Buttercream Archives - Wow! Is that really edible? Custom Cakes+ Cake Decorating Tutorials

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Buttercream Frosting

Sat, 21 Mar 2020 14:40:44 +0000

For many years I did not eat buttercream frosting, I removed it from my cakes and cupcakes. Yup, you read correctly. The main reason, when I was growing up, my aunt was a cake decorator, and we ate buttercream right off the spoon. We were her cake and buttercream testers (it was an excellent job). One summer after my aunt was finished taking her wedding cake course, my older sister and I ate so much buttercream and royal icing, we were sick of it. My older sister recovered, but me not so much. In this ultimate buttercream guide, I walk you through eight different buttercreams so that you can choose the right one for you. Fast forward to when I started cake decorating, I realized that cakes and cupcakes need buttercream. Shocker. Regardless of how I felt, I had to do something. It’s like having socks without shoes. You can get along fine, but eventually, you need shoes. Well, maybe not that extreme. However, I was only familiar with American buttercream. So guess what? That’s what I used. No doubt American buttercream is sweet. But, I needed something else. I was having a different time using it to frost my cakes. Nevertheless, out of frustration, I researched buttercream to find alternatives. When I found out how many different types of buttercream existed it was mind-blowing for me. I tested them all and found out that I loved Italian Meringue and Swiss Meringue the best. The extra work is well worth it. Pin For Later This page may contain affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission if you purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Wowisthatreallyedible is a participant in the Amazon Services Associate Program. As an affiliate of Amazon, we place custom links in blog posts (such as this one). Thank you very much for your ongoing support. Buttercream frosting is very versatile. If you have made cakes or cupcakes, you have used buttercream frosting, whether it’s from a container or homemade. The buttercream that you use may be based on your taste or what is the easiest to make at that time. This guide is here for you to choose which one of these buttercream frosting is best for you: American buttercream, including cream cheese frosting and crusting buttercream. Flour buttercream, also known as Ermine’s frosting Lauren’s Kitchen buttercream also known as easy buttercream frosting French buttercream Italian buttercream Swiss buttercream Things to keep in mind. Make sure eggs and butter are at room temperature. Room temperature butter does not mean close to melting. Leaving it on the counter for about 30 minutes is good enough. If you need the butter right away microwave for 10 seconds on each side, testing it as you go. Also, make sure your buttercream comes to room temperature before you eat or try to use it to frost a cake. I suggest you use a stand mixer for meringue-based buttercream. Tools you will need: Stand mixer Handheld mixer I have had the same Kitchen Aid handheld mixer for over ten years and absolutely love it. Candy thermometer Heatproof bowl or double boiler bowl Get all the buttercream recipes in this post in a calculator that can scale each recipe. Take the guesswork out, no more scaling on your own. American Buttercream American buttercream frosting is made with softened butter, salt, and powdered sugar also called confectioners’ sugar. Adding heavy cream and vanilla bumps up the flavor and makes it more workable. The more liquid you add, the thinner the buttercream. This buttercream is very, very sweet. Regular American buttercream does not hold up very well in warmer temperatures and will melt off the cake. Kids love American buttercream, and it is always an excellent option for a kid’s cake. It is one of the easiest buttercreams to make. American buttercream made with shortening is called a crusting buttercream. This buttercream forms a crust and can be smoothed out with a Viva paper towel. It can be used if instead of fondant. This buttercream is extremely sweet, but it holds up very well in the heat. Shortening doesn’t melt in the heat, therefore it is perfect for summer cakes. However, shortening gives it a slightly greasy taste. This is also one of the best buttercreams for piping flowers. See recipes below American Buttercream Recipe: One stick butter (4oz) 4 cups powdered sugar or 1 lb powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp heavy cream pinch of salt Directions: Beat butter until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Then add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time. Add more heavy cream or water as needed. Crusting American Buttercream Recipe: 1/2 cup shortening (Crisco/Hi-ratio shortening) 1/2 cup butter 4 cups powdered sugar or 1 lb powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp heavy cream pinch of salt Directions: Beat shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Then add heavy cream, scrape down the side of the bowl make sure there are no more lumps. This