not-so-basic buttercream blogbundle final

7/21/2019 Not-So-Basic Buttercream BlogBundle Final

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Not-So-Basic

Buttercream

Decorating Ideas

Created exclusively for Craftsy

by Lyndsay Sung

& Jessie Oleson Moore


2/23

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Crusting Buttercream

How to Make the Prettiest Piped Flower Cupcakes

Delicious Ways to Flavor Homemade Buttercream

Recipe for Brown Sugar Buttercream

How to Make Glow-in-the-Dark Buttercream

Meet the Experts

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When you think of the word crust, you probably think more of

pie than cake. But crust can also be an important term to assign to

cakesparticularly pertaining to buttercream. A crusting buttercream

is one that will set up frmly enough so that it can be touched lightly

without making a mark. Although still relatively delicate, this crust can

be a very helpful asset to decorators, making a nicely primed surface forall sorts of cake decoration, from decorative piping to fondant or gum

paste adornment.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

In a nutshell, the buttercream will crust as a result of the sugar and

liquid solidifying.

What is the purpose of crusting buttercream? To give a couple of

examples:

CRUSTING

Buttercream

By Jessie Oleson Moore


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AS A PRIMER

Crusting buttercream can be an asset as a base

atop which additional adornment will be applied.

Once it sets, you will have a rmer working surface,

which will make your life a lot easier when applying

delicate piping such as in the photo on the left. Thisrmer surface will also act as a wonderful backdrop

for adhering fondant or gum paste decorations.

AS ARMOR

Cakes that are covered all over with a piped design

as its primary icing, such as this one, can benet

from using a crusting buttercream. The icing is piped

while the buttercream is still quite soft, but as it

sets it will become rm, which makes the delicate

shapes a bit sturdier. Additionally, cakes that are

decorated or iced with a crusting buttercream arebetter able to withstand the elements, making it a

decorators friend when it comes to hot weather

cake decoration.

ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES TO CRUSTING BUTTERCREAM?

Here are some considerations that may be of interest:

Many crusting buttercream recipes rely heavily on solid vegetable

shortening. Some include all vegetable shortening (no butter), some

include part butter and part vegetable shortening. The solid nature of

shortening and the fact that it doesnt melt as quickly makes it a goodchoice, texture-wise; however, many agree that the avor benets

from the addition of at least some butter.

Because confectioners sugar is vital to getting the texture right,

crusting buttercreams tend to be very sweet.

This type of buttercream does, as the name implies, crust and

become rm, so making changes or wiping away part of the icing and

having a re-do can be dicult.

Now that youre educated on the ways of the crusting buttercream, lets

discuss how to make it for your next cake! Before offering the recipe,

here are some notes and suggestions:

Be sure you have your cake(s) baked, cooled, leveled and ready.

Although a crusting buttercream wont set up instantly, it is best to be

used to ice a cake fairly soon after whipping up a batch.

If you are not able to ice your cake directly after making the icing,

its OK. Although it is best the same day made, the icing can be

stored overnight at cool room temperature in an airtight container,

or refrigerated for several days in an airtight container. Bring to room

temperature before using to ice a cake.

Be sure that you have enough time allotted to allow the buttercream

to set before adding other decoration or icings.

Photo via Craftsy member Ditut


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If you want a pure white crusting buttercream, strive to use butter

without colorings added (read the label to see if it has any added) or

consider using all shortening instead of part butter. Also, use clear

vanilla extract instead of the regular brown-tinted extract, which will

add a slight beige tint to the buttercream.

If youd like to impart a different avor, you can use any number of

different extracts instead of vanilla, but be aware that if they have a

tint, it may impart a color to the buttercream.

Adding coloring to the buttercream is ne, but keep in mind that you

may want to reduce the amount of liquid you add to the mixture.

When it comes to the milk in the recipe, you can also substitute

water, lower-fat milk or even cream. Just be sure to add the liquid a

little at a time to see the quantity that will give you a consistency that

works for you. Keep in mind that the amount of liquid you add may

vary depending on the season, as weather conditions (humidity and

heat) can affect the texture.

Crusting Buttercream IcingThis recipe is adapted from what is often called the Viva

method named after a brand of paper towels, which, owing to their

at (non-quilted or textured) surface, works extremely well for attening

the surface of your crusting buttercream.

