Swiss buttercream disaster

Put your icing in the fridge for 20 minutes. Rebeat when icing is good and cold. Eventually, it should come together.

I agree with June’s advise. Don’t toss it out, it is saveable.

Ok….. I’m confused. If I place the buttercream back in the fridge it will get cold and consistency will be hard like the first gathering of a snowball on a winter day. You saying to beat it in that condition? And it should get fluffed up and not convert to a cottage cheese state?

Swiss, put the buttercream back in your mixing bowl and on low to medium low beat it with the paddle attachment not the wisk. It might take some time but should come back together perfectly.

Swiss meringue is always started with the whip attachment to make your meringue, but when you go to add butter, you always want to switch to your paddle attachment!

Good luck! Let me know if this helps you!

Ps, if you put it the fridge like others suggested, make sure it comes back to room temp before beating it with your paddle attachment.

Thanks hottcakes..meant to say that. Let smbc get slightly to room temperature, but still cool, then rebeat.

I use Smbc on all my cakes and nothing else. So if that happens to me I usually put in the microwave for 5 seconds then mix it. And it goes back to the right consistency. Hope it works for you gudluck.

I have tried to determine what causes this because it has happened to me occasionally. It could be the butter was added when the mixture was too warm, or in my case because I make Italian meringue buttercream (same texture as SMBC but cooked differently) I have poured the hot syrup into the beaten egg whites too fast. It needs to be poured in a steady stream while the mixer is on low speed but not too fast or too much at one time. The butter can be too warm when added, or added too much butter at one time. I bring my cold butter just to a room temperature but not soft, soft butter seems to turn to liquid when added. These are the things I have experienced, doesn’t mean it will happen to everyone or that it happens often. Despite any of these problems it can be saved by chilling, bringing to room temp. and re-beaten. I have even frozen it and allowed to thaw in the fridge, brought out to room temp. and beaten and it works perfectly. For any of these issues it is still the best tasting, smoothest buttercream around, I just could never go back to powdered sugar based icing again, too greasy and too sweet!

I agree Shirley..SMBC or IMBC is so lovely, so versatile. You can add flavours, it can be frozen, then rewhiped. I wouldn’t make icing sugar based anymore. Especially American buttercream with shortening. Unfortunately, there are areas where only ABC is allowed. No smbc or imbc because of possible bacteria contamination. Which when using pasteurized egg whites, is to me, almost virtually impossible.