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Buttercream frostings deliciously top off any dessert. The fluffy toppings we spread onto cakes, cupcakes, and other treats add sophistication and flavor to our baked goods, but not all buttercreams are created equal. We explain the ingredients and three types of buttercream frosting in every cake decorator’s repertoire.
Ingredients for a Buttercream Frosting
What does buttercream taste like? A buttercream frosting gets its rich, creamy taste from one of its primary ingredients: butter. Unsalted butter is best for buttercream frostings. That’s because the amount of salt can vary from batch to batch of salted butter, which can affect the frosting’s taste.
Next to butter, sugar is another essential ingredient in making a buttercream frosting. Most recipes call for granulated sugar, although American buttercream (see below) uses confectioners’ sugar.
Italian and Swiss meringue buttercream frostings (see below) incorporate egg whites into the frosting. In these types of buttercream frosting, the egg whites are beaten until they’re fluffy before adding butter to achieve the final consistency.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Italian meringue buttercream offers a creamy, fluffy frosting. You make Italian meringue buttercream by beating a hot sugar syrup into beaten egg whites, then adding butter, piece by piece, until the mixture comes together.
Italian meringue buttercream isn’t as dense or sweet as American-style buttercream (see below). The soft texture of Italian meringue buttercream makes it easily spreadable on top of cakes or cupcakes. The addition of the hot sugar syrup cooks or tempers the beaten egg whites, which are whipped until glossy peaks form. Combining the beaten egg whites with the butter provides a more stable buttercream frosting for a cake served in warmer temperatures, compared to other types of buttercream.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Swiss meringue buttercream is a versatile buttercream frosting suited for piping onto cakes and cupcakes. The beauty of Swiss meringue buttercream lies in its signature silky smooth texture. Whether you’re a beginner or expert cake decorator, anyone can achieve elegant swoops and swirls with Swiss meringue buttercream.
Swiss meringue buttercream differs from Italian meringue buttercream in the preparation of the eggs used in the frosting. To make Swiss meringue buttercream, you combine egg whites and sugar together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water on the stove. Whisking the egg white mixture as it heats dissolves the sugar granules. After the sugar is dissolved, you transfer the heated egg white mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until glossy stiff peaks are formed. Finally, you beat in butter, bit by bit, until the buttercream frosting is smooth and free of lumps.
American Buttercream
American buttercream is the simplest buttercream frosting to prepare. It’s made by beating room temperature butter together with sifted confectioners’ sugar until smooth and creamy. This frosting does not use egg whites. As a result, the consistency of American buttercream tends to be denser and less silky than Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream, making it more suitable for desserts that don’t require decorating with the frosting, especially for beginner bakers.
Buttercream Frosting Flavors
Whether preparing Italian, Swiss, or American buttercream, you can flavor the frosting to complement your cakes or cupcakes. Vanilla extract is a classic choice, but you can incorporate other extracts such as almond, lemon, or peppermint into the frosting. Be careful with the amounts of extract you add—a little goes a long way.
In place of extracts, you can also try incorporating finely grated citrus zest from lemons, limes, and oranges or spices, such as ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. Adding melted and cooled semisweet or bittersweet chocolate lends further richness to a buttercream frosting.
Enjoy a Fresh Frost Treat
Sample our delicious buttercream-frosted treats at Frost Artisan Bakery. Stop in or call to purchase one of our decorated cakes or cupcakes from our menu.
