Buttercream Frosting

Baking By suzyqbaking Updated 6 Sep 2016 , 5:16pm by -K8memphis

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suzyqbaking Posted 27 Aug 2016 , 1:57am
post #1 of 31

Does anyone have a creamy smooth buttercream recipe with only butter? I have been using the crusting buttercream recipe and it doesn't come out as smooth. If anyone could share a recipe I would really appreciate it. 

30 replies
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ElizabethsCakeCreations Posted 27 Aug 2016 , 3:22am
post #2 of 31

Just use your recipe and use butter in place of shortening

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kakeladi Posted 27 Aug 2016 , 6:13pm
post #3 of 31

Also to what elizabeth said........slowly stir it for up to 10minutes.   You will be very surprised at how smooth and creamy it becomes.   Here is a great recipe but it does use 1/2 & 1/2.  I bet it you tried it you'd like it :)

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shaloop Posted 29 Aug 2016 , 6:49pm
post #4 of 31

Use all butter in place of the shortening.  Beat butter alone till smooth and creamy.  Add half powdered sugar and half liquid. Beat  till smooth and creamy. All rest of sugar and start whipping. Add as much if remaining liquid as needed fir proper consistency. Do final bowl scrape and then beat until light, fluffy and smooth. Usually I use 1 lb butter to 2 lbs powdered sugar. 1/4 to 1/3 half and half and 1 tbsp extract..

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sugarbritches Posted 29 Aug 2016 , 8:37pm
post #5 of 31

I only use swiss meringue buttercream to frost my cakes.  All butter, super smooth and yummy.

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kakeladi Posted 30 Aug 2016 , 6:26am
post #6 of 31

.............swiss meringue buttercream ,,,,,,,,  All butter, super smooth and yummy........

Not everyone cares for either of the meringue icings..   I've tried it and almost gagged -- you might as well just eat a stick of butter :(  Just NOT to my liking at all.   

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sugarbritches Posted 30 Aug 2016 , 1:31pm
post #7 of 31

You know that's true kakeladi, some people absolutely hate Swiss meringue buttercream! I love it but mostly love decorating with it. Thank goodness we have lots of frosting recipes to choose from! 

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Pastrybaglady Posted 30 Aug 2016 , 6:13pm
post #8 of 31

If the meringue buttercreams are not to your liking you could also try the cooked flour frostings. 

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CakeRN Posted 4 Sep 2016 , 3:26pm
post #9 of 31

How do the meringue buttercream hold up? Do they have to be refrigerated

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suzyqbaking Posted 4 Sep 2016 , 4:05pm
post #10 of 31

Thank you everyone for all your help! I'm going to try just using all butter to see how it works out. I do want to try a Swiss Meringue recipe. I've tried it one time before and failed horribly but I'm willing to try it again. Curious to see how it tastes and how it is to work with. 

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julia1812 Posted 4 Sep 2016 , 4:34pm
post #11 of 31

Swiss meringue buttercream is the one and only choice for me! Eating a mouthful of shortening and icing sugar is reserved for my kids. But tastes are different. Try what's out there and pick your favourite I'd say...

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CakeRN Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 2:24am
post #12 of 31

what are cooked flour icing recipes?


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julia1812 Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 3:07am
post #13 of 31

Ermine buttercream is cooked flour buttercream 

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Pastrybaglady Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 3:31am
post #14 of 31

It's cooked flour, milk and sugar. Then it's whipped and butter and flavorings are added. It has a very nice mild not too sweet flavor.

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moreCakePlz Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 2:21pm
post #15 of 31

I just tried the Ermine for the first time yesterday, and while it tasted pretty good it was way too soft.  I guess I did something wrong because I had to add 2 cups of powdered sugar at the end just to get it thick enough to spread on the cake.  Don’t think I’ll try it again; it just doesn’t seem stable enough for sitting in warm-ish rooms or going under fondant. 


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julia1812 Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 3:47pm
post #16 of 31

@moreCakePlz  Did you cook the roux until it was very thick? And did you cool it completely? 

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moreCakePlz Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 9:32pm
post #17 of 31

@julia1812 ‍ I thought it was thick enough.  Here is a picture, and it cooled about 2 hours before I used it.  It felt cool to the touch.  I didn't notice any warmth on it.

