In the shop I’m often asked why buttercream sometimes turns grainy or watery. It’s a common issue: the buttercream has split. But what actually happens when buttercream splits, why does it occur, and—most importantly—how do you fix it? In this blog I’ll walk you through everything.
If your buttercream looks grainy and you see tiny droplets of moisture on the surface (or worse, a puddle at the bottom of the bowl), your buttercream has split. This means the fat from the butter and the liquid in the mixture have separated and no longer form a smooth emulsion. The flavour is still fine, but the texture becomes gritty and the appearance… well, not ideal. Luckily, you don’t need to throw it away. Later on I’ll show you how to make it silky and smooth again. First, let’s look at why buttercream splits so you can prevent it next time.
The most common cause is a temperature difference between ingredients. If your butter is still cold while the rest of your ingredients are at room temperature, the mixture can easily split. Always make sure everything is roughly the same temperature before mixing.
Another cause is adding a thin liquid to thick butter too quickly. The difference in consistency can shock the mixture. You can prevent this by “introducing” the ingredients first: mix a small amount of the thinner liquid into the buttercream before adding the rest. They get to know each other and blend much more happily.
Sometimes splitting is unavoidable. Buttercream that has been stored in the fridge or freezer almost always splits when you rewhip it. Adding food colouring can also cause it occasionally.
The good news: you can bring split buttercream back together by gently warming it. Place the bowl briefly in warm water or heat it in the microwave for 10–15 seconds (a bit longer if it’s very cold). Be careful: if it melts, it’s ruined. After warming, whip the buttercream vigorously and you’ll see it turn beautifully smooth again.
Left: split buttercream (coloured with ochre yellow). Right: the result after gently warming and rewhipping.
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