produces a stiff consistency icing, which is great for flowers. Add more heavy cream or water as needed to make it medium consistency to frost a cake or to create borders. Cream Cheese frosting Cream cheese frosting is an American buttercream that is made with cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. It is sweet and tangy and delicious. This buttercream is best when paired with carrot cake and red velvet cake. It can also be made as a crusting buttercream by adding shortening. I learned the hard way DO NOT use as the final buttercream before covering with fondant. Take my word for it; don’t do it. I used it on a cake for our Christmas dinner, and I watched in horror at the never-ending condensation. I tried it again afterward and had the same problem. Now if the cake is being covered with fondant, I use it as a filling and Italian meringue buttercream on the outside. Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe: One stick butter 1 8oz cream cheese 4 cups confectioners sugar 1 tsp vanilla or lemon juice 2 tbsp heavy cream Directions: Add the butter to a stand mixer and beat until it is pale in color. Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add the heavy cream, lemon, and vanilla. Mix until it comes together. Then add the cold cream cheese Mix until combined, then stop mixing. Do one final scrape down the side of the bowl and mix again, This should produce a firm cream cheese. Refrigerate if not using right away Ermine’s Buttercream Frosting Ermine’s buttercream frosting is made with flour, sugar, vanilla, and butter. The milk and flour are mixed to form a base similar to pudding. Then added to the creamed butter and sugar once it is cooled completely. What I have learned is it is better to melt the sugar in the flour and milk. Otherwise, you will have to keep mixing to take the grittiness out of the sugar. Surprisingly, this buttercream does not taste like flour nor is it not sweet at all. However, it does become soft and gritty at room temperature. It pipes beautifully. From what I have read, it is traditionally paired with red velvet. I have not tried it with red velvet. Ermine Frosting Recipe: 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup whole milk 1 stick unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt Directions: Mix flour and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it becomes pudding-like and thick. When it becomes thick remove from heat and add the salt and vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top so that it doesn’t form a skin. You want the mixture to cool down. Using a stand mixer cream, the butter, and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the pudding-like mixture to the mixing bowl a little at a time until it comes together. It is best to use it at this point. Once refrigerated, you will have to bring it back to it’s a smooth consistency. Lauren’s Kitchen Buttercream Lauren’s Kitchen buttercream is a meringue buttercream, except it does not require the hot sugar drizzle or the time it takes to make. It is pasteurized egg whites that have been beaten with powdered sugar until it’s nice and fluffy. Then the butter is added to a stable buttercream. It takes about 10 minutes to make and is not super-sweet. It can be used under fondant and can be used to pipe beautiful flowers. I love this as an alternative and used it to make this cake. Lauren’s Kitchen Buttercream Recipe tested (This makes about 2 cups) 1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites 2 sticks unsalted butter 1/2 lb powdered sugar or 2 cups 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt Directions 1. Beat the egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer until it becomes fluffy and shiny for about 5 minutes. 2. Then add the room temperature butter in small pieces and whip on high for about 8 minutes or until it comes together. 3. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined. French Buttercream French buttercream is a rich buttercream that is very soft. It is made with egg yolks that have been beaten until it is thick and foamy, then by drizzling a hot sugar syrup mixture that has been heated up to 235 degrees. The process is similar to the Italian Meringue Buttercream in that the butter is added to the mixture when it is cold to touch or room temperature. It has a higher fat content and is yellow in color. I was surprised that I did not get the volume that I usually get from a regular meringue. However, it is buttery, delicious, and not sweet at all. It is extremely soft and is best if used as a filling. When I piped this buttercream, it almost fell over when I moved it. A lower swirl is probably best if using on a cupcake. Also, after a couple of hours, it became a puddle in my warm apartment. It will not work well under fondant. French Buttercream Recipe tested (This is half of the recipe) ¼ cup sugar 1 ½ tbsp water 2 egg yolks 1 sticks of butter ¼ tsp extract ½ pinch of salt Directions: 1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan until the syrup comes to 235⁰F 2. While the sugar mixture is coming to a boil, beat the egg yolks until it is thick and foamy 3. When the syrup reaches 235⁰F, slowly drizzle with egg yolks and mix on high until cool to touch. 