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A cake with a smooth buttercream finish creates a professional look without the time and practice required for techniques like rolled fondant (also known as sugarpaste). Once you master how to frost a cake smoothly with buttercream, you can create an ideal surface for piping borders, flowers and other decorations.
The way to recreate a pattern or imagery in frosting is to break it down into manageable steps. Animal prints consist of a background and a repeated basic shape. For example, zebra print consists of a white background with black, tapered, curved bands. Leopard print consists of a beige background with overlapping brown and black blotches. You can achieve these shapes with any fine-tipped round piping tip.
Softening margarine doesn't seem like a difficult task, particularly in this day and age of microwave ovens. However, it is easy to go from having a rock-hard piece of margarine to getting stuck with a goopy mess, if you get a little too carried away with the temperature settings. Avoid a kitchen disaster (and giant mess) by following a few simple steps to turn your hard, unspreadable margarine into something a bit easier to work with.
Buttercream is one of the most forgiving frostings for cakes and desserts. It doesn't have to be applied perfectly; it tastes great and it can be left out on the counter for days. A buttercream-frosted cake can be made up to five days in advance. The frosting forms a seal to protect the cake from drying air, and it stays soft and creamy at room temperature. Just don't allow it to get too warm. Buttercream will begin to melt in heat and humidity.
Butter and margarine are both organic, solid oils at room temperature. Butter is made from whole cream whereas margarine is made from vegetable oils. Margarine and butter are primarily interchangeable in recipes since both perform the same function of adding oil to whatever you are cooking. Butter and margarine have similar content in ratio with almost identical levels of fat (80 percent); water and solids (20 percent), and salt (1.5 to 3percent).
The rich, creamy taste of butter is often preferred to that of margarine. Margarine is full of unnatural ingredients, which can be avoided by substituting butter instead. This is easy to do when baking, but butter and margarine are less interchangeable when it comes to spreading them on toast. There are a few methods you can use to replace margarine with the smooth taste of butter.
Buttercream icing is a mixture of shortening, confectioner's sugar and liquids blended together to make the topping for a perfect cake. When mixed correctly, the icing makes a smooth topping that slightly stiffens upon standing. When not mixed properly, buttercream icing can be too stiff, lacking flavor or lumpy. Lumpy buttercream icing can be easily repaired and salvaged by adding more milk.
Revive crystallized buttercream icing by adding some common ingredients. Buttercream is a soft icing made from equal amounts of butter and powdered sugar. It is very versatile, being used for cake toppings as well as being suitable for piping boarders and decorations and can be mixed with numerous flavors and colors. Buttercream, however, is sensitive to heat and humidity which can cause it to break down.
Paste or gel coloring can be added to homemade or canned frosting to customize a cake when you want to decorate your cake in a specific color scheme. You can use traditional food coloring to dye frosting, but paste or gel coloring allows you to achieve more intense hues and you can get a wider variety of colors, which enables you to mix just the right shade you're looking for. When tinting the frosting, keep in mind that the color will deepen after two hours. It is always easier to make the color darker, but it's very difficult to lighten…
Swiss buttercream is made by adding softened butter to a Swiss meringue, turning it into icing. Swiss meringue, in turn, is made by heating sugar and egg whites over a double boiler to make the eggs food-safe, then whipping it to a glossy foam. Many flavoring ingredients can be added to Swiss buttercream to adapt it for specific recipes. Liquid flavoring extracts, like vanilla, are best added to the meringue when it is almost finished. Stiffer and high-fat ingredients, like chestnut puree or melted chocolate, are best blended into the finished buttercream.
No cake is complete without a border around the edges. Especially when covered in fondant, cakes require something to cover the seams between layers and between the cake and its base. Some cake decorators create elaborate flower arrangements or tiny figures for this purpose. Others take a simpler route with buttercream rope. These twisted ropes give cakes finished elegance without a lot of time or effort. Even a beginner can make buttercream ropes in a snap.
