Tips and Trick to Improve Your Buttercream Game

Whether you are a home baker or work professionally in the culinary industry, you know buttercream is one of the key ingredients in cake making. Albeit its modest look, buttercream can really showcase how good of a pastry chef you are. It looks simple to make, but making a smooth and light buttercream may be harder than you thought. So are there any tips or tricks to make the best buttercream?

1. Know Your Technique

The traditional buttercream usually consists of three ingredients, which are egg white, sugar, and of course butter. Despite its name, traditional buttercream doesn't use cream in the recipe. There are two main and common types of buttercream, and those are Swiss-meringue buttercream and Italian-meringue buttercream. The distinction between those kinds is the method used in the making process. Swiss-meringue buttercream requires a swiss meringue base, while the Italian-meringue buttercream calls for an Italian meringue base.

The two methods require different techniques and yield different results. The Swiss-meringue technique requires you to pre-cook the egg white and sugar in a double boiler until the sugar completely dissolves. Then you will whip the egg white mixture into a meringue, and add the butter last. While the Swiss-meringue technique seems more approachable by beginners, some said the Italian-meringue method produces a more stable buttercream. However, the Italian technique calls for a sugar syrup that needs to be boiled up to 240'F/115'C, before adding it to a whipping egg white. This buttercream needs more precision and additional equipment (thermometer) to make. 

2. Patience is Key

Making buttercream requires time. You can't rush the process when making a buttercream to get the best result. In the Swiss-meringue method, you need to constantly whisk the egg mixture on low heat until the granulated sugar completely dissolves. Setting the stove on high heat will only cook the egg white, and if the sugar doesn't completely dissolve your buttercream will have that grainy texture. The Italian buttercream also takes some time because you have to boil the sugar syrup to an exact temperature to completely cook the sugar (without turning it into a caramel) and stable enough for the egg white. So making buttercream takes time and patience.

3. Let The Meringue Cools Completely

If there is a common rookie mistake in making buttercream, is not letting the meringue cools completely. Whether you are using the Swiss or Italian method, the meringue mixture will be hot. If you add butter while the meringue is still hot, it will melt the butter and make your buttercream split. It is quite difficult to fix a split buttercream. Hence why it is important to whip the meringue until it cools completely (until your bowl isn't warm to the touch), and only then you can add your soft and room temperature butter. It generally will take 10-20 minutes for the meringue to completely cools down, depends on how much buttercream you're making.

4. Adding Condensed Milk 

It is definitely not the traditional way, but adding condensed milk into your buttercream can completely step up your game. The condensed milk will add extra sweetness and creaminess to the buttercream without overpowering it. The thick texture of the condensed milk also won't make your buttercream any thinner, so it will hold up nicely as frosting.

5. Flavorings

It is no secret that flavorings play a huge role in buttercream making. Traditional buttercream is great, but it could be quite bland for the tongue. Adding vanilla essence/paste is the most common and easy way to flavor buttercream. However, you could also play with the sugar a little bit, substituting some of the granulated sugar with homemade salted caramel sugar (ground dry salted caramel) to add extra flavor. Flavorings is where you can get creative with the buttercream and showcase your creativity as a chef.