay $1.49 for a 2 pound bag at Aldi's; $.99 if they have overbought for the holidays. As long as it is reasonably well stored powdered sugar lasts forever. 7 Minute frosting for when I am unexpectedly out; real powdered sugar for buttercream.

 

[Mama]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. It's not exactly powdered sugar but I've used it before to make frosting. The commercial brands do have cornstarch in them but I wouldn't put any in when using it for frosting. I have a couple of coffee grinders and I use one just for sugar.

Here's a video I found for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87iW0qkMlMk&feature=related

 

[Zhizara]

Blenders can be cheap, and washable, and useful for other things. If you're going to be crushing ice, I'd recommend a glass container, otherwise, plastic is fine.

 

[Ricky]

Basic Buttercream

500g (box) of Icing/confectioners sugar
250g of softened/room temp butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer. (best results)

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add vanilla, and combine.

Add sugar around a cup at a time, beating well between each addition. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, beat until stiff. Too watery. add some more sugar until the desired consitency is reached. Too stiff. Add very small amounts of milk. literally a teaspoon at a time, beating until it's the right consistency.

I can honestly say that this recipe has never failed me. I've added things like coconut milk and lime to make tangy icing for lime and coconut cupcakes. Cocoa, lemon, banana, all sorts of stuff.

You just have to compensate for the change in consistency, when you add any liquid to it. Mmmmm!!

Hope this helps. I've just joined, so apologies if you've already got everything sorted.

Good luck.

 

[leighbakes]

MyNyssa:
I feel your pain! The exact same thing happened to me the other day when I tried to make frosting--I ended up with a soupy mess. For me, the key ingredient really was the powdered sugar, like others here have already said. As soon as I used powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar, my frosting was perfect.
Don't worry, you're not alone...you can read my very own embarrassing frosting story.