A smooth buttercream has the power to make even the most boring onesTransform baked goods into special treats. At first glance, it seems easy to make buttercream (after all, it's just butter and sugar, right?), but there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Here are a few useful tips on how to make the perfect buttercream, as well as some mistakes to avoid.
What kind of buttercreams are there?
There are basically two types of buttercreams: simple American-style creams and more complicated European-style buttercreams based on eggs or meringue. Although they are all delicious, they are not interchangeable. So you should know which buttercream variation goes best with what.
American buttercream
This is the simplest version and consists of only 3 ingredients: butter, powdered sugar and a little milk. Since it's painfully sweet, it's best to use it in small amounts, such as piping it on cupcakes or for a sweet tooth. In other words, this buttercream is ideal for children's birthday parties. But it also melts quickly, which makes it not particularly good for a sunny summer picnic.
Since this buttercream is made without eggs, it is safe even during pregnancy. It's also the perfect buttercream for piping flowers, roses and tuffs. For the best results, always use powdered sugar, as granulated sugar makes the buttercream gritty.
Swiss meringue buttercream
This is made by gently heating sugar and egg whites over a water bath until the sugar dissolves and the eggs are cooked. The egg white mixture is then whipped into a nice shiny meringue. Then little by little cubes of butter are added to the meringue. It's more complicated than American buttercream, but much better in taste and texture! Swiss Meringue is suitable for fondant and perfect for spreading on cakes.
Italian buttercream
Italian-style buttercream is made by slowly drizzling a hot sugar syrup into a meringue made from beaten eggs and sugar. It is stable, meaning it can withstand hot temperatures. It's a good choice for make-ahead buttercream and can even be used on a wedding cake. However, it contains raw eggs, which may be unsafe for some people.
French buttercream
This is the most decadent of buttercreams - incredibly rich and smooth. It is prepared similarly to Swiss Cream, but contains egg yolks instead of egg whites. It is very difficult to prepare because hot sugar syrup has to be drizzled into egg yolks, which can quickly result in scrambled eggs. Due to its softness, French buttercream is not particularly suitable for spreading on cakes.
Recipe for a perfect buttercream
Ingredients for 3 cups buttercream (about 675g):
375 grams powdered sugar, sifted
227 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whipped cream, at least 30%
Instructions: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the powdered sugar and butter. Start on low speed until well combined, then increase speed to medium and beat mixture until creamy, 3 minutes. Then add the salt, vanilla and cream and beat on medium speed for another 1 minute. Add a little more cream if necessary.
Reserve buttercream
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature and beat again in a blender until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar if the cream needs to thicken a little.
5 mistakes to avoid when making buttercream
1. You don't pay attention to the temperature of the ingredients
As with baking, your ingredients should be at room temperature. Using cold ingredients is likely to cause the buttercream to curdle and fail to set - no matter how long you beat it. It's best to place the ingredients on the counter overnight so that they are at the perfect temperature when you start baking the next day. The butter should be malleable, not melted or greasy. If you're working in a hot kitchen and the cream starts to melt, address the problem by keeping a large bowl of ice cubes on hand. Stick your mixing bowl into the ice bath to quickly cool the buttercream and avoid disaster.
*Do not use butter substitute.As the name suggests, butter is said to be the main ingredient for this sweet cream. It is what gives the buttercream its structure so it can be easily spread over the cake. Choosing a substitute like margarine or shortening will change the taste, mouthfeel, and texture of the buttercream.
2. You're using the wrong sugar
When making buttercream, not all sugar is created equal. An American buttercream made with granulated sugar becomes gritty. On the other hand, trying to use powdered sugar for a European buttercream will not produce the desired result either.
Tipp: Before you begin, decide what type of buttercream best suits your dessert. If you're making American-style buttercream, use powdered sugar. It dissolves easily in the butter, resulting in a smooth consistency. When making European-style buttercream, the sugar is first boiled into a syrup. Therefore, granulated sugar is the best choice.
3. You added too much liquid.
Every buttercream needs to be thinned with a little liquid, such as a splash of milk, a vanilla extract or even a few drops of liqueur. However, if you add too much, the buttercream will be too runny. Avoid this problem by using highly concentrated or solid flavorings (think vanilla bean instead of lots of vanilla extract, or lemon zest instead of juice). When coloring your buttercream, use a gel-based color instead of a liquid. And be careful when adding milk or cream to American buttercream. Remember: you can always add more, but you can't take anything out!
