How to fix grainy buttercream frosting

Here is the ultimate guide on how to fix grainy buttercream. I understand the frustration of spending hours making our favorite cake only to discover that the frosting is grainy, making our cake look awful.

My frosting turned out super grainy when I was making American buttercream frosting. I did not understand what I had done wrong. I followed the recipe exactly, sifted the powdered sugar, and used softened butter, but the buttercream still turned out grainy.

to frost my cake, I needed a smooth frosting. I was very frustrated as I was running out of time and had nothing to frost it with. So, I used store-bought buttercream frosting. But you know the store-bought frosting is too sugary.

You must have faced a similar situation like me or many others. But do not worry, this is the most common buttercream problem and it is very easy to fix it. I will give you simple and quick ways to transform your grainy buttercream into silky, smooth buttercream. It will help you whether you are a beginner or an experienced baker.

Once you follow these tips, you will get velvety, creamy, and flawless buttercream to use on your cakes, cupcakes, or a sheet cake.

What are the reasons for grainy buttercream?

Under mixing - When sugar is not beaten enough into the butter, it might result in grainy buttercream. Why? Your powdered sugar or icing sugar is not yet completely dissolved. In the end, our buttercream will have small sugar granules, resulting in rough buttercream.

Type of sugar used - Icing sugar or powdered sugar is used to prepare the buttercream. You can easily get this icing sugar in your local grocery store or you can make your own powdered sugar.

Not all store-bought icing sugar are similar. some are simply coarse caster sugar made from cane sugar, some use corn starch, some use potato starch, some use tapioca starch and some are made using beet sugar. Some believe they all work well for buttercream but I found out that the icing sugar made from beet sugar takes a lot of time to dissolve, resulting in gritty buttercream.

If you use regular sugar, then your buttercream will definitely turn gritty.

So, make sure you are using the right sugar, which should be made from cane sugar.

Incorrect butter temperature - Butter has to be at room temperature before start making the buttercream. With the same idea as under mixing, If you use cold butter straight from the fridge, sugar will not dissolve quickly, resulting in grainy buttercream. On the other hand, if you use melted butter, sugar may dissolve properly but it will turn into soft and lumpy buttercream.

Quick fixes for grainy buttercream frosting

Add liquid - Liquid can help to dissolve sugar quickly, resulting in flawless buttercream but only add it after checking the consistency otherwise, it will become too soft and non-pipeable. We don't want to create another problem while fixing this one, right? :)

Rest buttercream - The most common solution is to let your buttercream rest overnight and beat again. This softens the sugar molecules, allowing them to dissolve more quickly and produce smooth buttercream. If you do not have that much time, try my next fix.

Heating the frosting - Add your buttercream to a bowl of a stand mixer or any mixing bowl. Make sure you are using heatproof bowls. Use a hair dryer from outside of the bowl while whisking the buttercream. This will help to dissolve the sugar, resulting in a creamy frosting. I do not recommend using double boiler method for this as it creates a lot of heat, resulting in liquid buttercream.

Slow mixing - Do not be in a hurry when making buttercream. Always give enough time for sugar to dissolve in the butter. Once you add all the powdered sugar, keep mixing on low speed.

More tips on making silky, smooth buttercream

Here are some additional tips for making smooth, creamy, and fluffy buttercream in the future.

Sift powdered sugar - Powdered sugar tends to form lumps, even if it contains corn starch. Adding it without sifting will add these lumps to the butter. It will not dissolve well, resulting in grainy buttercream. So, always sift your powdered sugar before using it. This will add lump-free sugar which will be evenly distributed, contributing to a smooth buttercream texture.

Check butter consistency - Butter has to be at room temperature, neither too cold or too warm. How will you know that it is at room temperature? Take out from the refrigerator an hour before preparing the recipe. Press your finger into it, it should leave a dent but should not feel greasy. If it is too oil, then put it back in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes and check again.

Buttercream recipes

​Try out my cream cheese frosting after going through all of the tips.