The Best Homemade Buttercreams

Hi, I know I've been posting a lot of food oriented posts this past week, and I hope you don't mind because I have tons of ideas clogging my head and I need to release them some way without forgetting them, this seemed like the perfect way, so all of us can benefit from my weird, wacky and sometimes crazy food ideas. If you hadn't noticed I've blogged everyday for just over a week and thats my plan for the current future 'Blog every day for as long as possible', so wether it be a recipe, DIY project, product review, or anything else of that sort, I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot from me. So before I get on with todays blog post I just want to say if theres anything you want me to post such as certain recipes or sorts, then leave me a comment and I will be sure to do my best with that. Ok so now thats out of the way we can get on with what you all came here to read in the first place. Buttercream! Everyone knows buttercream is a simple mixture of butter and icing sugar and sometimes that can be a bit boring, so I'm going to let you in on a few of my favourite recipes to make your buttercream that bit more interesting.

1. Salted Caramel Buttercream

First of all I'm going to tell you how to make the caramel for the salted caramel buttercream.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt,

 kosher or sea

Method: 

1. Combine the sugar, water, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. 

2. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

3. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. 

4. Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn. 

5. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds. 

6. * Be careful here * Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot. 

7. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.  

8. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Save any extra in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Ok, so now you've made your salted caramel it's time to make the buttercream.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter at room temperature 

8 ounces of cream cheese

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 cup salted caramel (recipe above)

Method:

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.

2. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar into butter/cream cheese mixture and beat until combined

 3. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.

4. Add additional powdered sugar until the frosting is the sweetness and consistency you desire.

2. Strawberry Marshmallow Buttercream

This one is one of my favourites, its so creamy and light and has that great strawberry taste. 

Ingredients:

2 tubs of marshmallow fluff

1/2 cup powdered/icing sugar

3 sticks unsalted butter (softened) 

Strawberry extract (can be substituted fro vanilla or any flavour you prefer) 

pink food colouring 

Method:

1) Whip the two containers of marshmallow fluff in a mixer

2) Gradually mix in the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the marshmallow (beat well)

3) Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat well until combined

4) Add 2-3 drops of strawberry extract and 1-2 drops of pink food colouring and stir until completely mixed in.

3. Marshmallow Melt

Heres a quick alternative to buttercream to top your cupcakes, its quick easy and simple to do.

Ingredients:

Large marshmallows

Method:

1) When cupcake have 5 minutes left to bake, top them all with a single marshmallow,

2) The marshmallow will melt on top and turn into a simple buttercream/icing alternative

 4. Nutella buttercream

I saved the best for last here, this one is my all time favourite buttercream, here it is;

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2/3 cup Nutella

6 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

Method:

1) Cream butter and Nutella with a electric mixer until fully combined together and there are no streaks

2) With mixer on low speed add 6 cups of powdered sugar (one at a time) 

3) Finally add in the whipping cream and keep mixing until light and fluffy

4) If buttercream is to thin add more powdered sugar and if to thick add more whipping cream until you have the right consistency

5) Pipe onto cupcakes and enjoy!

Well, thats all I have for today, I hope you enjoyed and if you have a favourite buttercream recipe that you would like to share them please leave it in a comment so we can all have a go at it. As always thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with another blog post. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a good day,

Rachel Ward