STEP 1:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening and vanilla

extract until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed. Stop the mixer.

STEP 2:

Add about of the confectioners sugar. You need to add this gradually,or you might have a sugary snowstorm in your kitchen when you

start to mix.

Mix on low speed until incorporated. Pause to scrape the sides of

the bowl down with a rubber spatula and add another of the

confectioners sugar. Continue mixing and pausing to scrape down the

sides of the bowl and add more confectioners sugar until youve added

it all. This mixture will likely be quite thick.

STEP 3:

Add 1/8cup of the milk and mix at low speed until incorporated. At this

point, its up to you whether or not youd like to add more its a matterof your preference for the consistency.

STEP 4:

Ice your cake. Try to apply the icing as smoothly as possible.

STEP 5:

Let set for 20-30 minutes to form a crust.

STEP 6:

If youd like a at surface on your cake, once it has crusted, you can use a

square of un-patterned paper towel (or, if you dont have that, a sheet of

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag (2 pounds) sifted

confectioners sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

and cut into inch cubes

1 cups solid vegetable

shortening

1 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/8to cup whole milk (to

desired consistency)


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clean, white paper or parchment paper will do). Lay the paper on the area

of the cake you want smoothed and using your hand, a spatula, a fondant

smoother or even a clean and unused credit card, smooth the icing.

STEP 7:

Once smoothed, decorate in any way youd like!


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Perfectly in season all year round, these buttercream rose topped

cupcakes will prettify any dessert table, from a tea party to bridal shower

to a wild rose wedding cake spread. If youve ever wondered how to pipe

buttercream owers, lets start with piping a pretty petaled rose right on

top of the nearest cupcake. No ower nail needed here!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Start with a batch of cupcakes in any avor (I used vanilla).

A batch of vanilla buttercream tinted pink (I used a tiny amount of

fuchsia gel color).

A piping bag tted with a rose petal piping tip (I used #104).

HOW TO MAKEthe Prettiest Piped Flower CupcakesBy Lyndsay Sung


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STEP 1:

Many cake decorators start by making a cone shape for the center

of their rose. Instead, I like to pipe a tightly petaled mini rosette.

Start in the center of your cupcake to make a tight mini rosette. Hold

the piping bag so the larger end is touching the center of the cupcake.

Squeeze the piping bag and form a rainbow-like motion with the piping

bag while turning the cupcake at the same time to create a ribbon

rainbow-like shape. Yes, three things at once!

This is one of those techniques where practice makes perfect try it

a few times to get the hang of it! If you dont like the results, you can

scrape off the rose from your cupcake and start again.

STEP 2:

Pipe another rainbow, slightly overlapping the last one, going round until

youve created a tight rosette.

Essentially you are piping more rainbow shapes and circling around

the center rosette, like the petals of a rose. Pipe more petals around the

rosette, creating a second row of petals.

The rose petal piping tip looks likea teardrop, with a skinny end anda larger opening end.


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STEP 3:

Continue building your rose - pipe another row of rainbows,

building outward.

STEP 4:

Keep piping round and round until the entire top of the cupcake is

covered in pink buttercream petals. You can also make smaller roses with

less petals and nish your cupcakes with green buttercream piped leaves

if you so desire.

Continue piping the remainder of your cupcakes with the buttercream

rose effect.

So pretty! Keep on practicing to get the rose look that you like best.

Birds-eye view of the cupcake thus far.Remember, each petal must overlapslightly to resemble a rose.


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Delicious Ways to FlavorFor some, cake is merely a vehicle for buttercream. While we believe that

its the balance of cake and buttercream that makes for a perfect taste

experience, its hard to deny that theres a lot to love about the sweet,

spreadable stuff: It adds moisture, avor and richness to cakes. Plus, its

a fun and fundamental medium for cake decorating!

But even an inherently wonderful foodstuff such as buttercream can

be improved by upgrading the ingredients and adding avors. Here

are some easy ways to indulge your sweet tooth by making buttercream

even better.

Elements to Elevate

Vanilla buttercream is a fantastic canvas with which you can add

avor and texture. Here are just a few ways to transform simple vanilla

buttercream into something truly special.

