Buttercream is an absolute essential when it comes to baking! Whether you want to use it to decorate cupcakes or sandwich together multiple layers of cake, buttercream should be something every baker knows how to make!
It´s very easy to remember how to make buttercream. All you need to remember is this simple ratio: one part butter to two parts icing sugar. Apart from those two ingredients, all you need is a little milk and whatever flavouring you would like! So, let´s get into a few tips and tricks on how to make the perfect buttercream.
To skip straight to the basic recipe, click on the button!
What butter is best to use for making buttercream?
The best thing about buttercream is that you can use pretty much every kind of (unsalted!) butter you like. Whether you use normal block butter, baking spread, dairy-free or vegan butter – it all works! This makes buttercream so adaptable to different dietary requirements!
All you need to make sure of is that the butter is at room temperature. You want the butter to be of a soft and spreadable consistency, but not completely melted. If you don´t have enough time to leave out the butter at room temperature for a while before making the buttercream, make sure you are careful using the microwave. Go slowly and not on full power, so that the butter doesn´t melt.
Another trick I heard Mary Berry give, was to cut the cold butter from the fridge into 2cm cubes and put it into a bowl filled with lukewarm (~30°C) water for about 10 minutes. That will warm the butter so that it reaches the perfect consistency for creaming (i.e. beating the butter with sugar)!
EDIT: I found the video I was talking about on the BBC´s website! I´ll leave the link to it here!
What sugar should you use?
The only sugar you can use is icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar in some places. With any other sugar, like caster, granulated or any type of brown sugar, the sugar won´t dissolve properly in the butter. That will leave you with a coarse, gritty icing, rather than the smooth buttercream you set out for.
Also, make sure you sift the icing sugar before using it to make buttercream. I know, sifting the icing sugar can be a bit of a pain, but you will get a much better, smoother consistency if there are no lumps in the icing sugar before using!
Getting the right consistency
To ensure you get the right consistency for piping the buttercream or spreading it over a cake, you might need to add a little milk to the mix to loosen it up a little. You may want to add a little less to create a stiffer icing, suitable for piping, or a slightly more spreadable icing to sandwich cakes together.
Again, instead of using normal fresh or long-life milk, you could also use a lactose-free or vegan (e.g. soya) option to cater for any dietary requirements.
How do you add flavour and/or colour to the buttercream?
You can flavour buttercream with almost any flavour you like by adding some extract (e.g. vanilla, orange, rosewater, almond) or even a tablespoon of coffee or booze to the buttercream.
As adding any liquid to the buttercream at the end could cause it to split, I would recommend adding extracts or other flavourings at the very beginning when you are beating the butter and before you add the icing sugar.
If you are wanting to colour the icing, I would recommend using food colouring gels rather than liquids, to avoid splitting.
To make a chocolate buttercream, I replace some of the icing sugar with cocoa powder. For exact quantities, check out my recipe for Easter Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream.
What equipment should you use?
Depending on how soft your butter is when you make the buttercream it will be harder or easier to make this buttercream by hand. If you have an electric hand whisk or free-standing mixer, I recommend using that. If not, make sure your butter is soft and use a wooden spoon.
For best results, don´t forget to use a sieve to sift your icing sugar before adding it to the buttercream!
If you are wanting to pipe the buttercream on top of your cupcakes, fill it into a large piping bag fitted with a nozzle. I find it easiest to place the piping bag into a tall glass and fold down the sides of the bag. Then you can easily fill it, fold the sides up around the icing and then lift the bag out of the glass (see picture).
The perfect method
To make the perfect buttercream, start by beating the butter until very soft, fluffy and paler in colour. This will ensure the buttercream has a whiter colour (rather than yellowish) later and will make beating in the sugar easier. Then quickly beat in your flavouring, if using. To make things easier and avoid a cloud of icing sugar going everywhere, add about half the icing sugar, beat and then add the remaining half. With regards to the milk, add about 1-2 tbsp with the first addition of icing sugar, and then add more sparingly after the second addition if needed.
More Baking Basics
Do you want to learn more about the basics of baking? Then check out the other posts in my baking basics and baking skills and techniques category!
Basic Recipes:
#1 How to Make Shortcrust Pastry
#2 How to Master Chocolate: Melting, Tempering, Decorating
#3 How to Make Puff Pastry
#4 How to Make your own Sourdough Starter
#6 How To Make Hot Water Crust Pastry
#7 How To Make Crème Chantilly | Chantilly (Sweetened) Cream
#8 How To Make Crème Pâtissière | French Pastry Cream
#9 How To Make Lemon Curd
#10 How To Make Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard)
Techniques:
#1 How to Line a Tart/Flan Tin
#2 How to Make a Perfect Cupcake
Vanilla Buttercream
Recipe
This vanilla buttercream makes enough buttercream to generously ice 12 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
- 175 g unsalted butter (normal, dairy-free, vegan), at room temperature
- 1 tsp of flavouring, e.g. vanilla, orange or almond extract, coffee, etc. (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- 350 g icing sugar, sifted
Method:
- In a bowl, start by beating the softened butter until very soft, fluffy and paler in colour.
- If using, add a teaspoon of your flavouring (e.g. vanilla extract) and mix it into the butter.
- Next, sift about half of the icing sugar into the bowl and add 1-2 tbsp of milk. Then beat to combine.
- Sift in the remaining icing sugar and beat until well combined and the buttercream is nice and smooth. If necessary, add a little more milk to get the right consistency.
- If you want, you can now use a little gel food colouring to colour the buttercream.
- And that´s it! The buttercream is ready to use!
