The Perfect American Buttercream Recipe
American Buttercream is the simplest style of buttercream to make with the least ingredients and steps. American buttercream is a classic with home bakers because of how quick it is to Mae and how versatile it is for cupcakes and cakes.
American Buttercream is also known as simple buttercream or decorators frosting, if you have ever made a frosting by creaming together butter and icing sugar with vanilla or any other flavourings then you have made American buttercream! Typically it has a ratio of 2:1, two parts sugar to 1 part butter which is creamed together with a small amount of milk.
Makes 1.5kg
Ingredients
- Butter, cut into chunks, softened - 500g
- Icing Sugar, sifted - 1kg
- pinch of salt
- Milk - 1-3 TBSP
- Vanilla Extract - 10ml / 2 TSP
Method
- Combine the butter, sugar and flavourings in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Start mixing on a low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
- Store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container and bring back to room temperature before using to pipe or frost.
Variations
Chocolate Buttercream
Add 100g of sifted cocoa powder
”Wedding Cake” Buttercream
Add 1 TSP vanilla extract & 1/2 TSP almond extract
Lemon Buttercream
Add 3 TBSP lemon zest and 60ml lemon juice. Omit the milk and increase the Icing sugar by 100g.
Berry Buttercream
Fold in 300g of a seedless preserve/jam.