CHOCOLATE

Chocolate can add avor to your buttercream in a number of ways. Youcould stir in melted chocolate (coolednot super hot) to create a swirl

effect, or you could add ganache for a portion of the butter. You could

also stir in cocoa powder for a subtle chocolate avor.

COCONUT

Creamy coconut adds a beautiful avor to buttercream. Add

2 tablespoons of coconut cream to your buttercream, and stir

in a little extra sugar if needed to attain a spreading consistency. For

a coconut-lled avor, stir in toasted coconut, or garnish your cake

with coconut shreds.

BERRIES AND FIRM FRUITS

There are a number of ways to incorporate rm fruits to buttercream, but

we love this method of reducing the juices of the fruits and using them,

too. Heres how you do it: add some sugar to the fruit and wait until it

begins to release its juices. Drain the fruit, blot it dry, and cut into tiny

pieces to add to the buttercream, reserving the juice. Reduce the juice

with sugar until it becomes a syrup; let this come to room temperature

and add it to the icing.

HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAM


Upgrade Your Ingredients

Using quality ingredients is an

easy way to upgrade the avor

of your buttercream. Here are

some ingredients we think are

worth upgrading.

BUTTER

All butters are not created

equal. Lesser-quality butters

actually have less butter and

more air and water in them.

Investing in European-style

or cultured butters can bring

a whole new world of avor

to your buttercream.

SUGAR

Making your own confectioners

sugar is another fantastic

way to make your icing special.

Homemade confectioners

sugar can also be made with

infused or avored sugars,

adding an extra nuance

to avors.


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Note:For canned fruit, drain the fruit first. The step of adding sugar to

release juices is not necessary. Do, however, reduce the juices with sugar

to form a syrup to add.

CHEESE

Soft cheeses can be a great addition to buttercreamsimply swap out a

portion of the butter. Were not just talking cream cheese here: You can

also add soft homemade goat cheese or mascarpone. Cheese will notonly add a nice tang, but a pleasing richness that will complement sweet

cakes. The stronger the avor of the cheese, the less you will need to get

the avor point across.

CITRUS FRUIT

Citrus can add a wonderful brightness to buttercream. Add a few

teaspoons of citrus juice, along with the chopped zest, to your

buttercream. You may have to add a little extra confectioners sugar

to make the buttercream rm.

BANANAS OR SOFT FRUITS

No need to drain soft fruits that dont release juices. Simply pure thefruit and add it to the buttercream in place of part of the butter for

a wonderful avor.

JAMS AND CURDS

Several tablespoons of the fruit curd can be added to the icing to give

it a subtle fruit avor. With stronger-avored preserves, such as lemon

curd, add a little at a time.

NUTS

Add nely chopped toasted nuts to the icing for a nice crunch and avor.

Upgrade Your Ingredients

Continued

EXTRACTS

You can even mix your vanilla

extract with part almond oranother extract to give your

buttercream a fascinating and

subtle avor.

SALT

Wait...salt? In super-sweet

buttercream? As Dorie

Greenspan says, Salt is pastrys

unsung hero...a pinch is enough

to balance the sugar in a tart

crust, underscore the avor

in any chocolate dessert, give

caramel that certainje ne

sais quoi. Though it doesnt

regularly appear on many

buttercream recipes, adding just

the teensiest bit to buttercream

can bring out every other avor

in the best possible way.


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To augment the avor, add the same avor extract as a complement

(toasted almonds with almond extract, etc).

NUT BUTTERS

Nut butters such as peanut butter, almond butter or even Nutella, are

fantastic additions to your buttercream. Stir in a couple of tablespoons

to your recipe. Mix well to ensure the nut butter is evenly distributed.

PUDDING OR CUSTARD MIX

Pudding or custard mix will lend a wonderful, rich avor to your icing.

Stir in about 2 tablespoons for a buttercream that will set rm and take

on the avor of the mix. However, be sure to use this icing soon after

making it so it doesnt set before youve iced your cake.

HERBS AND SPICES

Add freshly ground spices a little at a time until your desired avor has

been reached.

Note:Freshly ground and toasted spices will be more flavorfulthan packaged.


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Go beyond chocolate and vanillaget out your buttercream rut with a

delightful brown sugar buttercream recipe youll come back to time and

time again.

