Buttercream (Frosting)

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Cat
Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

By Cat, Dec 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Buttercream is used as cake filling and frosting; I use it for my Yule Log (Buche de Noel (3)).  There are several types:

  • American buttercreams are a heavy mix of confectioners sugar and butter.
  • French buttercream is traditionally made using a hot sugar syrup, egg yolks and butter, and can be quite difficult to make.  They use less sugar than other buttercreams.
  • A pastry cream  buttercream can be made by beating a thick pastry cream with butter.
  • Meringue-type buttercream is made using egg whites instead of yolks. This is what my Mom used to frost an angel food cake

When to use the different types? Read on…

Using different types of butter creams

I do not recommend using the American style butter creams, such as those that come as box mixes, as they just use way too much sugar and offer no healthful benefit at all. One exception would be the Raw Vanilla Buttercream recipe, below – but use this only for special occasions.

If you are making a fancy cake, I recommend a French buttercream, as it uses the least amount of sugar of all the types.  It can be colored or flavored as desired.  However, it tends to melt easily, so the cake should be kept in the refrigerator.

Most French buttercream recipes use a sugary syrup; I recommend making your own sugar syrup using Rapadura sugar (see RecipeZaar (4)). I do not recommend using corn syrup, as it is likely GMO unless it is Organic.

Quick butter creams (see below) are great for sweet treats for children – such as cupcakes – as they use minimal amounts of sugar, and are quick and easy to make

Hints and Tips

Refer to Buttercream Icing 101 (5) for hints and tips.  However, I do not recommend using Crisco or vegetable shortening as cited in the recipes; use real butter or lard instead.  Vegetable shortening contains harmful fats (the fats have been oxidized and produce harmful free radicals). NOTE that before the advent of vegetable shortening in the early 20th century, lard was called shortening.

CAUTION: Many of the recipes use raw eggs. This must come with a caution, because if the eggs are not properly washed and stored, they may contain “bad bugs” such as salmonella (I know, because it happened to me). Coddling commercial eggs is always recommended before using them raw in recipes, because the light cooking kills the bad bugs.

Quick Buttercream Frostings

Unless otherwise noted, these French buttercream recipes are adapted from The Art of Fine Baking by Paula Peck (1), but are much simpler to make than traditional French buttercreams.  They use sugar rather than corn syrup, and egg yolks. Most are quick to make in a blender (Egg yolk Buttercream is the exception).  Each makes about 1 ¼ cups buttercream.

For these ‘quick’ recipes I recommend using an electric blender. However, they could be made with a traditional egg whisk and hand mixer, but enlist all your kids to help you, as it will take a lot of mixing.  Use the whisk to combine eggs, sugar and vanilla; then switch to the hand mixer when adding butter.

Vanilla Buttercream

See note about using raw eggs, above.

Ingredients & Equipment:

  • 3 egg yolks, room temperature (or lightly coddled and cooled to room temp)
  • 3 Tbsp Rapadura sugar
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
  • ¼ – ½ cup firm unsalted butter
  • Electric blender *

Method:

  1. Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in blender and blend for 3 minutes, adding soft butter until absorbed into yolks.
  2. Add firm butter in bits, just until cream is fairly thick.

Traditional Raw Vanilla Buttercream

This is adapted from Organic Pastures (7. This version doesn’t use eggs but instead doubles the amount of butter and uses a lot more sugar. [ I’d like to test using half sugar and the rest as stevia, but have not yet done that test.]

Be sure to use cultured butter (cultured milk from which the buttermilk has been separated), because of the special nutrients produced by culturing. And of course the raw milk provides a lot more nutrients than pasteurized milk such as “heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, CLA, and “X Factor.” [X-factor is believed to be vitamin K.]

I far prefer to use raw milk/cream even though it is illegal to sell it raw in the state of Montana. So, I own my own goat.

If you use unrefined powdered sugar, it has a slight brown tint which makes for a creamier color in the frosting.

You can use this recipe to make other flavors, simply by adding the flavor such as powdered coffee or chocolate, or substituting other flavored extracts such as almond in place of vanilla.

Ingredients & Equipment:

  • 2 sticks (1) cup  unsalted, cultured butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups Rapadura powdered (confectioner’s) sugar (or Unrefined Powdered Sugar: Make Your Own); or refined white confectioner’s cane sugar
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1 – 1½ Tbsp Organic raw milk
  • Equipment
  • Stand mixer with bowl and fitted with paddle attachment; OR handheld electric mixer and large bowl

Method:

  1. Combine softened butter, sugar, and salt in bowl. Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated.
  2. Add vanilla and increase speed to medium-high; mix until smooth.
  3. Add 1 Tbsp raw whole milk and mix again, adjusting the consistency with more as desired.
  4. Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature and mix on medium-high until smooth. Use frosting on baked goods, as a garnish to fresh fruit, or as a delicious treat!

Coffee Buttercream

See note about using raw eggs, above.

Ingredients & Equipment:

  • 3 egg yolks, room temperature (or lightly coddled and cooled to room temp)
  • 2 Tbsp Rapadura sugar
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
  • ¼ – ½ cup firm unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
  • 1 Tbsp rum or brandy
  • Equipment
  • Electric blender *

Method:

  1. Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in blender and blend for 3 minutes, adding soft butter until absorbed into yolks.
  2. Add firm butter in bits, just until cream is fairly thick.
  3. Dissolve instant coffee in the liquor and blend into the buttercream.

Chocolate Buttercream

See note about using raw eggs, above.

  1. Make as for coffee buttercream, omitting espresso.
  2. Melt 1 oz unsweetened chocolate.  Stir into buttercream along with rum or brandy.
  3. Alternately, use 2 Tbsp sifted dark, unsweetened cocoa, or Dutch process cocoa.

