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What am I doing wrong?

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  • 06-04-2017 6:21am
    #1
    B00!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭


    Ok if we have a thread for random foul-ups we need advice on?


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    #2
    B00!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭B00!


    For instance, I can't make proper icing/frosting. I make the standard mix of icing (confectioners/powdered) sugar, milk and vanilla extract but it always tastes awful - with a metallic, corn starch flavour - not at all like what cake frosting should taste like... I have tried different amounts of each ingredient and it still tastes off.

    What am I doing wrong? Any good cooks out there with advice?


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    #3
    SB_Part2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,951 ✭✭✭SB_Part2


    B00! wrote: »
    For instance, I can't make proper icing/frosting. I make the standard mix of icing (confectioners/powdered) sugar, milk and vanilla extract but it always tastes awful - with a metallic, corn starch flavour - not at all like what cake frosting should taste like... I have tried different amounts of each ingredient and it still tastes off.

    What am I doing wrong? Any good cooks out there with advice?

    What are you making the frosting for? Would you consider making buttercream or swiss meringue frosting?


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    #4
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Milk? Never heard of that. Always use water... or for royal icing, egg white.


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    #5
    B00!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭B00!


    SB_Part2 wrote: »
    What are you making the frosting for? Would you consider making buttercream or swiss meringue frosting?
    To pour or spread over cakes.
    I don't know these frostings, will check them out, thanks. :)
    Graces7 wrote: »
    Milk? Never heard of that. Always use water... or for royal icing, egg white.

    Really? water? Would that improve the taste? Shall try it, thanks. Also I have never heard of royal icing, will google it. Ta!


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    #6
    B0jangles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,951 ✭✭✭B0jangles


    I just did a bit of googling around and apparently in the US confectioner's sugar/powdered sugar contains around 3% cornstarch as an anti-caking agent so that might be where you are getting the nasty starchy taste. I just checked my icing sugar from Aldi and it contains at least 99% sugar with calcium carbonate used as the anti-caking agent - maybe have a look at your sugar and see if there is anything unexpected in there :)


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    #7
    B00!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭B00!


    B0jangles wrote: »
    I just did a bit of googling around and apparently in the US confectioner's sugar/powdered sugar contains around 3% cornstarch as an anti-caking agent so that might be where you are getting the nasty starchy taste. I just checked my icing sugar from Aldi and it contains at least 99% sugar with calcium carbonate used as the anti-caking agent - maybe have a look at your sugar and see if there is anything unexpected in there :)
    Oh thank you, I shall!! Will check the shops for a good percentage, since I store my sugar in a sealed container (and the original packaging is gone). Ta!


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    #8
    phormium
    Registered Users Posts: 3,342 ✭✭✭phormium


    Definitely using a bad icing sugar, you can see when you open them, the ones that create a cloud of sugar around the place have lots of cornflour. The lumpy hard stuff is actually better as it's more pure sugar.

    But having said that try Swiss Meringue Buttercream, you can use bog standard granulated sugar for that and it's well worth it. I do think though a stand mixer is essential for making it, the hand held small ones are not great.


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    #9
    B00!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,559 ✭✭✭B00!


    phormium wrote: »
    Definitely using a bad icing sugar, you can see when you open them, the ones that create a cloud of sugar around the place have lots of cornflour. The lumpy hard stuff is actually better as it's more pure sugar.

    But having said that try Swiss Meringue Buttercream, you can use bog standard granulated sugar for that and it's well worth it. I do think though a stand mixer is essential for making it, the hand held small ones are not great.
    Wow, good to learn. Yup, this bag is very very powdery :/

    Ok, I shall google a recipe, thanks!!!!
    ...haha, well, so my fork seriously won't do :o then


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    #10
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Are you using vanilla extract or essence? I know you said extract but some think they are interchangeable. Essence is (usually) synthetic stuff, and extract is (usually) the real stuff and far more expensive (but worth it IMO). I say "usually" since I expect even some manufacturers do not use the right terms.

    If you have a decent blender like a ninja blender you could try making your own powdered sugar, with zero additives. I made powdered salt in mine, great for chips & popcorn, if you ever saw them shake salt in mcdonalds it comes out in a fine cloud.

    Manufacturers seem to think buyers will be disgusted to find any clumped stuff, like sugar or salt, so put in additives, and call the salt "free flowing" or similar.

    Also due to economies of scale, and added processing, and simply as they can get away with it, icing sugar usually costs a lot more per kilo.

    Caster sugar should cost more than granulated sugar for the same reasons, yet in recent years it has strangely become cheaper to buy caster in many supermarkets. I was told and believe this is due to price matching. Some independent surveys do not specify "granulated sugar", they just ask what 1kg of sugar costs, so tesco can legitimately say their sugar (caster) 1kg is 1.09 (500g in the same packaging/range is 89cent and this is standard packing not the nasty looking value stuff) while tesco value granulated is 1.19. The value granulated is by far the bigger seller too, they have a pallet in my tesco, while they have sneaky tiny area for the caster, obviously hoping nobody cops on.


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