Buttercream Basics – Frosting 101

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Making a good batch of buttercream frosting isn’t hard, even if you are a novice or a new baker. And, it gets easier one batch at a time. Especially, if you know your buttercream basics. Furthermore, understanding the ingredients and how they work with each other is helpful.

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A basic buttercream has three main ingredients mainly: fat, sugar, and liquid. And when mixed, these can give you the best buttercream frosting ever. Plus, you don’t need any special equipment, all you need is a bowl and whisk (or stand mixer) So, for me, buying frosting has never been an option.

However, things start to get interesting as you play with these three ingredients. Change the proportions of ingredients, fat ratios, or change the type of liquid.

Honestly, this can be a fun experience if you know what you are doing. Or what to expect with a specific outcome. It’s when we experiment in unfamiliar territories that things become challenging and disasters happen.

So, today I’m going to share how I resolve some buttercream problems. And I give you a good buttercream 101, to use as a buttercream guide.

What do you look for in a good buttercream?

In my few years of cake decorating, I have come to realize that we all have different preferences. For example, to me, buttercream is ALL BUTTER and I cannot stand vegetable shortening. And yet, I know a cake decorator who only uses vegetable shortening for her buttercream because she cannot stand the thought of eating so much butter!

So, I ask you, what type of buttercream do you prefer? It all depends on what you are looking for in your recipe. Right? For example:

• Is taste more important or is crusting more important to you?
• Is butter or vegetable shortening tastier to you?
• And, to some, a good crusting buttercream made with vegetable shortening is very tasty.
• While to others, vegetable shortening is an absolute NO!

I have been using this recipe for a while and it has been my customers’ favorite. And, many of you have noticed how shiny and velvety it is when I cover it on my cakes. So, finally, I am sharing with you this absolutely amazing buttercream recipe.

Types of buttercreams

I know the number of buttercream and frosting recipes can be overwhelming and sometimes confusing. In general, we can categories these as 

• Butter-based buttercream – simple all-purpose buttercream like my velvet American buttercream, Vanilla buttercream (eggless) 
• Decorators buttercream frosting – often with all or some vegetable shortening to prevent the frosting from melting easily like my Bakery style frostings – Vanilla and Chocolate frosting as well as Ermine frosting also called boiled icing or flour icing. This frosting is made with butter but also has flour inside it.
• Cream Cheese based frosting– made with cream cheese often with or without butter like my classic cream cheese made with butter which adds more stability and my no-butter cream cheese frosting when you want a more luxurious dessert type frosting.
• Meringue buttercream – made with the addition of whipped egg whites. Less sweet than the classic butter-based buttercream like my  Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue 
• Egg-based buttercream – like this French buttercream and German buttercream made with egg yolks and whipped to make a light and fluffy frosting with the addition of butter. 
• Whipped Cream Frosting – the lightest of them all is, of course, simple whipped cream. I shared 5 different methods to make whipped cream at home. As well as a whipped cream buttercream frosting.

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6 buttercream methods

1. American buttercream   

• Sweetest of them all.
• Most common & easiest to make
• Usually made with Fat (butter/veg shortening) + powder sugar + liquid (water, milk or cream) + flavoring (vanilla or other)
• Has a long shelf life and doesn’t need refrigeration for up to a few days unless stated otherwise

2. Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC)

• A lighter and fluffier meringue-based buttercream. 
• It is made with egg whites and sugar cooked in a double boiler + Butter & flavoring.
• Also, it is perishable, and therefore, you need to refrigerate it.

3. Italian meringue buttercream (IMBC)

• Lighter and Fluffier meringue-based buttercream very similar to SMBC
• Made by pouring hot sugar syrup over egg whites + Butter & Flavoring 
• And it’s perishable and needs to be kept refrigerated.

4. French buttercream (FBC)

• Rich, Creamy & Luxurious
• Contains egg yolks
• Less sweet than American buttercream
• Usually made with egg yolks, butter, sugar, flavoring.
• Is perishable and needs to be kept refrigerated at all

5. German buttercream (GBC)

• A custard /vanilla pastry cream based buttercream
• Usually made with custard /Vanilla pastry cream + Butter and flavoring
• Can be made with eggs or without (use my eggless vanilla pastry cream to make an Eggless German Buttercream)
• Is still Perishable and needs to be kept refrigerated at all times. 

6. Boiled flour – Ermine frosting

• Ermine Frosting is made by cooking milk, sugar, and flour into a roux.
• This roux is then added to whipped butter, which creates a rich and creamy, yet light, airy, and fluffy buttercream that is less sweet than traditional buttercreams.
• Unlike meringue buttercream, this one does not have eggs, so it’s also an eggless frosting.

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How to make frosting with Crisco?

Crisco is a brand of vegetable shortening in the US. You can use any local vegetable shortening you find in your local supermarket. Some of the familiar brands found are Trex, Short Bright, Dalda, etc. 

