| Luscious buttercream has been dubbed the | | | | |
| queen of icings by many a cake decorator, and | | | | 1/2 cup butter |
| if you have ever played chess, you'll | | | | |
| appreciate the analogy. | | | | 1 teaspoon of clear vanilla flavor |
| | | | |
| This makes it well worth your while to learn | | | | 1 teaspoon of creme bouquet flavoring |
| how to make great tasting and performing | | | | (optional) |
| buttercream. You will find you can use it to | | | | |
| fill and cover a cake (providing a canvas for | | | | 1/4 cup milk or water (add more as needed or |
| all sorts of decorative work), pipe | | | | for thinner consistency) |
| decorative borders, and make icing flowers | | | | |
| and other decorations. Buttercream can even | | | | 1 pinch salt (if using unsalted butter) |
| be rolled like fondant. | | | | |
| | | | 1 teaspoon meringue powder |
| You will find many varieties of buttercream, | | | | |
| including crusting and non-crusting, | | | | 2 pounds of sifted powdered sugar |
| strawberry (made with fresh strawberries is | | | | |
| best!), buttery buttercreams and snow-white, | | | | Mix the shortening and butter until well |
| dairy-free buttercreams. Crusting buttercream | | | | blended. Add milk/water and flavoring and |
| dries to a semi-hard consistency, but not | | | | continue mixing. |
| cement hard like royal icing. And, crusting | | | | |
| or soft, buttercream tastes wonderful. Those | | | | Once well combined, turn the mixer off. Add |
| who prefer a less sugary icing can use a | | | | salt, meringue powder and sugar. Adjust |
| less-sweet-buttercream recipe. | | | | mixer's setting to the lowest speed, and mix |
| | | | just until the ingredients start to come |
| If you've ever made a wedding cake, you | | | | together. |
| already understand the need to turn out a | | | | |
| velvety, fondant-like buttercream icing. | | | | Then on medium speed and mix for 2 - 5 |
| | | | minutes until smooth and a little fluffy |
| As any cake decorator will tell you, | | | | (time will vary depending on the power of |
| producing a creamy buttercream icing and then | | | | your mixer). A stand mixer will require about |
| smoothing it to a wrinkle and crack free | | | | 2 minutes, while a hand mixer will require 5 |
| surface on your cake can be tricky. | | | | minutes or more. |
| | | | |
| No worries. There are some tried and true | | | | If the icing is too stiff and you can tell |
| techniques that will help you to consistently | | | | the mixer is straining, add more liquid to |
| produce smooth buttercream icing with each | | | | obtain the right consistency. If it becomes |
| new cake. | | | | too soft, add more powderedsugar. |
| | | | |
| One of our favorites is the "Paper Towel | | | | Tips for Perfect Buttercream |
| Method". This works only with crusting | | | | |
| buttercream. One you've iced your cake, allow | | | | -If using a stand-up mixer, use the paddle |
| your buttercream to sit for about 15 minutes, | | | | attachment, NOT the whip. |
| allowing it to form a crust. | | | | |
| | | | -When using unsalted butter, add a little |
| Use a smooth paper towel (such as Viva) for | | | | dash of salt to cut the sweetness. |
| this method. Also be sure the paper towel is | | | | |
| white so there's no risk of color's bleeding | | | | - Meringue powder helps make your buttercream |
| onto you cake. | | | | lighter and fluffier, which helps flowers |
| | | | hold their shape when you pipe them. |
| Step 1. Press the clean, dry paper towel onto | | | | |
| the surface of your cake with the goal of | | | | -Always use name brand shortening. Because it |
| pressing out any wrinkles in the frosting. | | | | has more emulsifiers, it blends better and |
| | | | will not give you that "greasy" taste. |
| Step 2. With the palm of your hand flat on | | | | |
| the paper towel, gently glide the towel in a | | | | - For snow-white and dairy-free buttercream, |
| circular motion. The natural heat from your | | | | replace the butter with shortening and add 1 |
| hand help's smooth the frosting under the | | | | tsp. clear, butter flavoring. |
| towel. | | | | |
| | | | - Smooth the sides of your buttercream iced |
| Step 3. Continue to gently glide the paper | | | | cake with a fondant smoother or bench scraper |
| towel and press out bumps and wrinkles on the | | | | by holding either tool to the side and slowly |
| entire surface of your cake until the surface | | | | spinning the cake on the turntable. |
| is perfectly or near perfectly smooth. | | | | |
| | | | Here's one more tip for making buttercream |
| And to give you a great buttercream to try | | | | icing. Sometimes the buttercream in your |
| this out with, here's one of our favorite | | | | mixing bowl will develop waves or bumps. This |
| buttercream recipes. | | | | usually means your icing is too thick. No |
| | | | problem. A small amount of corn syrup to the |
| 1 cup vegetable shortening | | | | icing will thin the buttercream. |