4. Then add the butter, the mixture might look curdled but keep mixing until it comes together. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until it is combined. Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC) Italian Meringue buttercream is my favorite. It tastes like ice cream, is silky, smooth, and is not sweet at all. IMBC is made with egg whites that have been beaten to stiff peaks and then drizzled with hot sugar that has been brought to a soft ball stage (240 degrees). The butter is added once the hot sugar and meringue is cool to the touch or room temperature. This buttercream is not for the faint of heart because it takes some time to master. If you are not careful and the butter is added too early, you will have a soupy mess (see how to fix it below). But, it is well worth the time. IMBC is very stable and can be flavored with berries (see Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream here) or melted chocolate etc. It holds up well in warmer temperatures and is my go-to buttercream for every season, especially summer. Did I mention it was delicious? Italian Meringue Buttercream Recipe tested (This makes about 4 cups) 3/4 + 1/8 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 4 egg whites 2 sticks of butter 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Directions: 1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan until the syrup comes to 240⁰F 2. While the sugar mixture is coming to a boil, beat the egg white until it becomes stiff peak 3. When the syrup reaches 240⁰F, with the mixer on high slowly drizzle with egg whites and mix on high until the mixing bowl is cool to touch. 4. Add butter in small pieces to the meringue. It will look curdled but keep mixing until it comes together. Then add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Another variation of IMBC Frost is Brown Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream, which is made in a similar manner but by replacing the granulated sugar with brown sugar. Swiss Meringue Buttercream Swiss Meringue Buttercream is another favorite of mine. It is not my go-to buttercream, but it is a great option when short on time. This is made by mixing the egg whites and sugar over a hot water bath until the sugar dissolves, and it is warm to the touch or reaches 140 degrees. It is much easier to make than the Italian Meringue buttercream and is velvety, silky, smooth, and not sweet at all. I have seen various versions of this buttercream, including adding shortening and powdered sugar. But, I believe that using powdered sugar changes it from the traditional Swiss Meringue buttercream. It does, however, soften in warmer temperatures and works great under fondant. Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe tested (This is only half of the recipe) 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp cup sugar 2 1/2 egg whites 2 sticks butter 1/2 pinch of salt 3/4 tsp vanilla extract Directions: 1. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl. 2. Set the heatproof bowl over simmering water until the mixture is warm to touch, the sugar is dissolved and reaches 140⁰F. 3. When the mixture reaches 140⁰F, place the bowl on the mixer on high and mix until the mixing bowl is cool to touch. 4. Then add butter in small pieces to the meringue. It will look curdled but keep mixing until it comes together. Then add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Every once in awhile, you encounter some trouble with meringue-based buttercream. Here are some solutions: How to Fix Meringue Buttercream Problem Solution My Italian meringue buttercream or Swiss Meringue buttercream is curdled and looks like cottage cheese. Also, I need to bring my cold buttercream to room temperature quickly. Add a tablespoon of the meringue buttercream in a microwave-safe cup and microwave for 10 seconds. Then add the meringue back to the mixing bowl on high and watch the buttercream come back to life. I have been mixing my meringue with the hot sugar for a long time and the Meringue is still hot. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10-20 minutes then beat the meringue for a few minutes, then add butter My meringue buttercream is broken and is a soupy mess. This happens when you place the butter in before the Meringue mixture gets to room temperature Place the meringue in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, and then beat again. The only problem is this broken buttercream might not be as great as it was if it came together on its own. When I color my buttercream, it has speckled colors inside. Take a small portion of the meringue and color that the preferred color. Once the buttercream is finished, add the colored meringue to the buttercream. Should not have any speckled color. What is your go-to buttercream frosting? Let us know why you like it by commenting below. Don’t forget to pin for later. Until next time happy caking. Other Helpful Posts: How to frost a cake in 15 minutes or less How to frost a buttercream cake with sharp edges