[postimage id="5041" thumb="900"]

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jchuck Posted 5 Sep 2016 , 11:59pm
post #18 of 31

Funny..I use cooked flour icing all the time. I've never had trouble icing or piping with it. Mind, I refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before using. I also refrigerate my roux until it's cold before I add to my beaten butter, not room temperature.  I personally add just 1 cup of icing sugar and a tblsp of meringue powder to mine. It's not necessary, but helps it crust faster. Do you add your sugar to the milk and flour? That's what I do. So the roux/slurry already has the sugar incorporated. Much easier to do this way, and mixes in with the whipped butter much better. No grittiness either from and unmixed sugar. I call this the poor man's smbc.

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julia1812 Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 2:51am
post #19 of 31

It's hard to tell what could have gone wrong @moreCakePlz . I do the same ^^^ with the sugar and also beat the butter until creamy. Sometimes it's as simple as beating it longer or cooling the roux thicker. I remember I thought the ermine wasn't thick enough when I made it the first time. Think I added the butter slowly slowly to the roux like one does with smbc...but not 100% sure anymore... It's a lovely bc and holds up surprisingly well.

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julia1812 Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 2:52am
post #20 of 31

**I mean I cook it with the sugar. I don't add any icing sugar or meringue powder.

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Pastrybaglady Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 3:00am
post #21 of 31

The flour mixture needs to be cooked longer, when I make it it's more like a paste.

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jchuck Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 3:29am
post #22 of 31

Yes Pastrybaglady

That's a good description. More like a paste than a roux/slurry. Mine is quite thick when added.

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julia1812 Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 4:01am
post #23 of 31

@patrybaglady that's a good description. Paste - not pudding! Actually to the point where you get afraid it might burn...but just keep stirring. And I cover the surface of my roux with cling film to avoid skin forming.

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moreCakePlz Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 1:15pm
post #24 of 31


Thanks @julia1812 ‍,   @jchuck ‍ and  @Pastrybaglady ‍ I will give the Ermine another try and this time I will cook it till it looks like a paste, and then refrigerate the roux before I add it to the butter.   @jchuck do you add the meringue powder to the sugar, flour, and milk before you cook it or do you add the meringue as you are beating the roux into the butter?


And @suzyqbaking ‍ for a very interesting summary of 7 different butter creams check out this video by Ann Reardon.  The kids doing the taste tests are hilarious.  



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julia1812 Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 1:44pm
post #25 of 31

That video is hilarious. Have watched it some time ago. But guess 10 kids - 10 results - you can never please all.

There is another one which shows how the different bcs hold up in hot weather. Very interesting...

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jchuck Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 2:57pm
post #26 of 31

moreCakePlz

I add the icing sugar and meringue powder after adding the paste/roux is fully incorporated into the butter. After icing has  taken shape and doesn't fall off the beaters when lifted up out of the bowl. Depending on the heat of the day/humidity, I may add a 2nd cup of icing sugar. But I always refrigerate icing for 10-15 min. Just helps firm up a bit, especially for piping.

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-K8memphis Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 3:05pm
post #27 of 31

I cooked my flour/sugar/milk till it bubbled -- just a few bubbles because you don't want it popping on you -- then yes I also got mine cold -- in the freezer - but I never added anything but the butter and vanilla -- I used to use shortening too I think -- usually I used butter though

jchuck -- exactly perfect 'poor mans smbc'!

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jchuck Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 3:43pm
post #28 of 31

Yes..poor man's SMBC...without the fuss..and the worry it won't turn out. Never had a failure with this icing. Family loves it.

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-K8memphis Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 4:14pm
post #29 of 31

i used it for all my weddings back in the day -- could get it so nice & smooth -- yep never a worry that it wouldn't turn out -- it's my son's nostalgic favorite -- it's an excellent formula -- it's kinda weirdy at first because of the flour but once you get over that -- wow -- and back then there was no communication with other decorators -- way pre-internet -- you just tried something and used it if it worked for yah -- so it's extra cool to me that it is popular now --

i'll be honest i was allergic to anything that required a thermometer so i really loved this stuff --

and my recipe said to use the butter nice & cold into room temp cooked mixture but i did it the opposite and it always worked to a treat as they say

> high five <

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jchuck Posted 6 Sep 2016 , 4:33pm
post #30 of 31

I'd actually forgotten about this recipe till a decorating colleague mentioned to me about 3 yrs ago. My Mom use to make this when she first came to Canada in 1944. They used shortening in Scotland because of rationing. Rationing was also here in Canada as well until about 1948-49. Although not nearly ad stringent as the UK. So Mom actually taught this recipe to my grandma and my aunts. She started using 1/2 & 1/2 shortening and butter. By the time I was probably 6-7 yrs old, it was all butter. I can remember Mom letting me plop the paste into the Sunbeam mixmaster...ahhh...such sweet memories. Now I'm excited to start baking with my almist 3 yr old grandson.

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