Ok friends, if you want to shock your mouth and eat the best thing since sliced bread then make your own Buttercream frosting! I know store bought icing is easy and convenient but it’s also BLAH! I promise if you make your own homemade buttercream you will never again put another can of that store bought stuff in your cart! That is this home-bakers guarantee!
How to make The “Totally Nailed It” Buttercream Frosting:
When starting out on your homemade-icing journey, the easiest first step is to set your butter out for at least 20 to 30 min at room temp to soften the butter. Also, please do NOT use a substitute butter! Real unsalted butter is key to success so don’t skimp out on me! Okay rant over…let’s continue. I’m going to show you a way to test your butter to make sure that it’s not too soft and not too hard, it needs to be that perfect softness to give you the results you so desperately crave!
“The Thumbprint Test”
The best way to check if your butter is ready is to press your thumb into the center. If you’re able to make an easy dent without pushing too hard then it’s ready! You don’t want to be able to push too far into the butter because that means that it’s too soft! You just want to be able to firmly push your thumb into the gently softened butter. If there is a shine to your butter than it’s definitely too warm and your buttercream won’t whip up like it should. Ok, now that your butter is ready, lets get to whipping!
Ok, now go grab some coffee and enjoy this next step because you’re going to get to enjoy the mesmerizing whir of the mixer! As easy as 1,2,3 throw your softened butter in the mixer and start to beat for about 5 to 6 min. You are going to want to set your coffee down for just a sec and scrape the bowl down every couple of minutes to ensure you’re really getting all the butter! Your butter, when ready, will have a whitish-fluffy consistency which means you’re ready to beat in your powdered sugar!
Before we get started with the actual mixing in of the sugar, let’s talk about sifting it for a second. Some people say it’s an unnecessary step while others (ahem…like myself) swear by it because it ensures your buttercream won’t be lumpy. But honestly, I always say if it’s not a make or break step than figure out what you like the best and roll with it!
Ok, now that that’s settled, let’s start incorporating our sugar! Is it super weird to say that this part makes me extremely happy? I just think, “In a second this butter is gonna taste really good and I’m going to consume it on anything and everything!”. Yep, saying it out loud definitely made it sound weirder. So I’m just gonna act like you all are weird as I am, and continue happily on my merry recipe way! Slowly mix in your sugar while scrapping down your bowl throughout the process. Be sure; to make sure your sugar is fully incorporated before adding your milk!
Now it’s time to add in you milk! Slowly add 1 Tbs at a time until you reach a consistency you’d be proud to call your mother about. It’s that consistency that birthday cakes are made of and shockingly, not as hard to perfect as the bakeries would lead you to believe!
Oh how the next step brings me sheer joy! The aroma of vanilla in my house makes me want to dump it into everything that I bake; I want it to fill my home with its sweet goodness; I want to share it with world….(ahem) but I digress, moving on…
To make sure your buttercream keeps its beautiful color I would suggest picking up clear vanilla! You can find it in any grocery store baking aisle, and it will bring the flavor without changing the color.
This is your last step to nailing your buttercream, and all it takes is adding in your vanilla-I would start out with a low dose and then up the ante if you want a stronger taste!
The best way to test to see if your buttercream is the right consistency: take a piece of parchment paper and spread a small dollop onto the surface-if it spreads easily and smoothly it’s ready to grace the tops of your goodies! And just like that you have now made the easiest, yummiest buttercream that you can call your own!
This recipe will easily ice 24 cupcakes or a 2 layer 8 in cake! If you want to get real fancy, use a piping bag and swirl on a decorative topper! Enjoy the icing of your labor and show off those baking chops!
The “Totally Nailed It”
Buttercream Frosting
Yield: 2 ½ Cups
INGREDIENTS:
3 or 4 cups Powdered Sugar
1 cup Butter (Unsalted preferred)
2-3 Tablespoons milk
1-2 teaspoons clear vanilla
Pinch of Salt (if using unsalted butter)
DIRECTIONS:
Add softened butter to your mixing bowl. Beat until the consistency is white and fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the bowl throughout the mixing to ensure all the butter is mixed thoroughly. This process should take 5 min.
Slowly add the sifted sugar. Continuously scraping down the bowl. Mix until fully incorporated.
Add 1 Tbs of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Add 1 tsp of vanilla to start out and then continue to add more if a stronger vanilla flavor is needed.
Enjoy your “Totally Nailed It”
Buttercream Frosting!
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