Mastering the Art of Buttercream Cake Design

Buttercream is also called butter frosting or butter icing. It is used mainly for decorating, coating, or filling cakes. The main ingredients are some kinds of sugar and butter.

Buttercream is typically flavored with Vanilla. It can also include other flavors such as fruits, chocolate, and other extracts. When used for decorating cakes, it is typical to add food coloring to this frosting. It can be spread or piped in decorative shapes and patterns.

Cake decorating courses teach that when it comes to frosting, buttercream serves as the baker’s best friend. Sugary, rich and creamy, it feels like silk on the tongue but is stiff enough for holding. It serves as the structural glue which holds your delicious masterpiece together, with an artful finishing touch.

The three main kinds of buttercream are American, German and Swiss meringue. Basic tips for all are as follows:

• Use ingredients at room temperature. Eggs will whip up in a better way, and ingredients for flavoring tend to maintain the texture of the buttercream that has been made.

• Note the texture of the butter. It should be as soft to break off pieces but not extra greasy on the exterior. In case it is too soft, the butter will curdle and separate. If too cold, it will be lumpy. To fix this, you can remove around half cup of the buttercream and microwave in intervals of 10 seconds till it is warm. Pour again into the mixer bowl and combine by whipping. This warmth will help the butter to combine well.

• German buttercream and Swiss meringue can become soupy, curdled and separate during the process of mixing. This can be fixed by continual mixing.

• For right storage, buttercream can be made and stored in the fridge for a week in an air-tight dish. Before using, allow it to com