BUTTERCREAM 101

Buttercream is delicious, a combination of flavorful butter mixed with plenty of

sugar (and, depending on the recipe, some other ingredients) to produce a
light, airy, and delightfully smooth finishing touch for cakes and cupcakes. But
not all buttercreams are created equal—different recipes use different
ingredients and methods and can therefore yield some pretty different results.

PHOTO BY BOBBI LIN

Below, you!ll find a description of and a recipe for six common buttercreams,
along with my suggestions for when to use them:
1. American
2. Swiss
3. Italian
4. French
5. German
6. Pudding-Style
But First, Some General Buttercream Guidelines:
• Use room-temperature ingredients: Yes, the old baking adage is just
as true when making frosting—room-temperature eggs will whip up more
efficiently, room-temperature butter will incorporate better with less
chance of separation, and room-temperature flavorings (like cooled
melted chocolate, a small amount of fruit purée, etc) will maintain the
texture of the finished buttercream without overly thickening or thinning it.
• But not too soft for the butter. I find that butter that!s too soft is much
more likely to cause separation or a curdled look in the mixer. The butter
should be soft enough you can easily break off pieces of it to toss into the
mixer, but not so soft that it appears melty or overly greasy on the exterior.
• Separation can happen. Several types of buttercream recipes can
look separated or curdled during the process. Usually, this is solved by
continued vigorous mixing—so proceed with the recipe as directed, and
don!t fret should things look messy somewhere in the middle.
 The Better Way To Bring Eggs To Room Temperature
• Flavoring and coloring. Buttercreams can be easily flavored with
extracts without worry of altering the recipe. Other flavorings can also be
added, and when and how to add them varies a bit based on the recipe.
Coffee, tea, or herbs can be infused into some recipes (like in the
pudding-style buttercream below), whereas ingredients like vanilla bean
are added to sugar syrups as they cook (as in Italian buttercream).
Chocolate and fruit purée, on the other hand, are usually mixed in at the
very end and can be added to nearly any kind of buttercream recipe—
though exact amounts may vary based on the recipe itself. You can tint
buttercream with food coloring, but note that some buttercreams are
more white than others, which makes them better for cleanly taking on
other colors.
• Storage. Buttercream can be made ahead and refrigerated for up
to 1 week. Just like butter, it should be stored in an airtight container—
otherwise, it might take on other flavors in the fridge. You can reconstitute
buttercream in a number of ways, but my favorite is to bring it to room
temperature for an hour or so, then transfer it to the bowl of a mixer fitted
with the paddle attachment. Whip the frosting, occasionally applying
heat to the side of the bowl with a kitchen torch. If you don!t have a
kitchen torch, you can achieve a similar effect by heating the bowl over
a small pot of barely simmering water for a few moments before returning
it to the mixer. Continue this process of gentle heating and mixing until the
buttercream has regained its smooth texture.
 How To Make Better Powdered Sugar Icing & Frosting

1. American Buttercream
What it is:
American buttercream is the easiest on this list to make. A relatively thick and
dense frosting that's very sweet and rich, it's made by creaming butter with
confectioners' sugar until the mixture is spreadable. Vanilla extract is usually
added for flavoring, and I like to add a small amount of room-temperature milk
or cream to help give it a silkier texture.

Our Best American-Style Buttercream

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ounces (1/4 cup) milk or heavy cream, at room
temperature

When to use it:

This is a great frosting to use for simple recipes, but I do find it especially sweet,
so I tend to only use it in places where there!s a single smear of frosting (like atop
a cupcake or a single layer cake).
2. Swiss Buttercream
What it is:
Swiss buttercream uses Swiss meringue as a base (read more about the different
types of meringue here). Egg whites and sugar are heated over a pot of barely
simmering water until they reach 160° F (this heats the egg whites to a
temperature safe for consumption, at which they!re no longer raw). The egg
white mixture is then whipped to stiff peaks and until it's no longer warm, and
then room-temperature butter is incorporated until the frosting is light and
smooth.