Its dicult to say what is the absolute best part of this brown sugar

buttercream recipe. After all, it has so many fantastic attributes that make

it a valuable addition to your recipe box.

Is it the fact that it kind of tastes like chocolate chip cookies without the

chips? Or is it the delightful little crunch that the granules of caramel-y

brown sugar lends the otherwise velvety buttercream? Or is it the fact

that it works so beautifully with just about any type of cake, be it sponge

or foam, chocolate or vanilla?

Likely, its a little bit of all of the above. Of course, it doesnt hurt that this

recipe comes together in mere minutes, and tastes good with not only

layer cakes but as a lling for whoopie pies or cookie sandwiches, or as a

topping for brownies or blondies.

Recipe for:BROWN SUGAR BUTTERCREAMBy Jessie Oleson Moore


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Before we get started, lets address some of the buttercream

questions you might have:

CAN I USE DARK OR LIGHT BROWN SUGAR?

Yes; the taste of the buttercream with the dark brown sugar will be more

assertive, so consider this when deciding what type of cake youd like to

pair it with. Use stronger cake avors that can stand up to the avor.

HOW CAN I SPICE IT UP?

Brown sugar loves spices. This recipe includes cinnamon, which amps

up the comforting avor of the brown sugar in this buttercream. You can

add more if you like: up to 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and/or 1

teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg, tastes wonderful.

WHAT TYPES OF CAKES OR SWEETS DOES THIS WORK WITH?

Its perfect with earthy cakes such as banana or carrot; however, it also

works quite well with spice cookies, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles or

gingerbread. A plain vanilla cake is a nice canvas, too. We wouldnt turnyou away if you put it on top of brownies, either.

Recipe for Brown Sugar ButtercreamSTEP 1:

Cream the butter until uffy. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon; beat

until it has become smooth in texture, yet fairly light and uffy.

STEP 2:

Add three cups of the confectioners sugar, and mix on low speed so that

you dont have a snowstorm. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt and milk or

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at

room temperature

cup light brown sugar,

packed

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4-6 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

teaspoon salt

cup of milk or half and half,

plus more if needed

Note:This recipe yields a

perfect amount of buttercream

to ice a two-layer 9-inch cake

or a 9x13-inch oblong cake.This recipe can be doubled.


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half and half. Stir until incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl

occasionally to make sure there arent any unmixed portions on the

bottom or sides of the bowl.

STEP 3:

Add the remaining confectioners sugar to your taste. If it becomes too

stiff, add a bit more cream.

Store unused portions of the buttercream in the refrigerator for upto a week.


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Want a party trick that will really knock your friends socks off? All youve

got to do is (1) pretend youre in college again and buy some black lights,

and (2) learn how to make glow-in-the-dark buttercream. Your cake

decorating may never be the same.

This is a method originally dreamed up by blogger Recipe Snobs, and

its fantastic for causing a stir. The icing looks like it has a candy coating

or glazeinteresting, but an otherwise unremarkable buttercream

Glow-in-the-Dark ButtercreamHOW TO MAKE



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technique. But then, when you turn out the regular

lights and cue the black light, the buttercream will take

on a ghostly glow. Amazing!

SO WHATS THE

MAGIC TRICK?

Alas, no magic, but certainly science. The trick lies intonic water. Turns out, the bitter quinine in the brew

glows blue-white under a black light. So when the

quinine-containing tonic water is used as an ingredient

in buttercream, and then on a glaze to coat it, your

confection will glow.

HOW DOES THIS SCIENCE EXPERIMENT TRANSLATE

TO BUTTERCREAM?

This buttercream gets its glow in two ways, because the tonic water

is used both in the buttercream itself and a viscous Jell-O and tonic

water glaze to brush on top. For best results, use both the buttercream

and the glaze.

IS IT DANGEROUS?

Not at all. Everything in this recipe is a food-safe item, so unless you

have an allergy or aversion to tonic water or Jell-O, its 100 percent safe.

And though tonic water is frequently used in cocktails, it doesnt actually

contain alcohol itself, so the buttercream is safe for kids, too.


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CAN I USE DIET TONIC WATER?

Yes, as long as it contains quinine, diet tonic water will work in this

recipe, too.

CAN I TINT IT ANY COLOR?

We tried this experiment in green and white; the white denitely

glowed brighter. Comments on the aforementioned Recipe Snobs post

revealed that for most bakers, next to white, the color green was the

most successful.

