The first time I ever realised there were other types of buttercream than the traditional Canadian-style (you know the type: icing sugar, butter and cream!), it's fair to say my mind was blown. I was in my mid-20s, living in Toronto and was taking my first pastry class in culinary school.
After my first taste of these other buttercreams that don't use icing sugar, I was hooked.
There was no comparison in flavour, but also the texture of these buttercreams (Italian, French and Swiss) were absolutely perfect for icing cakes and piping on to buns. Never too runny or so stiff that they took the top crumb of cakes with them - just perfect.
Sweet and buttery
I love using Italian buttercreams, especially. They're sweet and buttery, of course, and I think they pair really well with rich chocolate cake - like the one pictured here.
Italian buttercream is the perfect frosting for any layer cake.
I make this cake every Easter because my kids (and my husband, who is probably the biggest kid of all) just love it. I love it, too.
It's really good the first day, but over the following days it gets even better.
The butter in the buttercream firms up slightly and seals the cake in, keeping it moist and super-flavourful.
There's a bit of a knack to making buttercreams without icing sugar, but once you master the technique you won't be sorry.
Some key points to remember:
Don't worry if your egg whites deflate as you add the hot syrup - that's what is meant to happen.Make sure you add the hot syrup in the tiniest of trickles into the mixing bowl or it will splatter all over the sides and won't incorporate into the egg whites.Make sure the butter is a bit colder than room temperature; you'll be adding it to a warm mixture. Whisk and whisk and whisk until it gets to a thick and glossy consistency. With all the worry and anxiety we're feeling over the state of the world, mastering a new cooking technique is one of the things that always makes me feel better.
I hope you give this recipe a try - if you do, and you like the result, you should give a French buttercream a try next time!
Italian buttercream is the perfect frosting for any layer cake.
Ingredients:
5 egg whites, room temperature1 tsp cream of tartar375g white sugar90ml water1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste454g/1 big block good-quality butterDirections:
1. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
2. While the egg whites are being whisked, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and boil into a thick syrup (soft ball stage). You don’t want the sugar to caramelise. I don’t keep track of the temperature (who has time for that, really), but it’s at the point where the syrup is quite thick and about to begin to caramelise.
3. Turn the stand mixer down to low and slowly pour the hot syrup into the whisked egg whites. Do this slowly enough that the syrup doesn’t splash too much on the sides of the bowl. Touch the side of the bowl. It will be quite warm from the syrup and the egg whites will have gone down in volume.
4. Continue to whisk on medium-high until the mixture cools to nearly room temperature – about three to five minutes.
5. Take the pound of butter and cut it into small cubes. Once the egg white mixture has cooled, continue mixing while adding cubes of butter, two or three at a time. Allow the bits of butter to be combined into the mixture before adding more butter. Slowly add the entire pound of butter while constantly whisking.
6. Once all the butter is added, don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled. Keep whisking for several more minutes until everything is well incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat into the frosting.
7. The finished buttercream should be aerated, totally smooth, slightly thick and off-white in colour. Use it immediately to mask your cake or pipe on to cupcakes.
The first time I ever realised there were other types of buttercream than the traditional Canadian-style (you know the type: icing sugar, butter and cream!), it's fair to say my mind was blown. I was in my mid-20s, living in Toronto and was taking my first pastry class in culinary school.
After my first taste of these other buttercreams that don't use icing sugar, I was hooked.
There was no comparison in flavour, but also the texture of these buttercreams (Italian, French and Swiss) were absolutely perfect for icing cakes and piping on to buns. Never too runny or so stiff that they took the top crumb of cakes with them - just perfect.
Sweet and buttery
I love using Italian buttercreams, especially. They're sweet and buttery, of course, and I think they pair really well with rich chocolate cake - like the one pictured here.
Italian buttercream is the perfect frosting for any layer cake.
I make this cake every Easter because my kids (and my husband, who is probably the biggest kid of all) just love it. I love it, too.
It's really good the first day, but over the following days it gets even better.
The butter in the buttercream firms up slightly and seals the cake in, keeping it moist and super-flavourful.
There's a bit of a knack to making buttercreams without icing sugar, but once you master the technique you won't be sorry.
Some key points to remember:
Don't worry if your egg whites deflate as you add the hot syrup - that's what is meant to happen.Make sure you add the hot syrup in the tiniest of trickles into the mixing bowl or it will splatter all over the sides and won't incorporate into the egg whites.Make sure the butter is a bit colder than room temperature; you'll be adding it to a warm mixture. Whisk and whisk and whisk until it gets to a thick and glossy consistency. With all the worry and anxiety we're feeling over the state of the world, mastering a new cooking technique is one of the things that always makes me feel better.
I hope you give this recipe a try - if you do, and you like the result, you should give a French buttercream a try next time!
Italian buttercream is the perfect frosting for any layer cake.
Ingredients:
5 egg whites, room temperature1 tsp cream of tartar375g white sugar90ml water1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste454g/1 big block good-quality butterDirections:
1. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
2. While the egg whites are being whisked, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and boil into a thick syrup (soft ball stage). You don’t want the sugar to caramelise. I don’t keep track of the temperature (who has time for that, really), but it’s at the point where the syrup is quite thick and about to begin to caramelise.
3. Turn the stand mixer down to low and slowly pour the hot syrup into the whisked egg whites. Do this slowly enough that the syrup doesn’t splash too much on the sides of the bowl. Touch the side of the bowl. It will be quite warm from the syrup and the egg whites will have gone down in volume.
4. Continue to whisk on medium-high until the mixture cools to nearly room temperature – about three to five minutes.
5. Take the pound of butter and cut it into small cubes. Once the egg white mixture has cooled, continue mixing while adding cubes of butter, two or three at a time. Allow the bits of butter to be combined into the mixture before adding more butter. Slowly add the entire pound of butter while constantly whisking.
6. Once all the butter is added, don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled. Keep whisking for several more minutes until everything is well incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat into the frosting.
7. The finished buttercream should be aerated, totally smooth, slightly thick and off-white in colour. Use it immediately to mask your cake or pipe on to cupcakes.
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