Sounds great. For us in Canada, how much butter measured in cups? How big is a stick of butter?

In the US, a standard stick of butter is 8 Tablespoons which equals 1/2 cup.

With the sour cream in the icing, I would think that the cakes would have to be kept refrigerated. What have you found in using this icing? I'm concerned about using this for wedding cakes, seeing how they are sitting out for several hours before the reception even begins.

Does it crust well?

With all of that sugar, you don't have to worry about spoilage on the milk products ... I have used a similar recipe with buttermilk instead of the sr.crm & works like a charm!

I will have to try it, sounds good!

How much sour cream?

Would it make much difference to use vegetable shortening instead of butter?

just wondering ...with u recomend this for a crumb coat

Since there isn't much salt. Will it crust well and quick? I usually add a little salt to mine to make it less sweet plus it crust faster.

Thank you this recipe sounds awesome!! and I also want to know...does it crust good?

I also would like to know how much sour cream you are using?

I would like to try this resipe, but how much sour cream will I need?

The "Instructions" part of the recipe tells how much sour cream to use.

@goofy372...i dont think I would use this recipe for a wedding cake. For the simple fact that its dairy products and you never know it may go sour or separate after a couple of hours....I say stick with what you know.

This makes an incredible buttercream - if I can add my twopence worth - in the UK I would use 10oz slightly salted butter a hard block, not your tub variety and yes it makes a big difference if you use shortening - (UK - shortening melts differently in the mouth, does not whip to the consistency of butter and well it just isn't butter - that's not to say you couldn't make this with shortening, it would make a much brighter, whiter icing, so could actually offer a cleaner, crisper look. But, the real key to this icing is the mix time - 1 standard block - 10oz - approx 250g hard butter, left out overnight, beat with electric whisk (I haven't got a stand mixer, but it would be preferable) slowly for 10 or 20 secs in a really large bowl. Increase through the speeds, til you hit warp speed (I wish) then continue to beat the butter for approx 5 mins - it will get lighter, fluffier, just glorious. Next, tip in 1 standard box - 20oz - 500g - Icing Sugar (no need to sift), 1 slurp (generous tablespoon plus a bit more if needed!) single cream. Will def try sour cream tip - thanks, The cream gives lightness, richness and creaminess... go cream! Next chuck in your flavourings (crucial to achieving almost orgasmically good buttercream (I use three different vanillas in my Vanilla Bean Buttercream - but then I'm very sad. Or you could try adding 10oz (large bar) of good darkish - 55% - melted chocolate at this point... oh mamma) Add any colourings And, Initially fold gently with a spoon just until the main sugar cloud has subsided, then start in again with your whisk and whisk for 5 - 10 mins - I like the creamy billowy fluffiness you get after mixing it for 8+ minutes - it pipes borders and stars etc like a dream, but to pipe roses etc, either chill down your piping equipment or fill your piping bag with the buttercream then wang it in the fridge for 5 minutes, this just solidifies the butter enough to pipe stiffer roses or more detailed work - if poss place back in fridge - 20 mins is sufficient to set the shape - it's not necessary, sometimes there isn't time, but it certainly aids in the portability of the cakes In it's fluffy state, the buttercream, makes a great crumb coat, goes on very easily, quite thin or thick as you like, doesn't pull at the sponge and crusts like a dream - perhaps it's the salt in the butter, but sugar is a notorious crust former - as is butter. And in twenty years of weddings and children's parties, hospital fetes, school functions and lunchboxes, the buttercream has never once deteriorated despite sitting out all day, (only codocil to this is heat - if you're sweating, chances are your buttercream is too) But, if kept at room temperature, well covered (mainly to avoid absorbing nearby odours), it can last for days and days. Sorry to blather on, but properly whipped buttercream is a serious culinary dream

The Mich Turner Recipe is really good!!! from "Spectacular Cakes" book I recommend it!!! I use 9 ounces unsalted butter softened (kirkland costco is good too) and 4 cups of confectioner sugar. and the preference flavor I use almond emulsion is super good for smooth water 1 to 2 tsp of water

Hi, i need to make a raspberry buttercream and wondered if this would last?? Ive never made a butercream with fresh fruit before and wasnt sure how long i would be able to leave it for, i plan on putting it between vanilla sponge and covering it in fondant but dont want to put it in the fridge......do you think it would last a week??

This sounds very interesting and I would love to try but imam also wondering if this has been used under fondant or marshmallow fondant??

will def try this out! dazedand thank you for your heavenly take on buttercream and you experience! i loved reading your above post and will def refer back it for future reference!

