Make Moreish Cakes with this American Buttercream Recipe

• Lynsey Macdonald

American Buttercream in a nutshell:

  • all you need is butter, icing sugar and milk.
  • when all ingredients are added, mix on a low speed to avoid creating air bubbles.
  • if you choose to add colour, go with an oil-based colouring for best results!

Wherever you start, at some point on your baking journey, a recipe is going to call for buttercream! Sarah at @by.sarahteresa is an expert and is here to share a classic American Buttercream recipe, which we're sure will soon be in regular use in your kitchen!

Serving Size: 14-20 cupcakes (depending on amount piped)

Difficulty: Beginner

Prep Time: Approx 15mins

Decorating time: 10-20mins

What you need to make your American Buttercream

Item Brand / Recommendation Purpose
Unsalted Butter Any brand will work This is what gives classic buttercream its iconic creamy flavour
Icing Sugar Whisked Away British Icing Sugar This is what gives buttercream its structure, bulking up the butter to help it hold its shape.
Milk Any dairy or plant-based milk will work. A small amount of milk helps to create a really workable consistency, thinning it out if it’s too thick.
Flavouring (optional) LorAnn Oils These oil-based flavourings work well with the fats in buttercream. They are super strength, meaning you only need a tiny amount.
Colouring (optional) Colour Mill Oil-Based Colourings You can achieve a range of hues with one shade of Colour Mill colouring, depending on how much you use. The oil-based formula ensures it blends seamlessly with the buttercream.


American Buttercream Recipe Step by Step 

Step 1: Beat your butter

Beat 250g of room temperature butter in a large bowl until pale (approx. 5 min). 

Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Step 2: Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Sarah says: “Start with the mixer on a low setting and once the butter and icing sugar have begun to combine, increase to a medium speed. This avoids clouds of icing sugar being whipped out of the bowl.”

Step 3: Add the remaining icing sugar and milk

Add the remaining icing sugar, your chosen flavouring and 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Beat the mixture until creamy and smooth.

Step 4: Beat for 5mins

Once everything is combined, mix on the lowest mixer setting for about 5 min to remove air bubbles.

Step 5: Transfer to piping bag

Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag to pipe on cupcakes or fill your cake.

Sarah says: “You don’t always realise how important a good piping bag is until you use one that works really well. Simply Making has become my favourite brand because the bags are strong enough for thicker buttercreams and ganache but still flexible enough to give me really good control when decorating!”

Quick Troubleshooting Guide

Problem Likely Culprit Quick Fix
Gritty or grainy texture Your butter was too cold to start with. Ensure the butter you are using has reached room temperature before making your buttercream!
Trapped air bubbles Mixing your buttercream at too high a speed, or over-mixing it. Slow down the speed of the mixer once all ingredients are combined to avoid whipping in air bubbles.

If you are already struggling with bubbles, microwave a third of the buttercream for about 10 seconds and stir back in to dissolve any pockets of air.
Overpowering sweetness The high ratio of icing sugar to butter can lead to an overly sweet buttercream. Try adding a little more fat by increasing the amount of butter. If this doesn’t work, try adding a little salt.

In future, if the sweetness is too much for you, try making your buttercream with salted butter.
Melting or runny buttercream You’re working in a hot or humid location. Hot weather and buttercream are a tricky mix! Try to make your buttercream in a cool environment and then store your cake or cupcakes in the fridge until just before you’re serving them.
Achieving a pure white colour Butter has a naturally yellow colour, which leads to most buttercream having a yellowish tone.

This means you may not achieve a true hue of any colouring you add as it is mixing with the yellow.		 Use an edible whitening product, like the fantastic Ingenious Edibles Icing Whitener, to brighten your buttercream.

The buttercream then looks dazzling on its own, or provides the perfect base for any colouring!


Ready to give this buttercream a try? Share your bakes with us, as always, at @the_cake_decorating_co and use the hashtag #CakeDecFamous, for a chance to be featured. 

Short on time? Shop our range of ready-to-use buttercream and buttercream mixes.


Related

The Classic Cupcake Recipe Every Baker Needs

How to Flavour Buttercream with Oils, Emulsions and More!

How to Colour Buttercream for Cake Decorating


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