Interested in making a Red Cake

[Jeff G.]

Originally Posted by Linda123

I am so glad to see this recipe listed but I have had terrible luck with making it for the past several years....after I add the milk and flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, the icing "separates" and it looks awful! I've experimented with higher/lower fat margarenes, all butter, whole milk, 2% milk....I made this frosting for years without any problems and now, it's so ugly, I hate to make it - but all my sons insist it tastes the same and want it for their birthdays. Why is this happening and what can I do to make it nice and fluffy again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Linda

Here is an optional butter cream frosting that is light and fluffy, very tasty. No flour/milk mixture. I also switch 1 1/2 cup crisco, 1 1/2 stick butter. It's a little richer, less greasy..
2 cups Crisco Shortening
1 stick Butter, slightly soft but not mushy
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. clear vanilla extract ( Clear vanilla would color the icing and is found at cakeware stores. You can also use almond extract, which is clear or regular vanilla extract.)
2 pounds powdered sugar ----- 8 cups, sifted
In your mixer bowl, beat the shortening until it's smooth, add the butter and cream together until smooth and light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and the vanilla and mix well.

Add half the powdered sugar and mix for 5 minutes on low-med. speed. Add remaining sugar and mix well. Add more cream if necessary to adjust the consistency. If you want a more dense buttercream, then only mix and be done. For a lighter one, beat the buttercream on a low - med. speed for about another 10 minutes.

[Linda123]

Thanks, Jeff, but my sons insist they want the flour-mixture icing.....

[BettyR]

Originally Posted by Linda123

I am so glad to see this recipe listed but I have had terrible luck with making it for the past several years....after I add the milk and flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, the icing "separates" and it looks awful! I've experimented with higher/lower fat margarenes, all butter, whole milk, 2% milk....I made this frosting for years without any problems and now, it's so ugly, I hate to make it - but all my sons insist it tastes the same and want it for their birthdays. Why is this happening and what can I do to make it nice and fluffy again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Linda

I'm at a loss here I’ve never had that happen before.

When you are measuring your flour do you pack the flour into the tablespoon? I always mash the flour into the spoon and pack it down well so that I will get a good thick mixture when I cook the milk. Try that and see if it helps.

[Linda123]

I've tried it with slightly less flour and slightly more. The flour/sugar mixture thickens nicely every time.

The first time it failed (several years ago), I was using Blue Bonnet margarene. I had been using that brand exclusively. The margarene advertised "lower fat", so I blamed the failure on the Brand. The next time, I used Mrs. Filbert's margarene (with a higher fat content) and it worked for a couple years....I did't notice Mrs. Filbert's package marked as less/lower fat. But, even when I use real butter, it doesn't work.

I tried it this weekend, with Butter Flavored Crisco...it "almost" broke up but I just didn't like the flavor....

Thanks for your suggestion, Betty.

[BettyR]

Originally Posted by Linda123

I've tried it with slightly less flour and slightly more. The flour/sugar mixture thickens nicely every time.

The first time it failed (several years ago), I was using Blue Bonnet margarene. I had been using that brand exclusively. The margarene advertised "lower fat", so I blamed the failure on the Brand. The next time, I used Mrs. Filbert's margarene (with a higher fat content) and it worked for a couple years....I did't notice Mrs. Filbert's package marked as less/lower fat. But, even when I use real butter, it doesn't work.

I tried it this weekend, with Butter Flavored Crisco...it "almost" broke up but I just didn't like the flavor....

Thanks for your suggestion, Betty.

When you say flour/sugar mixture do you mean that you are cooking the sugar in with the flour and milk? Because if you are that is your problem.

This is how I do mine and I've never had it break.

Frosting Instructions:
Cook until thick- flour and milk, cool completely.

Beat until creamy (about 4 minutes) - shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla. Add milk and flour mixture a little at a time and beat well.

[Linda123]

I cook mine like yours - flour and milk and let it cool completely (it's always nice and thick) - and add that to the butter/sugar mixture, a little at a time and by the time I add the vanilla, the whole mixture is breaking up.

what brand of butter do you use? And when you say "shortning" are you using Crisco? I use 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar - no shortning. Do you use whole milk?

I made this exact recipe for years and years with no problems but it's just not working now! i don't understand it....

Thanks, Betty, for your help.

[BettyR]

Originally Posted by Linda123

what brand of butter do you use?

WalMart's brand.

Originally Posted by Linda123

And when you say "shortning" are you using Crisco? Do you use whole milk?

Yes, Crisco and I keep the can in the frig so it's nice and firm when I beat it in. Since they changed the formula for the shortening to get rid of the trans fats it’s so limp that I have started keeping my shortening in the frig.

Butter in the US is 20% water...it's not pure fat like shortening so it's not going to hold up as well as shortening; that's probably where you are having your trouble.

The flavor will be a bit different using half shortening and there will be a slightly different mouth feel but it should hold together better.

And I do use whole milk because that's what we drink but I really don't think that would make any difference.

[Linda123]

I'll try to give it a try in a week or two. I just made a cake using all butter-flavored Crisco so we aren't quite ready for another one yet. Thanks for your help.

Linda

[BettyR]

Your welcome, I just hope it works out for you.
Betty