Recipe – A good ratio to use is 1:4 parts fat to sugar.

• So for every 1 cup vegetable shortening add 4 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla extract.
• Add from 1 to 4 tbsp water depending on the consistency you need. 

Is frosting made with vegetable shortening better?  

That’s not true. It depends on the project you need to use it. Shortening-based buttercream is considered better only in some conditions. It has a longer shelf life and can be kept out on the counter for over a month if stored well. Is non-dairy, as well as parve.

How to make fluffy frosting, thicker? 

There are many ways to thicken the frosting. It mostly depends on how runny or how thick you want it.

• Most commonly used practices are – add more powdered sugar which tends to make the frosting sweeter.
• Another suggestion often used is meringue powder which does help build volume just like adding whipped egg whites to the frosting. 
• Whipping cream – I love this one very much, but often people do not do it right. The purpose of adding whipped cream as a thickener works if you beat the buttercream until the cream combined builds volume. If not, it will make your frosting runnier. 

My favorite fix – Next time for every pound of powdered sugar in the recipe, add a tablespoon of cornstarch – and whip the heck out of that buttercream. This will build volume and you won’t need any more powdered sugar. That’s the magic of cornstarch. 

How to avoid gritty buttercream?

The type of sugar used – Often this is the biggest culprit. 
All powdered sugar is not the same. In fact, some powdered sugar is made with beet sugar, while some are with cane sugar. And, some other powdered sugar uses cornstarch as an anti-caking ingredient. While, some use potato starch, and then a few use tapioca or others as well.

And, while they all work for buttercream – they all work differently. For example, powdered sugar made from beet sugar doesn’t dissolve as quickly as powdered sugar made from cane sugar. The possibility of a grainy buttercream is higher in powdered sugar made from beet sugar. So, the next time you need to buy powdered sugar read the label and make sure you purchase powdered sugar made from cane sugar. 

Adding liquid-Don’t be afraid to add liquid to your buttercream. Understand that it is an essential ingredient in helping things all come together or as we like to say marry all the flavors. A liquid can be water, milk, cream, juice.

How to fix grainy buttercream?

If you have the right sugar and the right amount of liquid, mixing the two should give you a good buttercream. And, if it’s gritty, first try mixing it some more to make sure you have given the sugar enough mixing time. However, if it’s still gritty perhaps you need a little more moisture.

• The most common solution people give is to add more liquid to your buttercream as this will help melt the sugar. Do this with caution.&
• Another proven method has been to let the buttercream rest for a few hours or overnight. Then whip it again, and it should help fix it. The resting softens the sugar granules which then melts away with re-mixing.
• You can also add melted, cooled chocolate to the buttercream (white or dark chocolate). This usually works great to mask the grainy buttercream.

How to make and when use stiff buttercream recipe?  

Stiff buttercream is always best made from scratch. If you need to pipe ruffles, frills, or defined patterns you need stiff buttercream frosting. To make the best buttercream flowers use stiff buttercream. You can find my recipe for stiff buttercream for piping flowers here along with a video on how to make it and use it. You can also make buttercream using the Korean buttercream recipe

How to fix soupy, broken, curdled separated buttercream?

This usually happens with meringue-based buttercream frosting. It breaks my heart when people write a comment that they threw away their buttercream because it became a soupy mess. There is a simple and easy fix to this soupy, broken, curdled, separated buttercream. 

• As a precaution – always make sure the meringue is COOL before you add the butter. If you are not sure don’t add the butter – give it a minute or two more.
• If butter is added too early, the warm meringue will melt the butter turning the mixture into a meringue soup. DON’T PANIC.

Here is how to FIX it

• Place the whole mixer bowl in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
• When chilled, whip the hell out of that cooled mixture with a paddle attachment. The buttercream will start to come together again and before you know it – it will be smooth and velvety again.
• 99% of FAIL MERINGUE BUTTERCREAMS ARE A RESULT OF ADDING BUTTER TOO EARLY!!  If necessary walk away. If you not sure give it 5 more minutes but add butter only when the meringue is cooled.

Why does my buttercream split when adding color? 

Different brands work differently, and while will blend beautifully there are those that will split or break the buttercream as soon as you add color — there are many ways to fix this problem. 

• The simplest is, of course, add a little more powdered sugar. This will work great if you have used a few drops of gel food color. However, if you add supermarket type water-based food colors, you are going to need more than a few tablespoons of powdered sugar. 
• Meringue powder – works as a thickener in the buttercream by adding some volume, just like whipping some egg whites into the buttercream. 

My fix  – Cornstarch – my favorite way to thicken buttercream is cornstarch. Works like magic. For every 1 pound (1/2 kg) powdered sugar add 1 tbsp cornstarch and whip the buttercream well. The cornstarch will combine with the fat and sugar creating a beautiful homogenization. Having said that, this does not work with condensed milk buttercream type of frosting

How to fix air bubbles, remove air from buttercream? 

