I taught a cupcake decorating class a couple of Sundays ago. In anticipation of this event, I practiced decorating cupcakes everyday for 2 weeks. I’m now inundated with beautiful, floral-like cupcakes. They’re sprawled out on my dining room table (next to a pile of papers, my computer, some folded laundry and other things that don’t belong on a dining room table). Some have taken up residence in my refrigerator, while the butter, eggs, and oj have been kicked to the curb (the counter). Some are smashed on my tiny kitchen table because my oldest likes to throw a ball around the house (especially near smashable items). And of course there’s a whole bunch in my belly. The best part is that during this cupcake decorating learning process I’ve found a most delicious vanilla buttercream recipe. It’s smooth, luscious, perfect for frosting a cake, and firm enough to pipe out pretty designs. It reminds me of vanilla ice cream, if vanilla ice cream were made completely of butter.
I adapted this vanilla buttercream recipe from Erin Jeanne McDowell’s book The Fearless Baker: Simple Secrets For Baking Like A Pro (my new favorite baking book, by the way). I also learned a few valuable tricks from a wonderful cake decorating book called The Contemporary Buttercream Bible by Valeri Valeriano and Christina Ong.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
- You can beat the butter on its own for as long as you want, but once you add more ingredients you must keep the beating to a minimum of 30 seconds. This will ensure that the butter will not split, and look like cottage cheese.
- It’s important to achieve the right consistency when decorating with buttercream. If the buttercream is too runny it will not hold its shape, therefore add more sifted powdered sugar. If the buttercream is too stiff it will be difficult to squeeze it out (and you’ll end up with arthritis), so just add more cream. Play around with it. Have fun. Lick the bowl when you’re done.
- You can pipe out flowers in advanced! Just pipe them out onto little squares of parchment paper, place them all onto a cookie sheet, and then freeze. They’ll last for up to a month frozen (if properly covered). When ready to decorate, carefully remove from the parchment paper and place on cupcake or cake.
- Salted butter is best.
Hey, click here to see how I decorate cupcakes, why don’t ya?
- 3 sticks (339 g) Salted Butter, room temperature (yup, I said Salted, but if you’re not into that than go with Unsalted)
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream, room temperature
- 3 to 4 cups (375 g to 500 g) Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- Food Coloring (optional)
- In a bowl connected to a standing mixer, and fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low at first, and then move to medium and mix for no more than 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Bring the mixer down to low speed, and slowly add ¼ cup of the powdered sugar at a time, mixing for only 30 seconds each time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after every 1 cup of sugar added. Keep adding the powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
- Mix in a little of your food coloring, and then you’re good to go!
- *If the buttercream seems too soft then add a little more sifted powdered sugar, and if the buttercream appears too stiff then add a little more heavy cream.
- Standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or hand-held mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Buttercream will keep for 2 days at room temperature (in an airtight container), 5 days refrigerated (in an airtight container), and up to 3 months frozen (in an airtight container).
