The buttercream that goes on every cake at every birthday.
Why you should cook this
The buttercream that goes on every cake at every birthday. American-style: butter, icing sugar, vanilla, milk. Whipped until it’s airy and pipeable.
Skip the cheap salted butter. Use real unsalted, room temperature, beaten for ten minutes. The texture is the thing.
What to drink with it
Goes on everything: birthday cakes, cupcakes, layer cakes, sheet cakes. Pair the cake itself with a coffee or an Espresso Martini.
Notes from the kitchen
Butter at room temperature, not soft. Should leave a finger imprint when pressed. Sift the icing sugar. Lumps in icing sugar = lumps in buttercream. Beat for ten minutes. The colour will lighten, the texture will go fluffy. This is the difference between professional and home-made.
The recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Beat butter in a stand mixer (paddle attachment) on medium for 5 minutes — until pale and fluffy.
- Add half the sifted icing sugar. Beat on low until incorporated, then medium for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining icing sugar, vanilla, salt and 2 tbsp milk. Beat on medium 5 minutes more.
- If too thick, add another tbsp milk at a time. If too thin, add more icing sugar.
- Use immediately, or store at room temp 24 hours, or fridge 1 week (re-beat before using).
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Grainy buttercream
You didn’t sift the icing sugar. Lumps in icing sugar means lumps in the buttercream forever.
Greasy buttercream
Butter was too soft. Should leave a fingerprint when pressed but not be melty. Twenty-two degrees is the goal.
Variations worth knowing
Chocolate
Add 100g of cooled melted dark chocolate plus 30g of cocoa powder. Beat for an extra two minutes.
Cream cheese
Replace half the butter with full-fat block cream cheese. Tangier. Best on red velvet or carrot cake.
Coffee
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee in 2 tablespoons of warm water. Cool. Beat into the finished buttercream.
Leftovers and make ahead
Room temp 24 hours, fridge one week, freezer three months. Re-beat for two minutes before using.