If you want a really creamy frosting, use whipped cream. The extra fat from the cream gives the cream a smoother consistency than any other liquid. A little sour cream, crème fraîche or mascarpone really brings out the flavors.
4. You are not mixing your buttercream long enough or using the wrong attachment.
How long should you beat American buttercream? Preferably 4-5 minutes on medium-low speed with your stand mixer. It takes time for the ingredients to mix well. This is one reason why using a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer is recommended for buttercreams. With Swiss Meringue, the whole thing can take at least 10 minutes.
If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Using the whisk attachment will introduce too much air into the buttercream. If you have no alternative, you can also use a hand blender with a whisk.
5. They don't use salt.
Salt brings out the sweetness while bringing out all the delicious flavors of the buttercream! Do not use large grains of salt, but make sure it is finely ground.
Don't give up on your ruined buttercream just yet!
Most home cooks quickly become frustrated when their buttercream looks bad. But that's no reason to throw it away, because in most cases you can save a failed buttercream. Here are some tips to help:
- Buttercream is gritty - The reason for this is that the butter doesn't combine with the ingredients. In this case, the buttercream should be warmed up and whipped for another 10 minutes.
- Buttercream will not set – be patient! Continue mixing the buttercream for a few more minutes and it will likely come back together on its own.
- Buttercream is too runny – Runny American buttercream is usually caused by adding too much milk (or other liquid ingredients). You can thicken them by adding additional powdered sugar. A very small amount of cornstarch can also help, but no more than a tablespoon. Runny Italian or Swiss buttercream is often caused by adding too soft butter to a meringue mixture that is too hot. While whipping in a stand mixer, try adding additional colder cubes of butter (slightly softened, not ice cold) to cool and thicken the mixture.
How to color perfect buttercream?
The first time you color buttercream, you might be disappointed: the colors you dreamed of are not as beautiful and intense as you imagined. This is what you can do:
Use gel food coloring, not liquid.They are very focused. A tiny drop of gel gives you tons of color. Liquid food coloring can cause problems with buttercream consistency. As you continue to add liquid in hopes of achieving a saturated color, the buttercream will also become more liquid.
Give your buttercream time to develop the colors.If you want to make a very colorful or dark buttercream, add just enough food coloring to get close to the desired shade. Then let the buttercream sit for a few hours and you will see how the color develops. You'll probably notice the biggest difference with darker colors like blue, red, and black. The more food coloring you add, the more time the buttercream will need to “absorb.”
It's also important to note that color development varies between different types of buttercream. American buttercream is by far the easiest to color and achieve dark colors. This also happens relatively quickly.
Swiss Meringue Creme is noticeably harder to color. However, the same rules for color development apply. It just takes a little longer to absorb the colors.
If you want to mix specific buttercream colors, you should also have some basic knowledge of color theory and know the difference between primary and secondary colors. In short, the primary colors are red, yellow and blue. The secondary colors purple, orange and green are mixed from this.
You also need to understand that one color can have different undertones. The most practical example of this is that buttercream always has a yellow undertone due to the butter. In other words, your buttercream is not white, but whitish with a yellow undertone. (Pro tip: Add a tiny bit of purple food coloring to neutralize that yellow undertone!)
Buttercream flavor variations
Last but not least, a few ideas on how to spice up a simple buttercream. Don't hesitate to get creative with the buttercream! Add more or less depending on your preferences and even combine two flavor ideas for something more unique.
Vanilla– Add 2 tablespoons pure vanilla bean paste or the scraped seeds of 1 bean.
Chocolate– Add 150g cooled melted chocolate. If using Nutella, reduce the powdered sugar.
Mocha– Add 67g sifted cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder.
Raspberry or strawberry– Add seedless raspberry or strawberry paste + a few drops of red food coloring.
Almond or hazelnut– Add 1 teaspoon of almond or hazelnut extract.
Peanut butter– Add 240g creamy peanut butter and reduce the powdered sugar to 300g.
Coconut– Add 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract and white food coloring.
mint– Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract + green food coloring.
lemon– Add 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and increase the powdered sugar to 500 grams.
pumpkin– Add in 100g of pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cream.
Salted caramel– Add 60g caramel and increase salt to 1 teaspoon. The caramel replaces the cream.
Irish cream buttercream– Use Bailey's Irish Cream instead of heavy cream.
Double– Add 50g sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and 120ml Kahlua instead of the cream.