How did you like the recipe, crusted nice, taste, thank you

This is sooo much better than that stuff from wilton class!!! wish I had know before I made any cakes. I'm so grateful to all who share thier recipes, ideas, and frienships here. THANKYOU!!

For sugar321, I do appreciate this is probably way too late to help with your query, but just wanted to share, (oh Lord, here she goes again) that buttercream due to its high fat content and fresh fruit, due to its high acidic content, are not a match made in heaven, the risk of curdling is seriously high and in order to achieve a really full flavour the amount of fruit needed would make the buttercream unworkable. But, number of options include - oven drying fresh fruit - whole raspberries on a baking sheet, oven on absolute lowest setting, leave with door ajar overnight, whizz in coffee grinder, or blender to produce a dry paste, which can be sifted to remove the majority of seeds (Unfortunately even at the lowest setting my silly old oven still manages to cook the fruit, giving a jaminess which detracts from the idea of fresh fruit), But, of course you can use jam if you don't mind that 'cooked' aspect. For me, however, even using a high quality, no added sugar, extra fruit kind of jam, the sweetness level becomes too high. Wilton, bless their hearts, now make fruit fondant, in four flavours, this stuff is very good and just needs whipping with butter in order to produce a fluffy buttercream with a fresh fruit feel - or if mixed with water produces a wonderfully coloured pourable fondant for the most ridiculously cute petit fours - it's available in the UK - cakecraftshop.co.uk, squiresonline.co.uk, cakedecoratingcompany.co.uk all stock it. The other option, which was my go to before Wilton started producing the fruit fondants, and is by no means completely retired, is to use a combination of freeze dried fruit - Sosa (the most extraordinary company which caters to the like of El Bulli and Heston Blumenthal) produce a fabulous selection of vibrant freeze dried fruit powders, available in the UK from wildharvestuk.com - (but if you have half a day check out the Sosa website - awe inspiring stuff) this fruit powder can be incorporated into the buttercream with the icing sugar, it retains all the qualities of the fresh fruit including the seeds, which I tend to sift out. I further supplement the buttercream with a Raspberry Flavouring from Sosa's Extract Range, also available from wildharvestuk.com, or a Lorann Oil Flavouring, available from makeawishcakeshop.co.uk or cakedecoratingcompany.co.uk, I also use a touch of dark pink paste food colouring, just to boost the colour - this pipes and eats like a dream and when swirled onto dark chocolate fudge cupcakes and finished with a scattering of white non-pareils, looks simply stunning. Apologies for banging on again, you may have guessed, I'm slightly OCD when it comes to frosting?? x

Oh and 'Tanu' thanks so much, I didn't mean to hijack this post and now I've done it twice, but you're such a sweetheart to let me know you liked it. Cheers, Hon x Oh! And good luck with all endeavours - frosting based or otherwise x

Oh Glory, sorry about this guy's, but for Steffla - yes it works a treat under fondant and out of the fridge, in cooler climes at least, well I am in Britain, it will keep for four or five days without deteriorating or spoiling. You can even do a crumb coat, fridge the whole cake, if it'll fit for 20 mins, then do a second layer of the buttercream, this time going quite a bit thicker up to 1/4" or 10mm (ish), smooth this second as well as possible, but not perfectly, fridge again, this time for a good hour or two, really let the buttercream get solid, then using a palette knife or an icing smoother in small gently sweeping movements you can smooth the icing to a pretty razor sharp finish. NB: This technique only works because hard butter not the tubbed variety was used in the recipe, this enables the buttercream to go really hard when refrigerated, but within a few minutes depending on the warmth or your kitchen, the day, your equipment, the buttercream will begin to become too soft and start to drag, at this point either fridge the cake again, work quick, or just pipesomething over the bits that didn't quite smooth as hoped! This is an easy technique and means you don't always have to rely on fondant or royal icing for a smooth finish - the other great thing is that once back at serving/room temperature, the buttercream returns to it's lush and fluffy former self - it really is very well behaved. Good luck. I'm going now. Honest!

thanks for you recp.sounds good,but i need for wedding cake,can keep borders,and designs,and for several hours before eaten not ruin,or spoiled,please i need answer

This really is the best buttercream ever! I have used it twice now and it's great. Great tasting, holds up well in heat, crusts nicely. All around a great butter cream. It's silky too which I love and not overly sweet tasting. I added some creme' bouquet and it was phenomenal! Thank you!