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Hi Bold Bakers!
Help! My Buttercream Frosting isn’t Stiff Enough! I hear this a lot. We all like to make the perfect frosting. It’s that special occasion you look forward to all year — you’ve taken the time to make a beautiful cake and decided to try a really special new frosting recipe. You are all set, and ready to decorate, but then you hit a roadblock: your frosting just isn’t quite right!
Do not panic! This has happens to the best of us. Making perfect frosting takes practice. Whether your room is too warm, or maybe the recipe is off, this is a common problem. No need to worry. Once you’ve got the base for your frosting (whether it be Royal Icing or Buttercream Frosting), you can easily make the perfect frosting and reach the right consistency by adding just a little of this or a little of that!
My Buttercream Frosting Isn’t Stiff Enough…
You have followed the recipe perfectly, but you find your frosting just isn’t stiff enough. This is a nightmare to work with, leaving decorating cakes incredibly difficult. Just like fixing frosting that is too thick, there is an easy solution.
The first thing I’d suggest is to chill the buttercream frosting. By bringing down the temperature, the frosting should tighten up immediately. This is a great trick for buttercream frosting that may have been overmixed or made in a warm kitchen. If this doesn’t seem to do the trick, try adding sifted powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. With just a few extra tablespoons of sugar, your frosting will transform and be so much easier to work with, saving you from wasting ingredients.
My Buttercream Frosting Is Too Thick…
If your frosting feels way too thick, it can be tough to spread it easily over sides and tops of cakes and is even more difficult to force out of a piping nozzle. If this is something you run into, there is no reason to start over from scratch on a new batch. Simply add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to your Buttercream Frosting until you reach your desired consistency. This will not at all affect the flavor of your frosting, regardless of what is in it.

Want some easy cake decorating tips for bakers of all levels? Check out 4 Easy Ways to Decorate a Cake and How to Use Piping Nozzles.
This Recipe Made By Bold Bakers
1 Images
Yenny Goh