Swiss Buttercream View Recipe

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces (about 4 large) egg whites
12 ounces (1 3/4 cup minus 1 tablespoon) sugar
1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

When to use it:

Swiss buttercream is very light in texture, making it a great choice for layer
cakes. It!s also relatively white in color, making it one of the best choices if you!re
looking to add color to your frosting.
3. Italian Buttercream
What it is:
Italian buttercream is very similar to Swiss buttercream, except it uses an Italian
meringue as a base. Sugar and water are cooked to 240° F while egg whites are
beaten to soft peaks. The hot sugar syrup is added to the egg whites, which
"cooks" them, making them no longer raw. The meringue is whipped to stiff
peaks and until it's no longer warm. Room-temperature butter is added and
mixed in until the frosting is light and smooth.

Our Best Italian-Style Buttercream

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces (about 4 large) egg whites
12 ounces (1 3/4 cup minus 1 tablespoon) sugar
6 ounces (3/4 cup) water
1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

When to use it:

I use Italian buttercream in the same way as Swiss buttercream—for recipes
where I!m hoping to color the frosting or when I!m building tall layer cakes. I
prefer Italian buttercream, even though cooking the sugar syrup is an extra step:
I find it!s easier to achieve a beautiful, glossy meringue with this method, so I opt
for it more often.
4. French Buttercream
What it is:
French buttercream is made following a similar method to Italian buttercream,
but it uses a mixture of whole eggs and egg yolks as the base (also known in the
pastry world as a pâte à bombe and frequently used as a base for mousse).
Because it starts with a base of whole eggs and yolks, this frosting is noticeably
richer in color, texture, and flavor. A mixture of sugar and water is cooked to
240° F, and poured into the egg mixture with the mixer running. Once the
mixture is fully aerated and cool, room-temperature butter is added and the
frosting is mixed until light and smooth.

Our Best French-Style Buttercream

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces (about 3 large) eggs
6 ounces (about 12 large) egg yolks
14 ounces (2 cups) sugar
4 ounces (1/2 cup) water
18 ounces (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted
butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

When to use it:

French buttercream is delicious. It!s rich enough to stand on its own in smaller
quantities but light and airy enough to be used for layer cakes. However, its pale
yellow hue doesn!t make it great for tinting, so I usually go au natural for this one.
5. German Buttercream
What it is:
German buttercream is made using pastry cream as a base. The finished,
cooled pastry cream is then whipped, and room temperature butter is added
until the mixture is light and smooth. Sometimes, a small amount of
confectioners' sugar is added to maintain the right texture on the finished
buttercream.

German Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
For The Pastry Cream:
9 1/2 ounces (1 cup plus 3 tablespoons) whole milk
3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, divided
1 ounce (1/4 cup) cornstarch
4 ounces (about 2 large) eggs
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room
temperature

For The Final Buttercream:

1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
4 ounces (1 cup) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

When to use it:

German buttercream is rich, with a great texture. I don!t necessarily love it for
icing the outside of cakes, but it!s great for layering in between layers (it makes
great "naked cakes”) and stuffing on the inside of cupcakes (or even
doughnuts!). Because you start with pastry cream, it!s easy to infuse the milk with
a variety of flavors, from lavender to coffee to tea to vanilla bean.

6. Pudding-Style Buttercream
What it is:
This buttercream is often listed under a variety of names, so I just call it "pudding-
style" because it starts with a starch-thickened dairy base that's similar to
pudding. The pudding can be very simple, or it can be a more elaborate recipe
that will provide the bulk of the flavor to the finished buttercream. Regardless, a
pudding is made and cooled, then whipped with room-temperature butter until
light and smooth.

Pudding-Style Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces (1 cup) whole milk
8 ounces (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar,
divided
1 1/2 ounces (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

When to use it:

This buttercream, in my opinion, is one of the most under-utilized. A bit "old-
fashioned,” it was sort of discarded largely by home cooks in favor of the much
simpler American buttercream. But pudding-style frosting provides so many
options; it!s great for making exciting flavors, like dark chocolate, caramel, or
butterscotch: Just start with the pudding and go from there. In general, you will
want your pudding for buttercream a bit thicker than you might for just eating,
so if you!re using a favorite recipe, up the starch by 5 to 10%.

https://food52.com/blog/16142-all-about-buttercream-how-to-make-6-different-types