Our buttercream recipe is special to us! We have spent a long time perfecting our recipe to be light, creamy and full of flavour. After all, buttercream is just as important as the cake itself. A perfected buttercream recipe is a staple for all bakers, no matter whether you’re a beginner or a fully-fledged baker. Our recipe guides you through how to make the buttercream quickly and easily and includes tips on how to save your buttercream from splitting!
Our recipe has been tried and tested using a family recipe and is simply delicious. It’s fluffy and creamy and is perfect for any type of cake. Whether it’s a cake for a special occasion or you simply fancy a morning of baking, our buttercream recipe should be on hand. Use it to add to the top of cupcakes, to fill the centre of a sponge cake or to spread as decorative frosting. It’s perfect for piping even the most complicated and intricate designs as it holds its shape beautifully. The consistency is to die for and it has the perfect amount of sweetness. This is important as you don’t want it too sweet nor too bland.
Our buttercream frosting is an excellent foundation for other frosting flavours too, why not swap the vanilla bean paste for an almond extract for a subtly nutty edge or lemon zest for a fresh and fruity twist.
Buttercream Ingredients
| 6 | egg whites |
| 260 g | granulated sugar |
| 430 g | unsalted butter, softened |
| 1 teaspoon | vanilla bean paste |
How To Make Buttercream
Method
Stir together the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place over a pan of gently simmering water (making sure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water). Heat gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. You can check this by rubbing some between your fingertips – it should not be grainy.
Remove the bowl from the pan and use a hand-held electric whisk (or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment) to whisk for about 10–15 minutes until cool with stiff peaks.
Add the softened butter and whisk for a further 5–7 minutes until light cream in colour. Stir in the vanilla paste. It should have the consistency of medium-soft whipped cream, and be very easy to pipe and spread.
TIP
If your buttercream splits, freeze it until frozen solid. Melt a quarter in the microwave until liquid, then whisk back into the frozen buttercream until it comes back together.
Perfect for…
Our buttercream recipe is perfect for almost any cake you’ll bake, whether you're undertaking a vanilla sponge cake recipe or chocolate sponge recipe. A good buttercream recipe will be your go-to when you’re baking. It will be light and have the right balance of sweetness.
This is the best buttercream recipe to use when baking with children, whether you’re making simple cupcakes or need an easy way to fill a classic victoria sponge. It has a smooth and creamy consistency, making it perfect for kids to create colourful swirls whilst piping, or helping you spread the buttercream alongside jam for the cake filling. We’re pretty sure they’ll be happy to be your chief tasters too!
Our buttercream recipe is perfect as your base but for the more adventurous bakers, it can also be adapted to make more complex flavours. Why not try chocolate, caramel or even peppermint for a unique flavour?
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Afternoon Tea at the Cutter & Squidge Bakery by Annabel Lui & Emily Lui (Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99) Photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small |