Buttercream Frostings

Buttercreams are the quintessential frosting for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

While there are many varieties of buttercream frosting, buttercream is, at it's essence butter and confectioner's sugar. This base of butter and confectioner's sugar is called American Buttercream.

Varieties of buttercream combine different ingredients like heavy cream, sweetened condensed cream, whipped cream, meringue, mascarpone, creamed cheese, flour, custard, or pastry cream.

Depending on the ingredients buttercreams can be simple or complex and easy or difficult. Buttercreams tend to be sensitive and finicky, so regardless of the variety there are some essentials you need to know and follow for a successful buttercream.

TEMPERATURE

Butter Temperature - Shoot for 68F-70F (Ideal 68)

Butter must be room temp of 68F-70F

Butter melts at 75F and if too warm it can make the buttercream a grainy, oozy mess. 

Butter stiffens at 65F and the frosting will break and curdle.

ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS MUST BE THE SAME TEMPERATURE AS THE BUTTER BEFORE COMBINING.

*Meringue buttercreams can bounce back though.

Sugar

You can add more confectioner’s sugar up to 720g (6 cups). This will make the frosting thicker and sweeter.

Cream Cheese

You can use Neufchâtel French cream cheese or Mascarpone Italian cream cheese with or in place of American cream cheese. American cream cheese does have a stronger, more distinctive flavor.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Soupy/Runny

With Swiss or Italian meringue when mixing to the point of returning the bowl to room temp, the mixture should be cooled to 90F.  If not at least 90F cool, it will be soupy and runny. If the frosting can run off a spoon it is too warm and soupy.  

Solution: Chill and Whip

Chill in the fridge and whip and chill to get a homogenous temp and texture throughout. The goal is a silky buttercream of 73F (give or take 1 degree only)

Problem: Too Stiff

Solution: Water bath and whip.

Problem: Curdled  

If it gets too cold or if it whipped too long, or if it came straight out of the fridge, or if too much watery add-ins, miscalculated measurements, bad recipe - temp is below 73F - it will look dense and greasy and taste that way.

Solution: Water Bath and Whip

place in a bowl over a steaming water bath until it melts around the edges, but still solid in center then transfer to a stand mixer on low speed until it reaches 72F.  If it is still too heavy, water bath and whisk on low again.  Whip until cream and smooth.