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Buttercream Painted Cake: How to Paint a Buttercream Tulip

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 13:30:53 +0000

If you are looking for an easy cake to decorate, why not try a buttercream painted cake. More specifically, I am going to show you how to paint a buttercream tulip with a palette knife. Tulips are so beautiful and I absolutely love this cake design. Painting with buttercream is so much fun. I call it edible art. Then again, where can you go wrong with a palette knife and buttercream? Ever since I posted, how to paint with buttercream, I have been meaning to add some more tutorials and never got around to it. Since I am officially finished with all the projects for the buttercream cake decorating book I can blog a bit more. This cake is super easy to make and only has a few steps involved. Really, you don’t need to be an artist or even good at painting to make it. Full disclosure, while, I spent a lot of time around art and artists while working at the Art department in college, I was never good at it. So, I created ways for myself to make edible art without requiring too much art skill. You can have your cake and eat it too *wink*wink (see what I did there?). This page may contain affiliate links which mean that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. Buttercream painted cake: How to paint a buttercream tulip There are only a few steps to paint a buttercream tulip. The tulip itself only needs six petals. Only one palette knife is needed to make the petals. You may also the second palette knife to make the leaves and the vines, however, I chose to pipe them. That’s all you need for now so grab your palette knife or knives and let’s start painting. Materials Needed: Palette knife #2 Palette knife #1 (optional) Piping bag with a Wilton tip number 2 filled with green frosting 8-inch Frosted cake (learn how to frost a cake with sharp edges using this method) Buttercream colored purple, green and white or natural buttercream color (for buttercream recipes check out the ultimate buttercream guide). Steps for painting buttercream tulip Mix some buttercream with violet gel food coloring. Mix some regular colored buttercream with the purple to get a lighter color. Add some buttercream to the palette knife. Hold the palette knife vertical to the cake and pull down. Make 3 petals overlapping each other. This is the top of the tulip. Make three larger petals on top of the three smaller petals. Move the palette knife in a circular motion. Make as many tulips as you like interchanging between larger and smaller. Then pipe the vines on the bottom of the tulip. Pipe a larger section on the bottom and a thin vine all the way down. Add texture by going back and forth with the piping bag. Of course, you can use palette knife #1 to make the vines. That’s it a buttercream painted cake with buttercream tulips. If you enjoyed this tutorial there are more buttercream painting in the buttercream cake decorating book. Don’t forget to share the love, pin for later. Until next time happy caking.

