Classic American Buttercream
American buttercream is a straight-forward emulsion of softened fat and powdered sugar, held together by a small amount of dairy. The secret is to whip the butter until it is nearly white before adding the sugar, ensuring a smooth, stable frosting that isn't grainy.
Mind the temperature of your butter.
Your butter must be at room temperature—soft enough to yield to a thumb press but not greasy or melting. If it is too cold, you will have lumps; too warm, and the frosting will slide off the cake.
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
- large mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- fine-mesh sieve
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 4 cupsconfectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tbspheavy cream or whole milk
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 pinchfine sea salt
The White Phase
Beat the butter on medium-high speed for at least five minutes before adding sugar. It should double in volume and turn from yellow to an off-white, airy consistency.
The method.
Beat the butter
Place the softened butter into the mixer bowl. Whip on medium-high until it looks like fluffy, pale clouds.
Incorporate sugar
Turn the mixer to the lowest setting. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, waiting for each cup to disappear into the butter before adding the next.
Add liquids
Once all sugar is incorporated, pour in the cream, vanilla, and salt. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
Final smoothing
Switch to a rubber spatula and stir the frosting by hand against the sides of the bowl. This bursts large air bubbles and makes the texture uniform.
Other turns to take.
Chocolate Buttercream
Replace 1/2 cup of the sugar with high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted into the butter alongside the sugar.
Espresso Buttercream
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder into the cream before adding it to the butter.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always sift your powdered sugar; even minor clumps will show up as small white dots in your finished frosting.
If the frosting feels too stiff, add milk half a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you need for piping or spreading.
If you accidentally melt the butter, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then re-whip until it regains structure.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but omit the additional pinch of salt. Salted butter can vary in potency between brands, so unsalted gives you more control.
Why is my frosting grainy?
Usually, this means the sugar wasn't sifted or the butter wasn't whipped enough before adding the sugar. It can also happen if the sugar was added too quickly.
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