Butter cream
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Butter cream or Buttercream is a type of icing used inside cakes, as a coating, and as decoration. In its simplest form, it is made by creaming butter with icing sugar, although margarine may be used in place of the butter. Colourings and flavourings are often added, such as cocoa powder or vanilla extract.
A notable use of buttercream is in butterfly cakes, although it is popular as a topping for many other forms of Victoria sponge.
Major types of buttercream
Simple buttercream
Simple buttercream, also known as American buttercream, is made by creaming together fat and confectioners' sugar to the desired consistency and lightness. Small quantities of whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, or milk may be included. Some recipes also call for non-fat milk solids.
Decorator's buttercream
Sometimes called Rose Paste, this buttercream is creamed much less than a regular simple buttercream resulting in a stiff paste suitable for making flowers and other cake decorations.
Meringue-type buttercream
A very light and airy mix of butter and meringue.
French buttercream
French buttercreams are made by beating a sugar syrup which has reached the soft-ball stage into beaten egg yolks and whipping to a light foam. Softened butter is then whipped in. This icing is very rich, smooth, and light but more delicate than a simple buttercream. French buttercreams can melt alarmingly fast in warm weather.
Pastry cream-type buttercream
Pastry cream types are made by beating together thick pastry cream and softened butter, and may be additionally sweetened with extra confectioners' sugar.
Fondant-type buttercream
Fondant buttercream is made by creaming together equal parts fondant and butter.
Choice of Butter
Sweet cream unsalted butter is traditionally the shortening of choice for buttercreams, as evidenced by the name. Butter provides a more delicate texture and superior flavor and mouthfeel when compared to vegetable shortening, but it can be more difficult to work with because butter is less stable at room temperature. A small amount of vegetable shortening can be blended into a butter-based buttercream to help stabilize it.
Vegetable shortening
Hydrogenated vegetable shortenings have become a popular ingredient in commercial icings during the 20th century because they are cheaper and more stable at room temperature than butter. Icings made with vegetable shortening are more stable in warm temperatures and therefore easier to work with than butter, but shortening does not dissolve in the mouth like butter does leading to a heavy, greasy feeling coating the inside of the mouth.
Other shortenings
Other shortenings such as lard or palm oil are rarely, if ever, used in icings.
Handling
Keeping one's work area sufficiently cooled will make decorating a cake with buttercream much easier. When the weather is warm, the cake needs to be kept cooled before serving to prevent melting. A room (or car, if it needs to be transported) air conditioned to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit should be sufficient to prevent melting. Cakes frosted in buttercream can also be chilled in the refrigerator with no ill effects.
Buttercream icings may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Before use, the icing needs to sit for at least an hour outside the fridge so it can come up to room temperature. If it must be warmed quickly or if it curdles, it can be warmed over warm water (such as a bain marie or double boiler) and beaten until it becomes smooth again.
Flavoring
Buttercreams are very adaptable and can take almost any flavoring. Per 1 lb or 500 grams of icing, consult the following list for guidelines to flavor your icing. Simply mix the flavoring agent into your icing unless otherwise indicated.
Melt the chocolate and cool slightly. Blend the melted chocolate with 1/4 of the buttercream, then blend this chocolate icing into the rest of the buttercream.
- Coffee Use 1 1/2 tbsp (5 g) instant coffee dissolved in 1/2 fl oz (15 ml) water.
- Praline Use 2 to 3 oz (60 to 90 g) praline paste.
- Almond Use 6 oz (180 g) almond paste.
- Extracts and emulsions Vanilla, lemon, orange, almond, and any other extracts can be added to taste.
- Liquers Same as extracts.
External links
- [Cooking For Engineers - American Buttercream] - recipe with step-by-step photographs
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