HOW CAN I USE THIS GLOWINTHEDARK BUTTERCREAM?

Any way you wish. You can use it to top cupcakes or a layer cake, either

simply spread or prettily piped. You can top a cookie with it and then

coat it with chocolate, so its a hi-hat confection with a glow-in-the-dark

secret. Basically, any method that will allow you to brush the liquid on

top without ruining your confection will work.

How to Make Glow-in-the-Dark ButtercreamMakes enough to ice 24 cupcakes, one 2-layer 8" or 9" cake,

or 24 cookies

STEP 1:

Start by preparing the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer tted

with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until

light and very uffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

STEP 2:

Stir in the vanilla extract, 5 tablespoons of tonic water, and 4 cups of theconfectioners sugar. Mix on low speed until combined, scraping down

the sides of the bowl if necessary with a rubber spatula.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened

(or 1 cup shortening)

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

5 tablespoons tonic water

6 to 8 cups confectioners sugar

Food coloring, if desired

3 ounce package Jell-O (in the

color and avor desired)

1 cup boiling water

1 cup chilled tonic water


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STEP 3:

Add the remaining confectioners sugar, 1 cup

at a time, until a spreading or piping consistency has

been reached. Stir in the food coloring until combined,

if using. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for

the moment.STEP 4:

Ice whatever youd like to ice with the buttercream,

and set it in the freezer for at least an hour, or even

overnight, so the buttercream can get quite rm, even

a bit hard. For this project, we tried both cupcakes with

white buttercream and a cake with green buttercream.

STEP 5:

Once the buttercream is very rm to the touch, prepare the glaze.

Place the Jell-O powder in a bowl that will allow you enough room to

dip your cupcakes or cookies; otherwise, you can use a pastry brushto apply the glaze.

STEP 6:

Boil 1 cup of water, and then add it to the

Jell-O mix. Whisk for about 1 minute, or until

thoroughly combined. Add the chilled tonic water

and continue whisking.

Basically, youll be preparing the Jell-O per the

package instructions, but instead of 1 cup of boiling

water and 1 cup of chilled water, youre using boiling

water and chilled tonic water.

STEP 7:

To help the Jell-O mixture cool, you can place it in

an ice bath to hasten the process. Or, simply wait

until it is cool to the touch but still liquid. You just

dont want the Jell-O to start setting.

STEP 8:

Its time to brush or dip your buttercream-topped

treats. Take several of the treats out at a time from

the freezer. Either dip in the Jell-O mixture, so thatonly the buttercream gets dipped, or brush it on top

of the buttercream.

Try to avoid the cake or pastry as much as possible,

focusing on the icing. Let excess Jell-O drip off, and

transfer back to a plate. Put each treat back in the

freezer between dippings. For thorough coverage

and the best results, you will want to dip each treat

6 times.


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STEP 9:

Once theyve all been dipped six times, place them in the refrigerator for

about 15 minutes so that the Jell-O glaze can set.

For best results, serve under a couple of black lights, and be sure to have

the cake or cupcakes quite close to the light. Watch your friends faces

light up as they see your treats glow.


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Ready for More?

Learn to create dazzling buttercream bouquets with surprisingly simple techniques in the online cake

decorating class Fresh Arrangements: Buttercream & Beyond. Youll discover how to mix custom

buttercream colors and pipe beautiful bouquets everyone will love with lifetime access to up-close

instruction from cake artist Sonya Hong.

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MEET THE EXPERTS

JESSIE OLESON MOORE

Jessie Oleson Moore is a writer, illustrator andprofessional seeker of sweetness who runs

CakeSpy, an award-winning dessert website. Her

rst book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a

Sugar-Filled Lifecame out in October 2011, and her

second book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods, was

released in May 2013.

LYNDSAY SUNG

Lyndsay Sung is a self-taught baker, caker andmaker from Vancouver, BC. She runs her own tiny

cake business, which she writes, photographs and

blogs about extensively via her Coco Cake Land

blog. Lyndsay contributes to several design blogs

including Poppytalk, Handmade Charlotteand You

Are My Fave.
http://www.cakespy.com/http://cococakeland.com/http://cococakeland.com/http://www.cakespy.com/

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