It’s probably no surprise at this point if you’ve been following along with this series, but I am not a huge fan of Frosting. I find many frostings are overly sweet (even though I have an enormous sweet tooth). When it comes to Frosting, 9/10 I make American Buttercream. The flavor of butter really helps balance out the sweetness of the Confectioner’s Sugar (aka Powdered Sugar).
American Buttercream
American Buttercream is a very simple Frosting to make. It is primarily 2 parts Sugar to 1 part Butter (by weight). (I’m also a huge fan of weighing ingredients when possible. You get more consistent results, and once practiced, it is faster than measuring). Other than the Confectioner’s Sugar and butter, the only other additions are Cream or Milk and any additional flavorings. (I use Salted Butter, you should add a little Salt if you aren’t using Salted Butter. The Salt balances out the sweetness).
You can color the Buttercream, you can flavor it to suit your needs, and one of its best qualities is that it crusts. A crusting icing is excellent, IMO, because if you inadvertently touch it a little bit, it remains undisturbed.
The limitation of American Buttercream is it is not fond of the heat. The melting point of the Butter is 90-95°F and softens above 65°F. If you have an outdoor wedding, this can be quite concerning. The Cake may melt before the Cake is cut! (CAKE-TASTROPHE).
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a bit more challenging to make, but the extra effort creates more structure in the frosting. Swiss Meringue uses heated Egg Whites mixed and beaten with Sugar and then the Butter, Color, and Flavorings are added.
This is a silky frosting. It doesn’t crust and feels light and flavorful on the tongue. The Egg Whites can seem intimidating, but don’t let them get in your way! I adore the slight sheen to this icing.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Italian Meringue Buttercream is the most advanced of the buttercreams. It is a boiled sugar syrup gently streamed and whipped into room temperature Egg Whites. I think what intimidates most bakers is making the sugar syrup. And to that, I recommend getting an instant-read thermometer. It takes the guesswork out. Plus, you can use it for more than candy making. (steaks, roasts, etc). I don’t recommend the candy thermometers that you clip on the edge. They are harder to read and I find that they are less accurate. (I make a lot of marshmallows and my instant-read thermometer is my BFF!!).
Once the correct sugar syrup is achieved the next more unnerving part of making Italian Meringue Buttercream is that it seems like it is falling while you are very slowly adding the butter to the Meringue mixture. You have to believe in it and persevere.
The benefit of Italian Meringue, beyond its lovely texture and lighter flavor, is it the sugar syrup creates a stronger structure for the frosting. This also makes it a bit more stable for warmer temperatures.
Other Types of Buttercream
There are of course other types of buttercream. I am simply highlighting the most common types. French, German, and Korean Glossy (also known as GG Glossy) are the other Buttercreams I am familiar with.
French Buttercream
French Buttercream is made the same way as Italian Meringue Buttercream, except it’s made with egg yolks instead of whites. It’s naturally more yellow-hued and has a more custard-like flavor. It tastes similar to Pastry Cream.
German Buttercream
German buttercream is custard-based. It starts the same as when you make pastry cream (Whole Eggs, Cornstarch, Sugar cooked until thickened, then warm cream is added). Once it is made, the custard is beaten into butter. It is very buttery and doesn’t hold up well in the heat. It is even softer than American Buttercream.
Korean Buttercream
The other names for Korean Buttercream are GLossy Buttercream or G.G. Glossy Buttercream. (G.G. More from G.G. Cakraft developed this style. Korean Buttercream is made exactly like Italian Meringue Buttercream, except it uses chilled butter. This gives it its shiny (glossy) finish. It withstands heat really well. It is excellent for piping beautiful designs and making buttercream flowers.
Flavors
Of course, you can add any liquid flavorings (extracts, emulsions, etc.). For example, the “Wedding Cake” flavor includes 1teaspoon of Vanilla and 1/2 tsp of almond extract. You can also include up to 1 Cup (8-oz) of Chocolate (melted and cooled), Lemon Curd, or Seedless Preserves. These examples are for a recipe of approximately 16-Ounces of Confectioner’s Sugar and 8-Ounces of Butter.