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Easy Buttercream Frosting

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 14:30:09 +0000

If you have been followed along with us here on the blog you know we love making buttercream around here. I am especially partial to Italian Meringue buttercream. However, it takes some time to make and while it is absolutely worth it. You need at least 30 minutes to make it. But, oh my goodness, you are going to love this easy buttercream. It is not sweet, has the silkiness of a Meringue buttercream and pipes beautifully. So if you don’t have the time to make any of the meringue buttercreams this easy buttercream frosting recipe should be at the top of your list. What is the easy buttercream frosting? The easy buttercream is a hybrid between an American buttercream (ABC) and a Swiss Meringue buttercream. The recipe comes from Ms. Lauren Kitchen (who I must say is a genius). You will agree with me once you have tried it. A few years ago, I saw this buttercream being used in Mike McCarey’s Advanced Cake Sculpting course and of course I gave him the side eye (if only he could see me…sorry Mike). I had serious issues with this recipe because of the addition of powdered sugar at least so I thought. After I got over the addition of powdered sugar, I tried it for myself… all I can say was it was AWESOME. I loved it. The buttercream was so easy to make. Not only was it easy, but it also was not sweet, (check). It piped beautifully (check) and holds its shape (check). Finally, it is a perfect consistency to frost a cake. In the past few weeks, I have been going crazy using it. I have used it on cupcakes and a few cakes (Valentine’s candy box, how to frost a cake with buttercream and how to add sprinkles to a cake) Oh, I wished I had this when I first started decorating cakes. I spent so much time with ABC and trying to get my cakes to look smooth with it. I am not saying you cannot get a smooth cake with ABC, you absolutely can, however, you have to play around with the consistency. This is perfect because it has the right consistency right off the bat. Anyway… so how to make this beautiful and delicious buttercream? This page may contain affiliate links which mean that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. How to make easy buttercream frosting This buttercream takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. In addition, you only need a few ingredients: powdered sugar pasteurized eggs Room temperature butter Salt vanilla extract or whatever flavoring you like Stand mixer (I think a stand mixer works best here) gel color (I used pink) Here are the steps: Step 1: Whip the egg whites In a stand mixer add egg whites, then powdered sugar. Whip the egg whites and powdered sugar together until it is shiny and has thickened up a bit. Step 2: Add butter Cut butter into small pieces and add the butter one piece at a time. Scrape down the side of the bowl and make sure the butter is fully incorporated. Step 3: Add flavors Once the butter is fully incorporated add the salt. Then add vanilla extract or other extracts and mix well. This should all take less than 10 minutes. Finally a beautiful silky buttercream ready to pipe. You can even use to make buttercream roses. Add a small amount of gel coloring to change the color. I used Wilton pink coloring gel. Look at this beautiful buttercream. I piped this buttercream on a cupcake and added some sprinkles. As a test, I kept this buttercream at room temperature for a couple of days and it did not melt or move at all. Another version. Super easy right? What is your favorite buttercream? If you have tried recipe please let comment below and let me know if you love it as much as I do. Don’t forget to share the love and pin for later. This easy buttercream frosting recipe is a must have in your recipe book. It is a hybrid between American Buttercream and a swiss meringue buttercream. Very EASY to make, silky, smooth, delicious and pipes beautifully.

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The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Cake Decorating Part III: How to Make a Drip Cake

