If you’re new to baking (or even if you’ve been doing it for a long time) you may have seen references to a few different types of buttercream frostings. Don’t be overwhelmed, this article is going to explain the difference between two of the most popular buttercream recipes, tips for how to make them, and deciding factors about when you may want to use each one. It’s simple!
Buttercream is a very common and popular frosting that gets its name from, well, creamed butter! All buttercream recipes have butter in them, so be sure to have butter on hand before you begin making your own frosting. You can find lots of recipes online, each one is a little different when it comes to the measurements and the instructions however they will all contain the same core ingredient list. Today we’re going to cover two very common recipes:
- American Buttercream
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM:
If you’re like me and grew up in the states, then American buttercream is probably the closest version of the frosting you were used to growing up. It has a very similar taste and consistency as the Pillsbury frosting containers you can pick up at the store. These are great options when you’re in a pinch, but homemade frosting always adds that special touch. Once I started making my own buttercream frosting at home my fiance now refuses to eat frosting out of the jar, which he used to eat straight up with a spoon! Oh and did I mention that American buttercream literally takes five minutes to make and is incredibly versatile?
American buttercream consists of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream or milk. The key to making a great American buttercream is by starting with room temperature butter. You’ll need to whip it to get it extra fluffy, so starting with room temperature butter will make this a lot easier. If the butter is cold it won’t whip up very well and it will most likely stick to the sides of the bowl, so it’s key that you don’t skip this part. If you’re in a crunch for time and you only have cold butter, a way to bring it to room temperature quickly without microwaving it (that will run the risk of melting it and then you really can’t use it). Instead you can use two bowls, one large and one small. Fill the large bowl halfway with warm water, and place the smaller bowl in the large bowl with the unwrapped butter. This will warm up the butter faster without melting it (5-10 minutes). If you do this be sure to watch the butter and only use warm water, not hot water, because as I mentioned before we don’t want the butter to melt. We want it to maintain its brick shape but you should be able to press into in and make a dent. That’s how you know it’s ready. If you’re REALLY in a pinch, you can add cold butter to your mixing bowl and mix it on high speed for 6-7 minutes until its light in color and fluffy. Remember when I said American Buttercream is versatile? I wasn’t joking.
Once the butter is room temperature, place it in your mixer (or in a bowl with a hand mixer) and beat it for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Once I know I’m going to be making frosting I usually place the unwrapped butter directly in the bowl of my stand mixer while waiting for it to get to room temperature. If you’re interested in seeing what types of kitchen tools are best for beginners, check out my other blog post here.
Once the butter is light and fluffy, bring your mixer speed down to low and add in a small amount of vanilla. If you’re trying to achieve a whiter buttercream, you can use clear vanilla instead of the standard brown vanilla. I LOVE using clear vanilla and it has become my go-to over standard vanilla extract. The butter will also prevent it from becoming pure white naturally, but check out my other blog post about coloring frosting here. Using a lighter colored butter will also help you get closer to achieving a whiter buttercream naturally.
Once the butter is fluffy and the vanilla is added, with your mixer still on low start to gradually add in the powdered sugar. Some recipes will tell you to sift the powdered sugar before you add it. I’ve tried making it both with sifted and non-sifted and in my opinion both ways come out the same, so it’s totally up to you! However I always like to measure the sugar in a separate bowl before mixing it with the butter and vanilla because it usually takes quite a few cups and I don’t want to lose track while I’m adding it to the mixer. Pre-measuring your ingredients is a key to success when baking.
As you’re adding the sugar you may notice a giant cloud of powdered sugar gathering on your mixer and all around the counter. This is almost inevitable, but a useful way to prevent it is by placing a damp kitchen towel over the your stand mixer (if you aren’t using a hand mixer).