Substituting margarine for butter in a food as delicate as buttercream icing is not as straightforward as one might think. The chemistry of margarine is different from that of butter, which is one reason this is not a simple one-to-one substitution. If you are substituting for health reasons, keep in mind that neither butter nor margarine is particularly good for your health, so you should select a margarine with liquid vegetable oil or water as their first ingredient. This keeps the saturated and trans-fatty acids to a minimum. The recipe below is quick, easy, and entirely vegan, and does not…
Buttercream is a mixture of butter and sugar that is used for spreading or decoration. Swiss buttercream is made by warming eggs and Italian buttercream is made by cooking sugar. Adding flavorings such as vanilla or fruit makes this mixture versatile. If you want to add color, use shortening instead of butter. Butter makes the mixture yellow, which means that it is difficult to get certain colors such as blue or pink.
Melted marshmallows are used to make bar cookies, fondant, frosting, candies and other sweet treats. Marshmallows can be melted in either the microwave or the stove-top. No matter which method you use, the key is to stir the marshmallows frequently. Stirring helps to ensure they melt smoothly, and prevents the marshmallows from burning. You will also want to add a few tablespoons of water, butter or oil to the marshmallows while melting. This allows the marshmallows to be smoothly incorporated into the melted marshmallow mixture.
Buttercream frosting is used to add a sweet, buttery flavor to all types of confections, from a child's birthday cake to a classic white wedding cake. The frosting is made from a combination of powdered sugar, butter or shortening and vanilla extract and is either spread, piped on or used as a filling in cakes and cupcakes.A strawberry buttercream frosting that is too thin will not lay correctly on the confection and is thickened without altering the taste.
Homemade frosting is always appreciated, whether it is a beaten, whipped or cooked version of this tasty cake topping. The love and care that often go into the process seems to magically make the frosting taste better. But the time required to make your own frosting may not suit your busy schedule. That's when canned frosting from the grocery store or even a convenience store comes in handy. It gets the job done but can prove dense, gummy and sticky. Lightening it up is a simple process accomplished by incorporating air into the frosting.
Swiss meringue buttercream is used to decorate cupcakes and cakes. The frosting can be piped into swirls and rosettes.There a few different types of meringue buttercream. The most common forms are variations of a similar process. Swiss meringue buttercream is made by dissolving sugar in warmed egg whites and beating them. The frosting has the taste of real butter and a silky-smooth texture. Fruit puree and chocolate can also be added to the frosting to flavor it.
Buttercream icing is a mixture of fat, usually butter, and confectioners sugar. You can add cream, eggs and flavorings such as vanilla or chocolate as desired. Use buttercream for icing cakes and making decorative accents. The ideal buttercream is smooth, light and fluffy, never grainy or lumpy. To prevent lumps, sifting the icing sugar thoroughly is necessary. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you begin. Beat the butter until it's soft, then add your other ingredients slowly, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as you go.
Marshmallows and marshmallow fluff are similar but not identical products. Marshmallow fluff is made using a batch-whipping process from corn and sugar syrups, dried egg whites and vanillin. Marshmallows, which are firmer, also include gelatin, confectioners' sugar and corn starch. In many cases, marshmallows can be effectively and simply substituted for marshmallow fluff, although the process can be somewhat trial-and-error, depending on the recipe. Sometimes, marshmallows can be substituted directly; in other cases you will need to cook them down into a creamier substance to achieve the desired consistency.
Meringue cracking does not have to spoil your confections. To avoid egg white meringue cracking, begin by selecting eggs carefully and following a few simple techniques to prepare your meringue for success. There are many different styles of meringue. Soft meringues are used as pie topping. Italian meringue can be used as cake topping, and hard meringue is used for pie or tart shells or piped confections.
Buttercream is a common topping for desserts. In its most basic form, it is created by mixing butter and icing sugar. There are also other forms, such as meringue-based icing. However, no matter what kind of buttercream icing is made, other elements and ingredients, such as cocoa and vanilla, are often added to the creamed butter to create other flavors of icing. One means of achieving fruity flavors is to add dried fruit powder. It is a natural way of adding taste and color to the icing.
