There are a few key points to make sure your buttercream turns out great. Always start with room temperature ingredients – this makes them whip up faster, reduces the chance of separation and allows for a smoother consistency. 생일케이크
Always sift your sugar – this will prevent clumps and clogging of your piping tip. Lastly, if your frosting looks separated or curdled during the mixing process, don’t panic.
Butter
The most important ingredient for any buttercream is, of course, the butter. Choose a higher quality unsalted variety, and be sure it is at room temperature.
The butter will lighten as you beat air into it, and sugar is vital for incorporating that air, stabilizing the structure, and dissolving the film on top of the bubbles. This prevents the frosting from drying out and tightening up too quickly.
Another key ingredient is confectioner’s sugar (also called powdered sugar). The granularity of the sugar helps it dissolve easily, and it adds a sweetness that enhances the flavor of the buttercream.
There are many variations of buttercream, including French buttercream, which is a custard made from cooked egg yolks, flour and sugar, and warm milk. This is a very rich and creamy frosting that can be used for coating cakes or dipping cookies. Also known as boiled frosting, it requires an extra step of cooking the mixture before beating in butter.
Sugar
The sweetness for buttercream comes from powdered sugar which has been sieved to prevent lumps. Using a finer grind means it will dissolve more evenly into the frosting and help create that airy texture.
The amount of sugar used varies depending on the recipe but for most, a ratio of 1 to 2 cups of sugar to 4 tablespoons of butter will give you the best results. Some recipes will use granulated sugar which will create a more grainy frosting, but for the most precise results I recommend using the finer powdered sugar.
Adding a pinch of salt balances out the sweetness and helps with the texture, too. I also like to add a toothpick’s end of purple food coloring for a whiter buttercream but this is optional. Depending on your tastes and decorating skills, you can even make chocolate or fruit buttercreams!
Eggs
Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious foods. They contain nearly every nutrient the human body needs, from a large amount of high-quality protein to vitamins, minerals and trace amounts of fat.
Egg whites can act as a leavening agent in cakes, and are used to make meringues and clarify consommes. They are also key ingredients in Hollandaise sauce and mayonnaise. The yolks provide richness and texture to preparations like custards and pastry cream.
To make Italian buttercream, chefs pour hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites while whisking. This creates a super stable meringue, making it ideal for intricate cake designs. For the rest of the buttercream, small cubes of butter are added to create a smooth, soft, and delicately sweet frosting. This is also a great choice for filling pastries like profiteroles or macarons. The best part about this buttercream is that it can be stored at room temperature for a few days!
Vanilla
Vanilla is the second most expensive spice (after saffron) because of the labor-intensive process needed to cultivate and harvest it. Its key flavor component is vanillin, but it also contains p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillic acid, tannins, resins, and free amino acids.1
Vanilla’s aroma comes from enzymatic action on the bean pods during the curing and drying process. The beans must sweat and dry over a period of days to reach their characteristic dark chocolate brown color, and the aromatic properties develop with each passing day of exposure to sunlight.
When making buttercream, it’s important to use unsalted butter, so that the frosting has a nice buttery flavor. The salt helps cut the sweetness and enhances the vanilla flavor, while aerating the butter. Some recipes call for shortening to make the frosting more stable and better for piping, but it doesn’t have the same delicious taste as butter.