Butter Icing

toadfly

Hi guys,

just wondering what receipe do ye use for butter icing? I always use literally just butter and icing sugar with maybe a dash of vanilla. I just came across this one using melted butter. What do ye think?

http://tipdeck.com/how-to-make-butter-icing

What about for chocolate icing? Do ye just mix melted chocolate through?

tootired

There doesn't seem to be quantities on this link, I wonder how much of each they used. The odd time I've let my butter go too far in the microwave and used almost totally melted butter to make buttercream, I couldn't tell the difference taste wise. It may be a bit lighter in texture.

Like you I use unsalted butter 227g, icing sugar sifted 350g. 1 tsp vanilla extract.
If I use more icing sugar the buttercream can be too sickly sweet and if covering a cake it can be very crumbly and hard to crumb coat.

If making white/milk/plain chocolate buttercream I add 200g melted chocolate to the beaten buttercream mixture

pow wow

The melted butter tends to give a more fudgey consistency. I have an awesome recipe for chocolate butter icing made that way (cocoa powder, melted butter, splash of milk and a lot of icing sugar) - I'll post it up tomorrow morning

Faith

I use icing sugar, butter, milk and vanilla extract. The milk makes it easier to pipe I find. For chocolate icing, I just add cocoa powder, although I have added Nutella in the past.

pow wow

Belated recipe post . This is from a magazine circa 1986. You can substitute butter for the block margarine if you like, but the spreadable margarine alters the consistency a wee bit and it doesn't set quite as well. The recipe is enough to sandwich an 8 inch cake and thinly cover the top/sides.

Chocolate Fudge Icing:

3 oz/90g hard margarine (stork, generic etc.)
4 tablespoons milk
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder (sieved)
12 oz/350g icing sugar (sieved)

Place the margarine, milk and cocoa powder into a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the margarine has melted but do not allow to boil. (If it boils it becomes a curdled gloopy mess and although you can still use it for the icing it's not as nice).

Leave mixture to cool a little.

Place sieved icing sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooled mixture and beat until smooth. Leave to get completely cold before using.

sakani

Chocolate fudge recipe
This is actually the choc fudge that is usually on top of eclairs. Made it last week and it was delicious!

100g melted choc
30g real butter
2 table spoons cream
30g icing sugar

Melt the choc and butter, add the cream and seive in the icing sugar. It thickens a little when cooled but add more choc and/or icing if you prefer it thicker.

pow wow

I'd always wondered what that stuff was made of! Now I'll have to make a bowl and eat it this weekend :cool:

toadfly

Thanks for all the replies, will try them out at Easter am gonna make me a birthday cake!

My sister has been talking about me making her wedding cake & cupcakes for August so really want to get the buttercream right.:eek:

Which would be the best receipe for piping??

tootired

Hi Tilly,

Personally I prefer just butter, icing sugar and if using chocolate melted chocolate for piping. I think the trick is to make sure the butter is very very soft and then piping will be a dream. also make sure you use a good quality piping bag, in the past I bought cheap piping bags that broke my heart and I don't know how many I've thrown away. Expect to pay €8-€10 for a good bag, seems like a lot of money but sooo worth it, it makes piping very easy. I'd recommend a 12" Wilton piping bag, it's really sturdy, washable and I hope will last me for ever. Picture attached of piped cupcakes this evening and a link I found helpful for piping swirls onto cupcakes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYy2uiK6T94&feature=related

Acoshla

Try an Italian meringue buttercream, I always use a variation of this for my cakes and cupcakes, I honestly cannot stand the icing sugar/butter buttercream, it makes me feel sick it's so sweet (wish there was a sickface smiley)

toadfly

tootired wrote: »

also make sure you use a good quality piping bag, in the past I bought cheap piping bags that broke my heart and I don't know how many I've thrown away. Expect to pay €8-€10 for a good bag, seems like a lot of money but sooo worth it, it makes piping very easy. I'd recommend a 12" Wilton piping bag, it's really sturdy, washable and I hope will last me for ever. Picture attached of piped cupcakes this evening and a link I found helpful for piping swirls onto cupcakes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYy2uiK6T94&feature=related

Thanks tootired, yes I do need to buy a new piping bag, any recommendations on where to get one? Those cupcakes look fab and thanks for the link.

Spadina wrote: »

Try an Italian meringue buttercream,

Oh ya I did look at this when you told me about it before but it looks impossible to make. It needs fancy attachments for mixing according to any receipes I have looked up online. And different temps before mixing and it seems very difficult

Acoshla

Really? Hmm, mine is a tricky technique but no weird attachments, just normal balloon whisk. There's another alternative where you add some custard to the normal butter icing, reduces the sweetness and give it nice texture, I'm working on getting the recipe for you from my mother!

tootired

Tillygirl, I get most of my stuff from www.stuff4cakes.ie She's based in Cloonboo which is on the N84 to Headford. She's a pleasure to deal with and from what I can see is in and around the same price if not cheaper than other cake supplies sites. I use a Wilton 1M tip for piping the swirls.

emzibob

can anyone recommend a recipe for making nutella icing? i have a ton of it at home with nothing to do with it and plan on making some cupcakes for my neices this weekend so thought maybe i could make an icing with it as i normally just top them off with basic icing ( water and icing sugar) and chocolate sprinkles

Sigma Force

nutella butter cream

250g icing sugar, sifted
80g unsalted butter @ room temp
25ml whole milk
80g nutella

Beat the icing sugar and butter together until well mixed.
Slowly pour in the milk and when it is incorporated beat until the frosting is light and fluffy (about 5 mins)
Stir in the nutella until evenly mixed.

emzibob

thanks sigma force!!!

toadfly

Anyone put white choc into butter cream and what brand would you recommend?

Eviledna

Yes! In fact I bought some tonight to do that very thing I think lidl's bellconte brand, purple box, whoops ass. It melts better than dream, tesco or even Lindt or green&blacks, all @ €1.39.
Yay for white chocolate :-)

toadfly

Ah thanks for that

prettie

can anyone help can you pipe buttercream on a fresh cream sponge???

prettie

sorry should have made myself clear fresh cream sponge with cream on top can u write on top of the cream with butter icing???

Eviledna

Yes,but as buttercream is heavier than normal cream, depending on the depth, it may sink.

Maybe try chocolate ganache? Equal parts chocolate and cream, heat the cream just to boiling point and pour over chopped chocolate til it melts, cool, then whip the bejaysus out of it until fluffy light and pipe.

Alternatively, pipe what you want to write in chocolate on parchment, freeze and place solid choc letters/words atop the cream.

prettie

thank you so much eviledna tried the choc ganach and worked a treat

toadfly

Eviledna wrote: »

Maybe try chocolate ganache? Equal parts chocolate and cream, heat the cream just to boiling point and pour over chopped chocolate til it melts, cool, then whip the bejaysus out of it until fluffy light and pipe.

Can ganache be used as a cake filling? or is it too light?

Eviledna

It sure can, apparently in Australia that's all they use! No buttercream for the aussies...

All you do is make it in the normal way, allow to cool completely and it will go harder, then beat the bejaysus outa it until light and fluffy and spread on like buttercream.

It's kinda thinner but less sickening than original buttercream I think.

Acoshla

TillyGirl wrote: »

Can ganache be used as a cake filling? or is it too light?

As Eviledna said it's a very common cake filling, especially in yummy dessert cakes. I use a form of ganache inside all my chocolate cakes, I let it cool until it's nice and thick and smooth and then spread it like nutella