Simple Buttercream
This simple buttercream is a five-minute icing made from just butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a splash of milk. Using unsalted butter gives a more delicate texture and a better flavor and mouthfeel than versions made with vegetable shortening, which bakeries often choose for cost and stability. Use it to fill a cake, coat it or pipe decoration, and turn it chocolate or lemon with one small change.
Instructions
Put the softened butter and the vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Cream them together with a mixer until the butter is smooth and well combined.
Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating after each addition. Stop regularly to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so no butter is left unmixed.
Expect the mixture to look very dry and crumbly at this stage. That is normal, and the milk will fix it.
Once all the sugar is worked in, pour in the milk. Beat until it is fully incorporated and the buttercream is smooth enough to spread or pipe.
For chocolate buttercream, beat in 150 g (¾ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder or 3 oz (84 g) melted unsweetened baking chocolate, and raise the milk to 45 to 60 ml (3 to 4 tbsp). For lemon buttercream, leave out the milk and add the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
Make it personal.
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