Stiff Buttercream Frosting for Cake Decorating

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If you plan to pipe buttercream flowers, the first thing you need is a stiff buttercream frosting recipe for piping flowers. One that will pipe perfect buttercream flowers for you and will taste as delicious as it looks. This is an all-butter buttercream recipe that will give you the best stiff buttercream frosting for cake decorating you will ever need.

What did you make for Mother's Day this year? Last year I made Pink Champagne Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Buttercream for some of my lady customers.
Tip - a great way to simplify orders at peak time is to make an exotic flavor - call it 'flavor of the month', or 'mother's day special' and give a little discount. When more people order the same your workload gets a bit easier to handle and it's less stressful.

Don't those buttercream flowers look gorgeous? Firm and stiff? 

This Spring Buttercream Basket of Flowers was this year's mother's day special. I have been waiting to share with you how I made this cake but first, you're going to need the right buttercream for the right job. So, here is my Stiff Buttercream Frosting for Piping flowers and I mean it when I say - this is the best buttercream icing for piping. And did I tell you yet, that it's an all-butter buttercream frosting? Yes! 

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Why do you need a special buttercream for piping flowers?

Piping buttercream flowers are not difficult if you have the right buttercream frosting for piping. One that is just the right consistency; and not over whipped. Now, I highlight these dilemmas not to discourage you but to share that these can be potential problems, which the below recipe and tips to help piping.

1. An over whipped buttercream cake causes air pockets in the buttercream piping bag that will burst when piping flowers - so unlike another buttercream frosting this one is mixed just until it's combined.
2. If the consistency is too stiff- it won't be easy to pipe. Your wrist will start hurting after a few flowers - so if your wrist hurts when piping? that's your clue that your frosting is too stiff.
3. The petals of the flowers will have cracked edges which on some flowers look nice, but in general, the stiff frosting won't look good for all flowers. Here's another clue that the icing is too stiff.
4. If the consistency is too soft, the petals will be limp and not hold their shape. The petals will look swoopy. So when you are piping if you find the petal is not holding its form. Don't continue pipping as it will be a struggle. Sometimes a little powder sugar will do the trick. Unfortunately, sometimes you need a fresh batch of buttercream or new cake design.
5. If the frosting is soft, the flowers will be limp and slide off the cake. Another reason the flowers fall of the cake is when you are piping the flowers with the right buttercream, but you covered the cake with a very soft frosting which is why these flowers are sliding. Chilling the cake can often help with this problem.
6. The weather - if you live in a place with high humidity often it's not the buttercream but whether that's causing the butter to melt. Sometimes, using a veg shortening buttercream can help solve this problem.

This stiff buttercream frosting for cake decorating works excellent for cakes such as this. This helps me make my flowers without stressing too much about air pockets or whooped petals. Also, read -  Tips for coloring icing - icing color combination chart

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Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter- Yes, this is an all-butter buttercream recipe! Drum roll, please!
  Well you know I love all butter in my buttercream, so this one is no different. Having said that if you live in a hot and humid climate go ahead and substitute half the butter with vegetable shortening/ white fat or ghee.
  Take note - I currently live in Israel and summer here in the middle east is hot and humid too! But this works for me. So honestly I think it works with your warm and humid climate also. But don't take my word for it - do a test, make a small batch, and pipe some cupcakes.
• Powdered sugar - I have said this before, and I will repeat it. Look for powdered sugar made from pure cane sugar, not beet sugar. And you will never have a grainy or gritty buttercream.
• Pudding Mix or Cornstarch / Cornflour - This is not just for taste, but it helps add stability to the buttercream. What is the pudding mix? It's just flavored cornstarch which adds so much more to the buttercream.
• Clear vanilla and almond - It's best to use clear extract so your buttercream will be neutral and the gel colors you add will be at their best shades.

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Video and step by step instructions

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• Have all ingredients at room temperature.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until creamy - about 30 seconds.
  Tip - unlike my other buttercreams in this one you want to avoid incorporating too much air, otherwise you will have air pockets when piping.
• Then, add the whipping cream, salt, and pudding mix - combine well but don't over mix. Scarp the sides and bottom of the bowl for any butter that may have got stuck.
  Tip - make sure you have no lumps - if necessary add a bit of the powdered sugar to help it combine.
• Next, add the powdered sugar in two batches. Again combine well but don't over mix.
  Tip - the mixture will look dense now but do not add any more liquid yet.
• Once all the sugar is in, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract
• Then, whip for 2 full minutes - check to make sure it's not too stiff and not too gritty. If necessary add 1 or 2 tbsp whipping cream or milk to adjust consistency. Mix some more if necessary
  Tip - while we do not want to make this too light and airy we still want to ensure it's delicious and not gritty.
• The total mixing time for this buttercream should not be more than 5 minutes.
  Tip - If you find that you have over whipped the buttercream. Stir it with a flat silicone spatula using a spreading motion. This will break some of the air pockets
• You can divide the buttercream into the number of colors required. Take note that colors will also affect the consistency of your buttercream.
  Tip - always use gel food colors, not water-based colors as it will make the buttercream too soft to pipe or spread. If water-based colors are all you have, omit liquid in the recipe so you start with a stiffer buttercream consistency.

Storage and use

• This buttercream cream will stay at room temperature for about three days - having said that this is still an all-butter buttercream recipe so if the weather is hot the frosting will melt.
• When not using - store covered with plastic wrap to prevent crusting.
• Add gel food color without over mixing to avoid incorporating too much air
• You can store this buttercream in the fridge for a month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• It is best to thaw in the fridge from frozen, then re-mixed to bring to consistency.

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Frequently asked questions

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