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 14:30:41 +0000

Welcome to Part III of the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Cake Decorating. In Part I, we made a buttercream scallop cake that was super easy but classic. Part II we made a cake covered with chocolate shard and topped with buttercream rosettes, another classic So.. this week we are taking it up a notch with a black and gold drip cake decorated with a chocolate sail. While I am not a person for trends, I simply can’t resist this one because they are just so beautiful. I am in love with drip cakes especially black and gold. Aren’t you? Making a drip cake is not hard, but there are a few things you need to know first to get a good drip. I want to say that even if you end up with a runny drip, it’s ok. Now, I know this is a beginner guide for cake decorating and you are probably yelling at me wondering how do I make black frosting. No need to yell I have got you covered. I created a tutorial on how to make black buttercream frosting. It is not difficult all you just need a little bit of patience. To make this exact cake you will need some black buttercream. This page may contain affiliate links which means that if you purchase from any links directed from this website I may earn a small commission. I only recommend things that I use and love and the classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. How to Make Black and Gold Drip Cake Now that we have all the formalities out of the way, how do we make this drip cake? Here are three tips to help you before you go full steam ahead. Tip #1: To make drip cake, make sure you use the right ratio for your ganache. The ratio for white chocolate is different from milk or dark chocolate. You can add a drip to a buttercream cake, ganached cake, or a fondant cake. Tip #2: Make sure the ganache has cooled down and thickened up a bit. The ganache should not be too thick that you can’t pipe or too runny that it runs all over the place. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before using it. This brings us to tip #3: The secret is to a drip cake is to make sure your cake is smooth and cold. Apply the drip as soon as the cake comes out of the refrigerator. Are good so far? Great… Materials you will need Cake covered in buttercream, ganache, or fondant Gold luster dust Everclear Vodka, lemon extract or vanilla extract White chocolate or candy melt Heavy Cream Paintbrush Sprinkles (optional) How to Make the Drip? To make a drip cake using white chocolate or candy melts I like to use a 3:1 ratio. That is 3 parts chocolate to 1 part heavy cream. White chocolate is finicky and can be a bit sticky once the drip is applied. If you don’t like this make it 4:1 ratio or reduce the heavy cream. For this cake, I used white chocolate chips (which takes a bit to melt). I used 6 ounces of white chocolate with 2 ounces of heavy cream (1/4 cup). The ratio for dark chocolate is 2:1 ratio, which is two parts of chocolate and one part heavy cream. Steps for making the ganache Heat the heavy cream on the stovetop or in the microwave make sure it is not too hot or you will scorch the ganache. Then pour over the white chocolate or candy melts. Make sure it covers all the chocolate chips. Mix until all the chocolate is melted. If you become a bit impatient, just strain out the smaller pieces and let the ganache sit to cool. Adding the Drip to the Cake There are a few methods for adding the drip to the cake, one is with a spoon and the other piping bag or with a squeeze bottle. I prefer to use a spoon to test the drip and then use a piping bag or squeeze bottle for better control. Test the drip at first to see if the drip is thick enough and if the cake is cold enough. If the drip is too runny let it sit for a few more minutes and put the cake back into the refrigerator. Use the piping bag or squeeze bottle to add the drip all around. Make the drips long and short to your liking. It does not have to be perfect. Then add the ganache to the top of the cake and use a small spatula to carefully push it to the edge. Place the cake into the refrigerator to harden up so that you can paint. Painting the Drip Cake Unfortunately, I lost the pictures showing the paint section. So here goes. Mix the luster dust with vodka, lemon extract, or vanilla (if you can spare some cause it is so expensive). Make sure the mixture is a thick paint and paint each drip and the top. Decorate with a chocolate sail (see tutorial below) and sprinkles. Because I couldn’t leave well enough alone I added some black buttercream to the top with some more sprinkles. How to make the chocolate sail To make a chocolate sail you need only two things black candy melts and parchment paper. Melt candy melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Cut a piece of parchment paper and crumble up for texture. Then add the melted candy to the parchment paper. Spread the candy melt with a small spatula spread the candy melt. Pick up the parchment paper and shake it a bit to smooth out. Place in a bowl for shape and place in the refrigerator to firm up quickly. Paint with the same gold paint, then attach to the cake using candy melts. That’s everything you need to make a black and gold drip cake with a chocolate sail.

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How to Make Black Buttercream Frosting

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 12:00:52 +0000

Seriously, making black buttercream frosting is difficult. When I first started cake decorating I thought that using only black color gel would get a beautiful black buttercream. Wrong… I have used an entire container black color gel (actually a few containers) and still ended up with grey buttercream. The more color you add, the more you sacrifice taste only to have grey buttercream. So now what? I knew there had to be another way. I have tried a few methods and I found this method works perfectly for me. What Colors Make Black Buttercream? I’m not sure when I did this, but I had to re-educate myself on the color wheel. The color wheel consists of primary colors, secondary and tertiary colors. Black is not on it. However, black can be made by a few combinations of colors. One combination includes equal parts of red, yellow, and blue. Another combination is by mixing blue and brown. If you run out of black food gel color, you can mix buttercream with all these colors to make black. This is not what I am recommending today, but you get the idea. This page may contain affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission if you purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Wowisthatreallyedible is a participant in the Amazon Services Associate Program. As an affiliate of Amazon, we place custom links in blog posts (such as this one). Thank you very much for your ongoing support. How to Make Black Buttercream Icing? I have covered a few color combinations to make black, but is there another alternative? Or an easier way? Yes, there is an easier way. Normally, coloring a white buttercream with black color gel will get you a dark grey. This will make you want to pull your hair out (don’t do that ok). My suggestion is to start with chocolate buttercream, then add black coloring gel as needed. Make chocolate either through melted chocolate or using the darkest cocoa powder you can find such as Hersheys special dark cocoa powder. But my preferred method is using black cocoa powder, but it is expensive. If the price is not a factor for you, use a good amount of the black cocoa powder and you won’t need to add any black color gel. Finally, you have to let the buttercream sit overnight or for a couple of hours to get the deep black color you like. Step by Step Guide Start with a good buttercream recipe, I recommend using this buttercream guide for recipes. The ones that take color the best are Lauren’s Kitchen buttercream or American buttercream. You can make this with Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue, but it will take some time to get there. Add cocoa powder to the buttercream, I started out with one tablespoon of black cocoa powder and kept adding as I go. This is after I have added about 4 tablespoons of the black cocoa powder. It is normal to panic at this point, just keep adding a bit more cocoa powder. I also added a little bit of Wilton black gel food color to the buttercream. But, you can use Americolor super black. Almost there… A little bit of patience and finally. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight and you will have a beautiful black buttercream. I used this buttercream to make a drip cake and also piped it on a chocolate cupcake with a sprinkle of gold sugar pearls. That’s it. Don’t forget to share the love, pin for later. Until next time. Happy baking and decorating.

