Basic American Buttercream Frosting
Try this Basic American Buttercream Frosting recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Basic American Buttercream Frosting recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cupcake (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the butter, sugar, and flavorings in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter.
- Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
- Store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container and bring it back to room temperature before using to pipe or frost.
Confectioners' sugar contains a small percentage of cornstarch to prevent caking in the box, a functional detail that alters the final stabilization of the fat and sugar matrix during high-speed aeration. When beating unsalted butter with powdered sugar, mechanical action whips air pockets into the continuous fat phase while dissolving micro-crystals into the minimal moisture present. If the butter is warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the emulsion breaks and separates into a greasy slurry because the milk solids cannot hold the liquid fat under friction.
Batch scaling requires maintaining the standard two-to-one sugar-to-butter weight ratio to preserve structural integrity, though doubling the volume in a standard stand mixer may strain the motor if added all at once. Leftover frosting keeps safely for up to one month stored in an airtight container held at or below freezing temperatures. Thaw the frozen buttercream completely in the refrigerator overnight, then re-whip it on medium speed for precisely sixty seconds in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to restore its original spreadable consistency.
