Recreating Grandmother's Crunchy Icing for Cake

[Mrs. O]

I am trying to make a hole cake like my grandmother used to but I can't get the icing right. I don't have a recipe for how she made it, but my mom told me it was all store bought. The problem I am having is that I can't get the icing right. The way that she did it the icing in the holes of the cake would get a little crunchy, the only way I can think to describe it is maybe crystallized. I have tried all different brands and types but none of them so far have ended the same way my grandmother's did. My mom told me that she just heated it in the microwave and poured it over the cake. If you have any suggestions or know how to do it please let me know. It is driving me crazy trying to recreate my grandmothers cake.

 

[floursugareggsandbutter]

Over the years canned cake icing (if that is what you are using) formulas have changed.
Saturated fats have pretty much been regulated out of existence and in their place the manufacturers have had to resort to using chemicals to get the texture the consumer is used to.
Don't ask me why this seems a better option as I am still working on this question myself lol.
I don't know if this is the root cause of your problem but thought I would just toss it out there.
I would make an "American" buttercream using high ratio shortening and see if that might help.

 

[ChesterV]

I've never heard of a hole cake, this must be something only your granny made.

If your mother is correct and your granny used canned frosting and heated it in the microwave to pour over the cake, it would get crystallized when it cooled off completely on the cake.

As I agree with the poster above, the fats that used to be used in canned items such as frosting have been replaced and even though they may taste and feel the same coming out of the can, they don't react the same way when exposed to heat or cold.

I would also suggest making an old fashioned buttercream frosting and making it "wet"....which simply means making it more pliable with melted butter, some milk, or water.....depending on which version you are making.

 

[floursugareggsandbutter]

Agh.... reread your post and have a better solution I think.
No need to rush out and buy an expensive tub of shortening.
A crusting recipe will be just fine.
To make an icing crust either add extra 10x or pick up a can of the Wilton meringue powder and add a few tablespoons.
Alternately switching from milk to water will help a basic American BC crust or "crystallize" as well.