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The Best Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:30:29 +0000

This Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting (IMBC) is to die for. It is made by adding my delicious Strawberry Jam recipe which is all natural. If you are looking for a change in your normal buttercream. This is the buttercream for you. It is so good I literally couldn’t stop eating it. It is light and fluffy and delicious and pipes really well. I was afraid that by adding the Strawberry Jam to the buttercream it will get less stable, not the case at all. BEST. STRAWBERRY ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM. EVER. Need I say more… Strawberry season is usually an indicator that the weather is getting warmer. Warm weather is not a cake decorators friend. Therefore, for summer, I usually stick with Italian Meringue Buttercream, the most stable of all the Meringue buttercreams (see my review of them here). With that said do not put any buttercream cake in the heat, it will melt. For some reason, I always picture a horror show of my cake melting (if this happens please do not tell me about it ok). I want to keep the perfectly decorated cake in my head. I have never experimented with shortening (which does not melt) instead of butter for the summer weather. For now, I use one percent buttercream. This Strawberry Italian Meringue buttercream is perfect for summer and can be paired with any one of these cake flavors: strawberry, vanilla, white or even chocolate. This page may contain affiliate links which mean that if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website I may earn a small commission. I only recommend things that I use and love and classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. NOW HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM? This recipe makes 4 cups of buttercream. Materials Needed: 4 egg whites 3/4 + 1/8 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 2 sticks (8ozs) unsalted butter 1/2 tsp strawberry extract 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup Strawberry Jam Pink color gel Candy Thermometer Place the sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Then add a candy thermometer inside. Boil the sugar until it reaches 240°F. Separate the egg whites from the yolk one at a time and place into a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment. Mix the egg whites until it reaches a stiff peak (should be glossy). When the sugar reaches 240°F, turn the mixer on high then pour the sugar syrup slowly into the meringue. Be very careful here. Mix until the bowl is cool to the touch. Then add butter one piece at a time. The meringue will look curdled at first and look like it’s not working but just keep mixing until it comes together. Then add the strawberry extract, then the vanilla extract. Mix until this is combined. The Buttercream should look like this. The final test is to place some buttercream on a spatula and see if the buttercream falls off the spatula. If it falls off mix for a few more minutes. Turn the mixer on low then add the Strawberry Jam. Mix until combined. Add a few drops of pink gel color to bring out the color. Look how beautiful that looks. I used to frost some vanilla cupcakes. But pairs well a strawberry cake. That’s it. Feel free to let me know if you like it as much as I do. Happy Caking. Other Buttercream Posts you will love: The Ultimate Buttercream Guide The Amazing Brown Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream Painting Buttercream using a Palette Knife How to frost a cake in 15 minutes Frosting a buttercream cake with sharp edges

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Brown Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 14:30:25 +0000

