What To Do If Your Buttercream Gets Too Thick (It's An Easy Fix)

Unlike cooking, which allows for some room for experimentation with flavors and ingredients, baking is a precise art. There are also endless guidelines to keep in mind, like the timing rule when you are baking with a cast-iron pan, whether bleached or unbleached flour is better for cakes, and how beneficial adding a splash of vinegar to your batter can be.

But what do you do when you are making your own buttercream and it gets too thick? Thick buttercream can cause cake layers to rip while you are spreading the frosting. It also makes it tricky to pipe intricate details, leaving your decorations looking unclear. For advice on how to save a heavy or stiff buttercream, Food Republic sought the expertise of Bridget Vickers, senior chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education's Los Angeles campus. The first step is to determine the temperature. If you notice it's a bit cold, Vickers advises, "Slightly warming the butter or buttercream (using a warm water bath or gentle heat) can soften the mixture."

If it's already warm, try incorporating a little more liquid into the mix. "Adding a small amount of liquid, such as milk, cream, or flavored extracts, can help restore a smooth and pliable consistency, especially for American-style buttercream," Vickers says. This is perfect for buttercreams you're in the process of making, but if one has firmed up after you've stored it, she suggests beating it again at medium speed. "It helps re-incorporate air and restore a cohesive, smooth texture, particularly if it has broken or become overly thick after storage," she explains. Just be careful; doing too much can make your problem worse. "Overmixing the buttercream can also lead to stiffening," Vickers warns, "as it may incorporate too much air or break down the emulsion."

Buttercream is a delicious base for cakes, but it is also incredibly easy to mess up. To avoid the struggle to fix buttercream that is too stiff, Bridget Vickers advises bakers to ensure that all their ingredients are room temperature before they begin mixing the frosting. "One of the most common reasons buttercream stiffens up too much and becomes too thick during mixing or storage is that the butter or fat used is too cold," she explains. "Cold fats can cause the buttercream to seize up and firm up unexpectedly." This is the same rationale behind the recommendation not to store buttercream cakes in the refrigerator. In fact, because of the frosting's high amount of sugar, cakes can be stored at room temperature for a few days. The room temperature rule also applies to your cake ingredients; room temperature eggs, milk, and butter incorporate so much more easily, resulting in a lighter, fluffier bake.

During your baking prep, it's important to carefully measure out your buttercream ingredients. "Adding excessive powdered sugar or dry ingredients can result in a firmer, less workable texture," Vickers warns. The way you add the sugar to the frosting mixture can also affect the final product, so don't just dump it in all at once. Vickers tells us, "Adding sugar gradually and ensuring each addition is fully incorporated before adding more can help maintain a smooth texture."