Air bubbles are a problem in buttercream when you want to frost smooth sides or when you want to do some piping. Ideally what you want to do is remove the air pockets in the buttercream.  We cake decorators often refer to this as down beating your buttercream. What this means is to take a big flat spatula and paddle the buttercream in a smoothing motion — flattening the buttercream in the bowl. You will feel the volume of your buttercream gets lesser. 

How to fix dry buttercream?

This is often an issue faced with new bakers. They are afraid to add too much liquid to the buttercream but instead, they add too little or none at all.

The buttercream looks ok when it is fresh, but as it rests in the bowl, it starts to look dry and cakey. On the cake, it will begin to crack, and often you will see crack lines on the finished cake. If you try to make flowers, they will have too many cracked edges which don’t make for pretty flowers.

First, don’t be afraid to add liquid to your buttercream. Understand that it is an essential ingredient in helping things all come together or as we like to say marry all the flavors. A liquid can be water, milk, cream, juice. 

The most common fix suggested is to add a few tablespoons of liquid (water, milk, cream, juice). This can sometimes lead to splitting or separating. 

How to avoid buttercream disasters?

1. Use room temperature butter – Cold butter will give you a thick lumpy buttercream frosting. Melted butter will give cause separation, curdling, etc. So always take the butter out of the fridge in winter an hour or two before and in summer 20 to 30 minutes may be just fine. 
2. Fat ratio – Buttercream is supposed to be made with butter which is high in fat. It’s the fat in the butter that combines with powdered sugar and liquid to create a delicious frosting. You can substitute, but, with caution.
   For example, if you use margarine instead of butter – note that margarine has more water content in it. Which means you need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
   If you use vegetable shortening instead of butter again you need to adjust; otherwise, it can split or break. 
3. The type of sugar used – All powdered sugar is not the same. In fact, some powdered sugars are made with beet sugar. And, some are made with cane sugar. Still, some other powdered sugars use cornstarch as an anti-caking ingredient, some use potato starch, and then a few use tapioca or others as well. 
   So, while they all work for buttercream – they all work differently.  For example, powdered sugar made from beet sugar doesn’t dissolve as quickly as powdered sugar made from cane sugar. The possibility of a grainy buttercream is higher in powdered sugar made from beet sugar.
4. Type and quantity of liquid – This depends on the type of buttercream you are using. Buttercream needs fluid but in just the right amount. Add too much, and you have a runny buttercream. Add too little, and you have a dry, broken buttercream.  
   The liquid can be – water, milk, cream, juice. Water, milk, and juice work quite the same and must be used cautiously. Cream on the other is thicker and works differently. 

Which frosting or buttercream recipe to use? 

There will always be many options to choose from but the only one that’s usually just right for you. Here are a few questions to consider. Often you will have to take all four into consideration when making this decision

• What cake flavor do I want? 
• Where is the cake going to be displayed – inside vs outside?
• The inside allows you to use perishable fillings while outside depends on the weather. 
• What is the weather at the time the cake is going to be displayed? Is it cold winter or hot humid summer? Hot summers need more caution with perishable frostings. 
• How far does the cake have to travel? long travels in cold weather are not an issue if you pack things well. Hot summers can be a nightmare, so carry ice packs.

Creative ways to use buttercream frosting

• Cupcake Art: Use this frosting to create intricate designs on cupcakes. You can pipe flowers, animals or even write personalized messages.
• Frosting Shots: Serve small cups of frosting with edible decorations as a fun and indulgent dessert. Guests can dip cookies or fruit into the frosting for a delightful treat.
• Cookie Sandwiches: Spread a generous amount of frosting between two homemade cookies to create delicious sandwich treats. You can experiment with different cookie flavors and frosting combinations.
• Frosting Truffles: Mix crumbled cake or cookies with frosting to create truffle-like balls. Roll them in sprinkles, cocoa powder, or crushed nuts for added texture and flavor.
• Frosting Dips: Create sweet dips for snacks like pretzels, potato chips, or fruit. Mix the frosting with cream cheese or whipped cream for a lighter consistency.
• Donut Glaze: Use the frosting as a glaze for freshly baked donuts. Dip them in the frosting or drizzle it over for a decadent treat.
• Cake Pops: Crumble a cake, mix it with frosting, and form it into bite-sized balls. Insert a stick into each ball and dip them in melted chocolate or frosting for a tasty cake pop.
• Fancy Hot Chocolate: Top a mug of hot chocolate with a dollop of frosting instead of whipped cream. Add sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or crushed cookies for an extra touch.
• Frosting Filled Pancakes: Make pancake sandwiches by spreading a layer of frosting between two small pancakes. Serve them as a sweet breakfast or brunch option.
• Frosting-Stuffed Waffles: Make a pocket in a freshly cooked waffle and fill it with frosting. Add fruit slices, chocolate chips, or nuts for a delightful twist

Frequently asked questions

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Buttercream recipes

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Layer cake recipes

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