Cake! magazine Download and Print May 2019 Cake! Magazine | Page 20

American Buttercream Recipe
You will need:
Materials
Step 12:
Step 11:
Make up a batch of your favourite buttercream (I
used American buttercream) and use gel colours
to tint. Divide in to piping bags fitted with a variety
of piping tips. I used 2D (closed star), 195 (pastry
tip), 126 (petal tip).
I started by icing
my cupcake in white
buttercream, using a
small palette knife to
smooth it on. Using the
126 tip, position the
larger opening of the tip
at the bottom.
Step 13:
Pipe a ruffle by moving
the tip in a side to
side motion, keeping
the wider part of the
tip positioned at the
bottom.
• 500g salted butter, softened
• 1kg icing sugar mixture
• Boiling water
• Flavouring of choice
• Gel colouring
• Using a paddle attachment, beat
the butter until smooth and pale.
Gradually add the icing sugar, adding
1-2 tablespoons of boiling water at a time
as required. Add flavour to taste and add
gel colour until desired shade is achieved.
BUTTERCREAM TIPS:
• I like to use salted butter as this helps to cut through the sweetness of the sugar.
• Using boiling water helps to dissolve any graininess from the icing sugar. I like to use
water instead of milk as this extends the shelf life of the buttercream.
• I use icing sugar mixture for cupcakes as I like the buttercream to maintain a soft crust.
Using pure icing sugar will result in a firmer crust.
• Keep in mind that colours will deepen overnight, so don’t be too heavy-handed when
colouring your buttercream.
• If you find that your buttercream has a yellow tone, either whiten with gel colour or
titanium dioxide prior to colouring. Yellow tones can also be counteracted by adding a
tiny amount (a spot on the end of a toothpick is plenty) of purple gel prior to colouring
your buttercream. Yellow and purple are opposites on the colour wheel, so this is why
balancing the colour will bring it back to a whiter base.
Step 14: Step 15:
Using the 195 piping tip,
pipe a small rosette. I
started at the inside and
worked my way out to
ensure it stayed flat. Using the 2D piping tip,
pipe a small rosette.
Again, I started at the
inside and worked my
way out to ensure it
stayed flat. Using Edible
Art Paint or gel colour,
paint on some abstract
spots and stripes on the
remaining white section.