American Buttercream Frosting

COLORING
Oil based food colors are best because the recipe is fat based- butter and cream. You can use gel food coloring, even powdered - just don’t use water-based colors. 

FLAVORING
You can use extracts, pastes, fruit powders, chocolate, or white chocolate to flavor your buttercream. I always recommend high quality extracts. It makes all the difference.

DECORATING
Buttercream is the most common frosting used for decorating birthday cakes. It is easy to use and the texture pipes shapes and holds them.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip or spread over your favorite cake. For more decor sprinkle glitter, funfetti, sprinkles on top, or decorate with pearls, crushed candy cane, chocolate chips or piped frosting designs.

SERVING
It is best to use the buttercream immediately. This buttercream will hold up to display desserts and for parties and events. You just don’t want to leave it out anywhere warm for too long where it can start to separate.

STORING
Store the buttercream in an airtight container for up to one week or in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen buttercream overnight in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that buttercream stored will begin to break down and will not be as good as fresh for use in decorating.

It holds up just fine on the cake it is already applied. You can leave a buttercream frosted cake out in a covered cake stand rather than refrigerate it.

The buttercream will get a crustiness on the outside which if fine. Don’t leave it out more than about 3 days because the cake will get stale. This is why airtight containers are always best.

TIPS
Butter Temperature - Shoot for 68F-70F (Ideal 68) Butter must be room temp: 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.

Meringue buttercreams can bounce back though.

The sugar to butter ratio is 2:1. Feel free to adjust that more or less sugar to your tastes. You can use unsalted or salted butter. You don’t really need to add salt if you use salted butter. Just that little bit of salt helps temper that sugary sweetness a little bit.

Use confectioner’s sugar, not granulated and sift it before use.

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.

VARIATIONS
Store-bought Bakery Frosting
if you want that fluffy yet crisp consistency without oozing butteriness just use solid vegetable shortening (Crisco) instead of butter.  My personal favorite for consistency and flavor is ½ butter + ½ Crisco shortening.

Vegan Buttercream
Make with solid vegetable shortening (Crisco) or Coconut Oil. Do not use a liquid vegetable oil. It will not firm up.