How to Make Buttercream Topping

Buttercream is a rich and delicious cream that is used to coat a cake. It can melt in your mouth and its perfect hardness is perfect for decorating birthday cakes, cupcakes and many other pastries. This article will show you several ways to make buttercream. You’ll also get a few more ideas to make your buttercream more flavorful.

Table of Contents

Ingredient

Ingredients for Basic Butter Cream ^{[1] X Research Source}

375 grams of powdered sugar
225 grams of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)
1-2 tablespoons whipped cream, milk or half each
A small pinch of salt (optional)

Ingredients for Chocolate Butter Ice Cream ^{[2] X Research Source}

450 grams of unsalted butter
350 grams of medium sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
625 grams of powdered sugar

Ingredients for Butter Cream Egg Whites ^{[3] X Research Source}

½ cup egg whites (about 4 large eggs)
280 grams of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
225 grams of unsalted butter
A small pinch of salt (optional)

Butter Cream Basic

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Cut the butter into small pieces and put it in a bowl. Butter cut into small pieces is easier to whip.

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Beat the butter on low speed for 5 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy, at which point the butter will be lighter (nearly white) and twice as fluffy. You can use either a hand-held or a desktop mixer, any type with a whisk will do.<

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Put half of the sugar in a bowl and mix well with the butter. You will add the rest of the sugar later. Add the sugar to the bowl and beat it little by little to avoid the problem of sugar splashing everywhere.

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Add remaining ingredients and continue beating on low speed. Use only up to 1 tablespoon of milk or cream to make your buttercream firmer, more suitable for topping. However, if you prefer a softer, creamier texture, use 2 tablespoons of milk or whipped cream. If you still don’t know how many tablespoons of milk or whipped cream you should add, just add ½ teaspoon first to see the result. You can also replace the vanilla essence with 1 teaspoon of another flavor. For a lighter buttercream, use milk instead of whipped cream.

If you want to make the buttercream less sweet, add a pinch of salt.

Chocolate Buttercream

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Prepare a pot for steaming and bring to a boil over medium heat. Fill the pot with water and place a bowl on top. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Turn on the stove and wait for the water to boil.

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Add the chocolate and let it melt. Stir until the chocolate melts evenly and without lumps.

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Lift the bowl of melted chocolate and set aside. You must let it cool before pouring in the buttercream. Otherwise, the butter will melt.

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Beat butter until smooth and fluffy. You can use any type of machine. It will take about two to three minutes for the butter to reach the desired firmness.

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Beat the butter slowly and pour in the chocolate. If you have whipped cream on high speed, adjust down to a lower speed. Pour in the chocolate and continue beating. You may have to use a spatula to scrape the melted chocolate out of the bowl.

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Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed. Continue beating until the buttercream becomes smooth, without lumps or ridges on the surface.

If you don’t like vanilla, you can substitute with black coffee or espresso.

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Preserve or use chocolate buttercream. At this point, you can decorate the cake or put the buttercream in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. Buttercream can be stored well in the refrigerator for two to three weeks.

Butter cream Egg whites

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Cut the butter into small pieces and set aside. When you chop the butter, it’s easier to add more butter to the mixture as needed, and it’s also easier to whip.

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Prepare a steamer and bring to a boil. Place a heatproof bowl in it. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil.

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Place the egg whites and sugar in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. If you don’t know if the sugar has melted or not, you can dip two fingers and rub it together. If you feel the mixture is gritty, it means that the sugar hasn’t completely dissolved. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Allow the mixture to steam on a water bath until it reaches a temperature of about 72°C. At this temperature, egg whites will be sterilized and kill bacteria that cause digestive disorders. Use a specialized thermometer.

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Remove the mixture from the steamer and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff. At this point, you can use a hand whisk or a food processor with a whisk. Hit at medium speed. After about 10 minutes, the egg whites will begin to form tops (when lifted), becoming stiffer and more spongy. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Reduce speed and add vanilla and butter. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add vanilla and butter. If you don’t like vanilla, use another teaspoon of essence, such as almond.

If you like the buttercream less sweet, add a pinch of salt.

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Preserve or use buttercream. Once the buttercream has become silky and smooth, you can spread the cream over the cake. Or you can put the buttercream in a zippered plastic bag or sealed container and store in the refrigerator for two weeks.

Some Other Butter Creams

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Use a few different flavorings for different flavors of buttercream. You can add different flavors to buttercream by adding some essence or flavoring oil or milk. Remember: oils are thicker than essences, so you won’t need to use the same amount of oil. ^{[9] X Research Source} Here are some suggestions:

You can use a tablespoon of other essences like almond, lemon, mint or vanilla
A few drops of flavoring oil like butter, lemon, orange or raspberry

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Add spice powders, instant coffee or cocoa powder to enhance the flavor of ice cream. Mix those powders with sugar. Here are some suggestions: ^{[10] X Research Sources}

1 to 2 teaspoons of seasoning, such as apple pie, cinnamon, or pumpkin pie, will give your buttercream a rich aroma, which is perfect for fall and holiday cakes.
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder mixed with 2 tablespoons water will make your buttercream taste coffee. You can also add a little cocoa powder to it for a mocha buttery taste.
Replace 50 grams of sugar with cocoa powder. Your buttercream will taste chocolatey.

Advice

To make the ice cream less sweet, add a small pinch of salt.
The softer the buttercream, the easier it is to spread on the cake.
If the buttercream is too thick, add whipped cream, milk, or a little bit each into the mixture.
If the buttercream is too liquid, add more sugar.

Things you need

Bowl to mix
Mixer

Ingredient

Ingredients for Basic Butter Cream [1] X Research Source

Ingredients for Chocolate Butter Ice Cream [2] X Research Source

Ingredients for Butter Cream Egg Whites [3] X Research Source

Steps