Almond buttercream frosting is a delicious topping on chocolate and vanilla cakes, and is stiff enough to use for decorating cupcakes and cookies. Almond-flavored icing also complements many cherry desserts, as almonds are in the same botanical family as cherries. Cakes that are iced with almond buttercream frosting need not be refrigerated so long as they are stored at a cool room temperature. The high amount of sugar in buttercream frosting acts as a preservative.
Lavender is used in everything from soaps to bubble baths to face creams for its unique scent. This is a delicious recipe for lavender cupcakes with butter cream frosting.
There are almost as many ways to pipe icing flowers for cakes as there are flowers in the world. Some techniques attempt to replicate the beauty of nature, while other designs create looks and colors that would never be found in a garden. The most basic flower decoration is the rose, and is easy to achieve on your first try. From this simple design, you can branch out to create dazzling cakes for any event.
Meringue powder is one of the main ingredients used in icings and frostings. A fine, white powder, it is made of dried egg whites, sugar, gum and salt, according to JoyofBaking.com. Adding meringue powder to a butter-cream frosting works as a stabilizer, making it easier to work with to make flowers, leaves or other frosting decorations.
When making homemade cakes and cupcakes, successfully completing the cake component is only half the process. Instead of using frosting from a can, be brave and make your own. Even if baking isn't your specialty, making a homemade buttercream frosting is not nearly as difficult as it seems. In fact, making your own buttercream frosting from scratch is an inexpensive and easy project that will make any cake even more delicious.
When baking a homemade cake, homemade buttercream frosting is a must. It's sweet and easy to make from scratch, and will add that finishing touch to your confection. Use buttercream frosting to ice the cake and for decorations.
When it comes to cake baking, the frosting turns an ordinary cake into an extraordinary cake. Homemade, fluffy, delicious buttercream frosting will have everyone in your household licking his fingers. It's so simple and easy to make, you may never use store-bought frosting again.
Key lime cupcakes are a great spring or summer dessert --- the citrus zing offers a bit of refreshment and tempers the sweetness of the frosting. This recipe is both easy and heartfelt. By using store-bought cake mix you reduce the prep time considerably, but by making your own fluffy buttercream you add that all-important homemade touch.
With this quick and easy buttercream frosting recipe, you can make a delicious homemade frosting in minutes. The recipe calls for just a few basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Follow these steps, and you'll have a light and fluffy buttercream frosting for your favorite cakes and cupcakes.
Vanilla buttercream frosting is a traditional topping for cakes, cupcakes and other baked goods. This frosting has a rich, buttery flavor with a hint of vanilla. It is also simple to create as it does not require any actual cooking. Simply mix together a few common ingredients and you can have a delicious buttercream frosting in just a few minutes. You can even add your own spin and include any flavors you like such as coconut or almond.
This frosting recipe is perfect for any type of cake. This recipe makes enough for a three-tier cake plus decorations. Food coloring blends really well with this frosting if you'd like to make colored frosting instead of pure white.
Hands down the creamiest frosting you will ever make.
Brontosaurus, Iguanodon, T-Rex, oh my! If your child’s current obsession is the almighty dinosaur, then you simply can’t go wrong with making a cool dinosaur shaped cake for this year’s dino themed birthday party. It is not hard and you can be certain that the kids will all love it.
Don't bother telling your friends that these vegan carrot cake cupcakes are vegan, because they're so delicious it will make no difference. The cupcakes are light and moist, and the creamy vegan buttercream frosting finishes them off in high style.
Mocha buttercream frosting is a decadent topping to any dessert. It's an obvious match to chocolate cakes, cookies, and brownies but for more unique dessert, think about pairing it with a raspberry or white chocolate dessert. It's like a rich coffee drink you can eat.
Buttercream frosting comes in many variations to provide different tastes and textures. Homemade buttercream frosting requires few ingredients and does not have the artificial taste that store-purchased frosting can have. You can use buttercream frosting with cupcakes, layer cakes, sheet cakes and other delicious desserts. Use a thinner buttercream frosting glaze to drizzle over donuts or muffins.
This recipe isn't for beginners, but if you can handle it, you'll love it. Yields about 3 cups.