Mocha Buttercream

See note about using raw eggs, above.

  1. Make as for coffee buttercream, adding 1 oz melted, unsweetened chocolate (or 2 Tbsp sifted dark, unsweetened cocoa) with the instant coffee/liquor.

Cooked or Heated Buttercream

These recipes involve heating a sugar syrup to soft-ball stage, or heating egg over simmering water, which allows them to reach greater volume when beating.

Egg Yolk Buttercream Frosting

See note about using raw eggs, above.

I adapted this recipe from the Art of Fine Baking, a classic baking book by Paula Peck. She calls it “Classic Egg Yolk Buttercream.” I chose this because it does not use corn syrup, which is likely a GMO product. What to do with the leftover egg whites? Make macaroons!

Paula cautions, “If the syrup has not been cooked sufficiently, no amount of beating will make the frosting thick enough. If the syrup has been cooked to long, it will not beat smoothly into the egg yolks, but will form little lumps of sugar.

This recipe makes about 2 cups butter cream.

Ingredients & Equipment:

  • ⅔ cup Rapadura or white sugar
  • ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
  • ⅓ cup filtered water
  • 5 egg yolks (or lightly coddled and cooled to room temp)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) soft unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
  • Equipment
  • heavy-bottomed medium saucepan
  • candy thermometer
  • stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and bowl

Method:

  1. Remove eggs from fridge; separate the yolks from whites (reserve whites for another use) and allow the yolks to come to room temperature.
  2. Combine all but yolks in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Raise heat and boil syrup without stirring until soft ball stage (a few drops form a soft ball in cold water) or candy thermometer reads 238°F.
  4. While syrup is cooking, beat yolks until fluffy. Pour hot syrup in a thin stream into yolks while beating constantly.
  5. As mixture cools it will become thick and light. Continue to beat for a few minutes, then set aside until entirely cooled.
  6. After cooling, beat in softened butter and flavor as desired.

Meringue Buttercream (with Egg Whites), Version 1

See note about using raw eggs, above.

This recipe is adapted from All Recipes (6); it is the type of frosting my Mom used for Angel Food cakes. The original dow not indicate how much it makes, but it makes a lot. You could halve the recipe

  • 6 egg whites (or lightly coddled and cooled to room temp)
  • 2 cups Rapadura or white sugar
  • 3 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or other flavoring (optional)
  • Equipment
  • stand mixer fitted with whisk and its large bowl
  • larger size double boiler (or metal bowl and saucepan into which you can set the metal bowl over simmering water)

Method

  1. Remove eggs from fridge; separate the yolks from whites (reserve yolks for another use) and allow the whites to come to room temperature.
  2. Fill bottom of double boiler (or saucepan) with water about 2″ deep, and bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
  3. Place sugar and egg whites into top of double boiler (or metal bowl), and place on top of simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until egg whites reach 140°F. They will feel very hot to the touch.
  4. Transfer egg white mixture to large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Mix at highest speed you can go without the egg flying out of the bowl, until they reach their maximum volume, 5 – 10 minutes.
  5. Reduce to medium or medium high speed, and pinch of small pieces of butter, throwing them into the bowl one at a time until all the butter is mixed in.
  6. Add vanilla or other flavoring while continue mixing. the buttercream may look like it is breaking down, but if you keep on mixing, it will come back together.

Meringue Buttercream (with Egg Whites), Version 2

See note about using raw eggs, above.

This is adapted from from the Art of Fine Baking, a classic baking book by Paula Peck. It makes a fluffy light butter cream. Paula notes, “This butter cream will not spread smoothly after it has been frozen. It may, however, be used to fill pastries which can be frozen.”

Note that it uses a small amount of corn syrup; be sure to use Organic to avoid GMOs. Or make up a sugar syrup using Rapadura sugar (see RecipeZaar (4)).

Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Ingredients & Equipment:

  • 2 cup Rapadura or white sugar
  • ½ cup filtered water
  • 1 Tbsp Organic corn syrup or sugar syrup made with Rapadura sugar
  • 3 egg yolks (or lightly coddled and cooled to room temp)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) soft unsalted butter
  • Equipment
  • heavy-bottomed medium saucepan
  • candy thermometer
  • stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and bowl

Method:

  1. Remove eggs from fridge; separate the yolks from whites (reserve yolks for another use) and allow the whites to come to room temperature.
  2. Combine ⅔ cup of the sugar with water and corn syrup in saucepan. Heat over low heat, then raise heat and boil syrup without stirring until soft ball stage (a few drops form a soft ball in cold water) or candy thermometer reads 238°F.
  3. While syrup is cooking, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining ⅓ cup sugar, a little at a time, until whites are firm.
  4. Pour boiling syrup in a fine stream into whites while beating constantly. NOTE: if beating by hand, use a wire whisk while adding syrup. Continue beating until completely smooth and stiff.
  5. Cream butter until soft and fluffy. Beat cooled meringue mixture into butter and flavor as desired.

References:

  1. The Art of Fine Baking, by Paula Peck
  2. Wikipedia on buttercream (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttercream)
  3. Food Network Buche de Noel recipe (foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/buche-de-noel-recipe/index.html)
  4. Recipe Zaar, French Buttercream recipe (recipezaar.com/French-Buttercream-Frosting-49651)
  5. What’s Cooking America, Buttercream Icing 101 (whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/ButtercreamIcing.htm
  6. All Recipes, Meringue Buttercream recipe (allrecipes.com/recipe/easiest-most-delicious-meringue-buttercream)
  7. Organic Pastures recipe (organicpastures.com/blog/2018/11/26/raw-buttercream-frosting-recipe)

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