American Buttercream Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk as desired. Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature and mix on medium-high until smooth.

Steps:

• Combine the butter and cocoa powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and salt. Continue to mix on low speed, adding the sugar a cup at a time and alternating with additions of the milk. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature and mix on medium-high until smooth.

Steps:

• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to low and beat in the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, increasing the speed to medium high. Repeat with the remaining 4 cups. Beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans and line with waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, then set aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the granulated sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, and beat until thoroughly mixed. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating for 1 minute. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack.
• For the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat the butter with the vanilla and salt. A little at a time, mix in 5 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the milk and whip until smooth, adding more milk or up to 1 cup more confectioners' sugar if needed.
• Frost the top of one cake and place the second cake on top. Then spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Optional- As mentioned above, I like a cream cheese version of this frosting best. The cream cheese adds to the creamy texture, and cuts down on the sweetness just a bit. If desired, for a very light cream cheese flavor add 1/2 block (4 oz). cream cheese, leaving the other ingredients (as listed above) the same. For a more traditional cream cheese flavor, reduce the butter to 1/2 cup, and add 1 block (8 oz.) of cream cheese. If using a full block of cream cheese, you can reduce the cream or milk to 1 tablespoon total.
• Flavoring options- An almost unlimited number of flavoring options can be added in addition to, or instead of the vanilla. Orange and/or lemon zest, citrus extracts, mint extract, coconut extract or the seeds of a vanilla bean are all wonderful options. In most cases I'll still add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, then 1/2 teaspoon of the other flavoring. For zest, add about 1 teaspoon fresh zest. For chocolate buttercream, add 1/2 cup (good quality) unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Directions-.
• * In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth (30 seconds to a minute). (If you are adding cream cheese, add it now, then beat until smooth).
• * Add salt (if needed).
• * One cup at time, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating after each addition.
• * Add vanilla, or other flavorings and beat to combine.
• * Add about 1 tablespoon of cream, and continue beating.
• * Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, one at a time.
• * Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached. If you want to pipe the frosting on cupcakes, the frosting should be nice and thick. Continue to beat another minute or so. The frosting should now be smooth and fluffy.
• Troubleshooting-.
• * If your frosting is not smooth, it is likely because the butter was not fully smooth before adding the other ingredients.
• * If your frosting will not hold up when piped on cupcakes, your frosting has too much liquid or is too warm. Put entire bowl of frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it will stiffen up. If it is still too thin, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beat well.

Steps:

• Beat the butter in a stand mixer until it is creamy and slaps the sides of the bowl. Scrape your bowl. Mix the salt with the milk, and then add 3 tablespoons of the milk along with the vanilla extract and blend slowly until combined. Raise the speed to medium and beat to form a smooth butter mixture.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and blend on low until combined. Scrape the bowl, add the remaining sugar, set the mixer to low and blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Resist the urge to add more milk right away because the buttercream will thin out as it mixes. After mixing on low for 2 to 3 minutes you can choose to add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.
• Scrape your bowl, then set the mixture to medium-low and mix for 10 minutes. You may scrape the bowl halfway through. The frosting can be made softer with the addition of milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. The frosting will keep for 3 days at room temp, or 2 weeks refrigerated.
• Buttercream Variations:
• Add 1/2 cup marshmallow creme to the finished buttercream.
• Stir in a generous amount of chopped chocolate sandwich cookies for a delicious cookies-and-cream filling.
• Add up to 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter to the finished buttercream.
• Add 2 to 3 ounces of melted and cooled bittersweet baking chocolate to the finished buttercream.
• Dissolve 2 to 4 teaspoons of instant espresso powder into your vanilla extract for coffee buttercream. This also works with the melted chocolate for mocha buttercream.
• Eliminate the vanilla extract and add up to 2 teaspoons of peppermint, lemon, orange, coconut or almond extract. You may choose to add a few drops of vanilla just to round off the flavor.