Simple Buttercream
Simple buttercream (sometimes called American buttercream, mock cream, or butter icing) is a type of icing or frosting used inside cakes, as a coating, and as decoration.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Yield
- Enough for an 8-inch round 2-layer cake
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 450 g (4 cups) sifted powdered sugar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) milk
Method
- Cream together butter and vanilla using a mixer.
- Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping sides and bottom of bowl regularly. Mixture will be very dry.
- When all the sugar is incorporated, add milk and beat until incorporated.
Notes
- To make chocolate buttercream, add 150 g (¾ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder or 3 oz (84 g) melted unsweetened baking chocolate, and increase the milk to 45–60 ml (3–4 tbsp).
- To make lemon buttercream, omit milk and add zest and juice of 1 lemon.
- This is the simplest version of a recipe that has many. One of the most common changes is to substitute margarine or shortening for some or all of the butter. This is prevalent especially in commercial kitchens because it is cheaper and it increases the stability of the icing at room temperature, making it easier to work with, especially in large quantities or for long durations. Buttercreams made with unsalted butter, however, provide a more delicate texture and superior flavor and mouthfeel (texture) to buttercreams made with vegetable shortening.