When you’ve mixed about half of the sugar in you may notice the mixture getting stiff and harder to mix. Once you’ve reached this point you can add either heavy cream or milk to soften it up. I typically use 3 – 4 tablespoons, but you can either follow a recipe or eyeball it based on the consistency level you’re trying to achieve. Finishing adding the rest of the powdered sugar and voila! You’ve made a delicious American Buttercream! If you find it’s still stiff you can add more milk or heavy cream, or if it’s too liquidity you can add more sugar. It’s pretty forgiving.
It’s really important to add the sugar in slowly as you are mixing it with the butter and vanilla. If you add the powdered sugar in quickly you may end up with grainy frosting. You want to continue mixing it to avoid sandy frosting and to achieve the creamy buttercream you intended on making. Additionally, once you are done using your mixer, I always like to mix it a little bit on my own using a silicone spatula to get some of the air bubbles out. If you push the buttercream against the sides of your mixing bowl you can actually feel the air bubbles releasing and you are working your way towards an even creamier buttercream! This step comes especially in handy if you are going for the smooth edges on your cake.
Qualities of American Buttercream versus Swiss Meringue:
- It’s stiffer
- It’s less shiny
- It stiffens when it dries
- It’s very sweet
You can make it in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to one month and the freezer for up to three months. If you do end up storing your buttercream for later, a pro tip I always do is place a sticky note with the day you made it on the storage container. That way you don’t need to try and remember what day you made it and if it’s still good. Before you want to use it let it thaw and whip it up again with your mixer to get the light and fluffy texture back in it before you put it on your cake, cookies or dessert. American buttercream is also a really great option for piping decorations or cakes with fondant or edible images.
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:
Swiss Meringue buttercream is different from American Buttercream because it has egg whites in it. This causes the frosting to have a light and fluffy texture that is similar to a meringue cookie batter. It’s almost airy, whereas American Buttercream has a bit thicker/heavier consistency. It also uses granular sugar instead of powdered sugar, so this could be an option for you if you’ve run out of powdered sugar and can’t make it to the store. The rest of the ingredients are the same but the process is very different and honestly a bit more time consuming.
Qualities of Swiss Meringue Buttercream versus American Buttercream:
- It’s silky
- It’s smooth
- It’s shinier
- It does not stiffen with time, has a marshmallow/fluffy consistency
The first step to making a perfect Swiss merginue buttercream is to wipe down the sides of your bowl and your mixer attachment very thoroughly. Remember how a few paragraphs back I mentioned that American buttercream is the easiest to make and the most forgiving? Yeah, Swiss meringue is not so forgiving, and honestly this step is very critical to the success of your buttercream.
If you’ve never made any type of meringue before that is totally fine, that’s why you are here! I’m going to hold your hand the entire way through. I have also dedicated an entire blog posts to making the perfect meringue cookies – one of my all-time favorite things to make – check it out here.
The purpose of this step is to ensure that there is absolutely no grease in your bowl or on your tools. NO BUTTER! Absolutely nothing can be on your tools or in your bowl before you begin. This counts for anything that is going to come in contact with your egg whites. With American buttercream you start with the butter, but when it comes to Swiss merginue the butter isn’t added until closer to the end, which is why it is so important to start with a grease-free, clean surface. I honestly cannot stress it enough.
The goal when it comes to achieving the perfect meringue is to get what are called stiff peaks. A stiff peak occurs when the egg whites and sugar are beat to the point where they can give themselves enough structure to stand on their own. The true stiff peaks test is to stop your mixer and lift your paddle above the bowl. When the meringue detaches itself from the paddle, does it stand on its own? Or does it fall back over onto itself in the bowl? If it falls back into the bowl you are not quite there yet. Continue to mix until you get there. It’s going to take some time so don’t worry. It usually takes me 10-15 minutes to get the stiff peaks I am going for. If it’s taking you more than 20 minutes and your peaks still aren’t stiff, I hate to say it but there is a good chance there was some remaining grease or residue left in your tools when you began this process. That is precisely why the first step cannot be missed.
If this article was informative, please tag @cakebykelli in your instagram posts! We would love to see your lovely buttercream creations!