How to Make Buttercream
This is a basic buttercream recipe that you can add anything to. It’s super quick and easy to prepare! This recipe makes about 3 cups which is enough to frost 12 -15 cupcakes or a two layer 8/9 inch naked cake.
Ingredients
- 250 g just over a cup butter, softened
- 300-500 g (2 + ½ – 4 cups) icing sugar, sifted
- Salt to taste (I like to use ½ teaspoon)
FLAVOURINGS (OPTIONAL)
- Vanilla: 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract and/or ¼ teaspoon scraped vanilla bean
- Chocolate: 2 tablespoons chocolate ganache + 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder see below for ganache recipe.
- Raspberry: 2 -3 tablespoons pureed raspberries berry jam or a few drops of liquid/gel food colouring
- Lemon: 1 zest of a lemon + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Place softened butter in a medium sized bowl and beat until fluffy with a stand/hand held mixer. Add salt and continue to beat for 20 seconds or so.
- Gradually add sifted icing sugar (about ¾ cup at a time), and beat well after each addition (the mixture will be thick and will thin out with more beating and once you add your desired flavourings). Add chosen flavourings and continue beating until you reach desired consistency. If it is too thin, add more icing sugar, if it’s too sweet add more salt.
- (To know how to make this buttercream in colder temperatures (e.g. winter) scroll up to the “Tips and Tricks” section above).
To make chocolate ganache:
- Place 50g of chocolate (dark or sweet) with 50mls of cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave for 10-15 seconds, let it sit for a few minutes then stir until chocolate had melted. If preferred, you could omit the chocolate ganache and just add cocoa powder instead (but it tastes a whole lot better with chocolate ganache!)
Notes
This buttercream can be prepared in advanced to be used later. Simply store it in an air tight container in the fridge or pop in a ziplock bag/air tight container and freeze. When ready to use, bring buttercream to room temperature and then beat with a stand/hand held mixer until it is light and fluffy. Chilled/frozen buttercream can be softened in the microwave in 20 secend increments. It will last in the fridge for several weeks and up to 3-4 months in the freezer.