Buttercream is the icing of choice for cupcakes, birthday cakes and wedding cakes alike. This is because the rich and sweet flavor goes perfectly with any type of cake. Above all, it is very easy to do! Plain buttercream should be in any aspiring pastry chef's repertoire. Read Step 1 to learn how to do it.
Ingrediants
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups of powdered sugar (powdered), sifted
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- Up to 4 tablespoons of milk or cream
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Making Simple Butter Cream
Step 1. Beat the butter
The consistency of the buttercream depends on the light, fluffy butter. You need to start with the softened (not melted) butter and beat it until it takes on a pale yellow color and becomes quite malleable. Use an electric mixer or food processor to whisk the butter, which would be much more difficult to whisk sufficiently with a whisk.
Step 2. Add the sugar
Start with 3 cups of powdered sugar. Measure it and put it in a bowl with the frothy butter, then beat until the mixture is well blended. Turn on the mixer at a higher speed and continue whisking until the consistency is light as a feather.
- If you want to make chocolate buttercream, now is the time to add some unsweetened cocoa powder. Start with 1/2 cup. If you want the butter to be more chocolatey, you can always add more.
- You can flavor the butter with other spices if you don't like chocolate. Consider chopped dried cinnamon, cardamom, rose, or lavender; whatever your fantasy suggests.
Step 3. Beat the vanilla, salt and cream
To finish your buttercream, add the vanilla and salt and start with 2 tablespoons of cream. Beat the mixture until well blended. The buttercream at the end should be light, soft and spreadable.
- If it seems too dry, add another tablespoon of cream; up to four in total.
- If it feels too runny, add more sugar.
- You can use a flavor other than vanilla, such as almond or mint.
- You can color the butter by adding a few drops of food coloring.
Method 2 of 2: Try Variations
Step 1. Make the buttercream for the topping
By changing the ratio of butter to powdered sugar, you can create a buttercream that is more suitable for filling cakes and biscuits. It's a little lighter than buttercream frosting and can be flavored any way you want.
- Beat 1 cup of softened butter until stiff.
- Add 1/2 cup of fat and whisk well.
- Add 450 g of powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and continue beating.
- Add 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is creamy and spreadable.
Step 2. Make dark buttercream
If you're looking for a firmer, more stable icing than buttercream, but with the same rich flavor, dark buttercream is for you. It's made with marshmallows and butter flavoring, so it emulates the flavor of buttercream, but doesn't melt as easily.
- Microwave 8 cups of mini marshmallows, 2 teaspoons of light vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of butter extract, until all the ingredients are blended together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 900 grams of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of white corn syrup.
- Combine the marshmallow mixture and the sugar mixture in a mixing bowl, and whisk until the mixture is whipped.
- Put the mixture on a non-stick surface and knead it for 10 minutes. Grease your hands with vegetable fat to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for an hour before unwrapping and using it.