Recently my family and I took a well-needed vacation that spanned from New Jersey to Philadelphia. On this road trip, we enjoyed a shark walk, saw the Liberty Bell, and our young Paleontologist got a chance to enjoy some dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. What does this have to do with brown sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting? Funny you should ask. With everything going on in my life, I kind of placed recipe development and testing on the back burner. However, when we came back from our road trip, I was ready to try some from-scratch recipes to add to my recipe collection. I am looking for recipes that are easy but are full of flavor. Now, I know Italian meringue is not one of those easy recipes, but it is silky, smooth and that is why I like it so much. Plus, it doesn’t have the sweetness of traditional American buttercream. This page may contain affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission if you purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Wowisthatreallyedible is a participant in the Amazon Services Associate Program. As an affiliate of Amazon, we place custom links in blog posts (such as this one). Thank you very much for your ongoing support. Nevertheless, I needed some new sweets in my life. My youngest sister recently asked me for a snickerdoodle cookie recipe. So I thought why not make a snickerdoodle cookie cake. But, I needed a buttercream that would pair well with it. I also paired it with these delicious vanilla chai cupcakes. Then the light bulb went off. Why not make a Brown Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream frosting. Ding ding ding. I must say that this was one of the best buttercreams I have ever had. It was creamy and delicious and has a great caramel flavor. Oh, I am just salivating writing about it. Developmental Process of the Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting I prefer to use Italian Meringue buttercream frosting on a regular basis because of its stability. Plus, it tastes like ice cream, see my ultimate buttercream guide for more information. So I thought, why not replace granulated sugar with brown sugar? But the foggy brain accidentally forgot some of the sugar *sigh*. But, at this point, it was too late because the syrup already started to boil and you just don’t mess with hot syrup. I left it that way, added some brown sugar for additional crunch and it turned out delicious. Guess what, we are keeping it… Ingredients to make the Brown Sugar Buttercream Brown sugar–You can use either light or dark brown sugar, the darker sugar will make your buttercream frosting darker. Unsalted butter–I prefer to use unsalted butter, salted butter is overpowering for this recipe. Vanilla–Vanilla is used to flavor the buttercream. Cinnamon (optional)–Cinnamon is an optional flavor, but it enhances the flavor. Use other warm spices to increase the flavor. Water–Water is for the sugar syrup. Stand mixer–The recipe needs a stand mixer. How to make Brown Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream? I did not change anything from the normal process of making the traditional Italian Meringue buttercream. The hot syrup was still boiled to 240°F. Then once the egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks and the hot syrup reached 240°F it was is poured into the meringue. The recipe is enough to frost a 6-inch cake. Step 1: Making the hot syrup Add brown sugar and water to a small pot with a candy thermometer. The hot syrup should be brought to a softball stage that is 240°F. Once it reaches 240°F remove from the stove and beginning pouring in the meringue in a steady stream. Be careful of the hot syrup. Step 2: Mixing the egg whites While the syrup is boiling separate the eggs and using the whisk attachment mix until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. You know when its stiff peak with the meringue is glossy and points straight up when you pick up the whisk and does not collapse at all. Once the hot syrup reaches 240°F turn the mixer on high, pour into the meringue and beat until the mixing bowl is cool to the touch. Depending on how much buttercream frosting you are making this can range from 20 minutes to 35 minutes. Step 3: Time to add the butter When the bowl is cool to the touch begin adding the butter in small pieces one at a time. Some change to the paddle attachment, however, I continue using the whisk. The lovely meringue you just made will deflate a little and look like you did something absolutely wrong. Just keep mixing until it comes together. Step away from the mixer if this part gives you some anxiety. The buttercream should pass the upside-down spatula test. Place some buttercream on a spatula then turn it upside down, if it does not fall off the spatula you are good to go. If it slides off you will have to mix some more. A word of caution, if you add butter to a hot meringue you will get a soupy mess. It can be fixed but it won’t be as great as if it came together by itself see my buttercream guide here. Once it comes together add the vanilla and mix until it is combined. Now you have made Brown Sugar Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting that pipes really well and can be used to make roses. Yippee. Delicious brown sugar Italian meringue buttercream that is pipeable and stable enough to frost a cake. What about you, do you have a favorite buttercream frosting? As always don’t forget to pin for later. Happy Caking

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