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A simple, 5 ingredient recipe for Vanilla Frosting. Use it to top off your favorite cake or cupcake recipe. This recipe generously tops 12 cupcakes, modestly covers 24, or will cover an 8″ or 9″ layer cake or 9×13 sheet cake.
Happy Spring! Does it look like Spring where you are, yet? Because yesterday/the first day of “Spring” wasalsothe beginning of the first big snowstorm we’ve had all year.
My car is buried beneath half a foot of snow, Zach is taking a snow day because none of the roads are plowed, and eventually one of us is going to have to break down and actually go outside to shovel out our driveway, so despite what the calendar might say it doesn’t exactly feel Spring-y around here!
Fortunately, snow days make for perfect baking days, and today I plan on baking myself a batch of from-scratchchocolate cupcakesand topping them off with today’s recipe for vanilla frosting.
And sprinkles too, of course.
Today’s recipe is simple to make and is a staple icing recipe that every home baker or cake decorator should have on hand. It’s easily pipeable and does a great job of holding its shape, is easy to customize with different extracts (though I always reach for the vanilla), and does well under fondant.
It’s also incredibly hard to mess up, if your frosting becomes too thin you simply add more sugar, and if it’s too stiff an extra splash of heavy cream or even milk will work. Let’s go over a few frequently asked questions that I get about making vanilla buttercream.
You can make vanilla frosting in advance and store it for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. It will firm u when cold, so let it soften at room temperature a bit before piping or spreading on to your cake.
Can I leave vanilla buttercream frosting at room temperature?
Yes! Thereis heavy cream in this recipe, but it is stabilized by the generous amount of sugar that we are using. You can frost your cake or cupcakes with this frosting and it will be good for 2-3 days at room temperature (it will keep longer in the refrigerator, for about 1-2 weeks).
What goes well with vanilla frosting?
I’ve tried it and loved it on myfunfetti cake(check out those colorful decorations — all of them made with this same recipe!), chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, andvanilla cake, just to name a few!
I have a new-ish cupcake (pictured above) that I’m excited to share with you on Friday, and I’ll also be showing you how to add the neat colorful swirls to your frosting (it’s easy, you just need a small paintbrush).
Enjoy!
If vanilla buttercream isn’t quite your thing, be sure to check out my less sweetchocolate frosting or cream cheese frosting, instead!
1cup(226g)unsalted butter softened to room temperature
¼teaspoonsalt
3cups(375g)powdered sugar
3Tablespoonsheavy cream
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Sprinkle salt over butter and stir again to combine.
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature, ¼ teaspoon salt
Gradually, about ½ cup at a time, add powdered sugar, waiting until each cup is completely mixed before adding more.
3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
With mixer on medium-low speed, add the heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time. Once ingredients are well incorporated, gradually increase speed to high and beat for about 30 seconds.
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
Add vanilla extract and stir well.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pipe or spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if desired. This frosting will be fine at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated in an airtight container for about a week.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever. Instead, frosting is usually made with shortening or cream cheese.
But, there are ways to make it more interesting; one such way is to hit it with a shot of vinegar. Don't worry, the icing won't taste sour or like vinegar at all, but the acid will help balance out the sweetness, making it taste more pleasant. Even better, it will make the icing stronger and more durable.
Frosting is the thickest of these confections and is ideal for spreading or piping on cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries.
Buttercream is the most popular type of frosting largely because of its few ingredients and easy application. Classic buttercream requires beating butter into icing sugar until you reach a frosting consistency.
The main difference between vanilla and French vanilla is the addition of egg yolks and the custardization process. French vanilla has a richer, creamier taste and a slightly yellow color, while regular vanilla has a more basic flavor and a white or off-white color.
The starch added to most powdered sugar can make frosting taste slightly metallic. Here's how to fix that: Melt the butter and mix it with the powdered sugar, salt, and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Always begin by scraping the frosting into a mixing bowl and stirring vigorously or mixing with a mixer until smooth and creamy. This simple step of incorporating air into a can of dense store-bought frosting will make it fluffy and enhance the flavor.
Creamy ingredients like Nutella, cream cheese, marshmallow creme, peanut butter or another nut butter will give the store-bought frosting tons of flavor with some additional smoothness. Mix in 1 cup of cream cheese or 1/2 cup of marshmallow creme or nut butter per can of frosting for a creamy delight.
This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.
Although many do so to avoid cracks and to achieve a smooth appearance, I find just the tiniest bit — about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon — also curbs the sweetness, allowing the wonderfully creamy mouth-feel of the icing to truly shine.
You'll be glad to know there is a distinction between the two. In broad terms, frosting is thick and fluffy, and is used to coat the outside (and often the inner layers) of a cake. Icing is thinner and glossier than frosting, and can be used as a glaze or for detailed decorating.
Icing recipes typically combine powdered sugar and liquid (like water, milk or juice) whereas buttercream frosting is made by creaming together butter, sugar and a little bit of milk to make the frosting fluffy, smooth and perfectly spreadable.
Most frostings are made with powdered sugar (otherwise known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar), which contains cornstarch to prevent it from caking. Adding more powdered sugar can be an effective way and the easiest way of absorbing too much liquid to achieve thicker frosting.
In short, buttercream is a type of frosting used to take treats like cake and cookies to the next level. This being said, not all frostings are buttercream, and can be made with a variety of cream bases like cream cheese and whipped cream.
Whipped frosting is not only a little less sweet than buttercream, but its texture is much lighter and airier. If you prefer a fluffier mouthfeel, there are plenty of opportunities to use whipped frosting on your desserts, like for a homemade birthday cake or simple cakes, such as a classic pound cake or a butter cake.
Pros – It is soft, smooth and not too sweet. SM buttercream is arguably the best frosting in terms of cake decorating because it is the easiest way to get those smooth clean lines.
Royal icing is the most traditional of all icings. It is a pure white icing that dries into a smooth, hard shell with a matte finish. Its sturdy and stable property makes it great for piping and flooding. You can also smooth this type of icing over cakes to use as a base for your decorations.
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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