Today I’m sharing my classic go-to American buttercream recipe.
But first, let’s talk about American buttercream for a minute. When making your buttercream, there are a few things I just need to mention, trust me, it will only help you achieve the smoothest buttercream for your cake with the best texture for piping.
A few important tips for American buttercream:
- Use a stand mixer when making your buttercream, it can handle the big batch and really blends all ingredients for the amount of time needed to mix.
- Sift your powdered sugar. This gets out any big clumps and helps it be a little more “fluffy.”
- Always, always, always mix your buttercream on the lowest setting. Increasing the speed will create pesky air bubbles.
- When your stand mixer has thoroughly mixed the buttercream, take your trusty spatula, and hand mix the buttercream for a few minutes. This will really smooth out the buttercream and pushes the air out.
I want to also share a few things about what the consistency of your buttercream should be. The consistency of your buttercream is really important because if it is too watery it won’t hold its shape, and can actually fall right off the cake. If it is too stiff it will be such a headache to try to pipe, and will also fall off your cake.
So Heres what I do every time I make a batch of american buttercream:
- Always reserve some powdered sugar and some of the whipping cream. Only use this as needed. Depending on the temperature inside/outside or the brand of products you are using, you might need a tad bit more or less of these 2 ingredients.
- Do you know the story of Goldilocks and the 3 bears? Well, just as Goldilocks tested the beds, you will use your spatula to test the consistency of your buttercream. Once you are done mixing your buttercream, stick your spatula in the middle of your bowl so it almost touches the bottom. If your spatula falls over then your buttercream is too soft. If your spatula stands straight on its own, then your buttercream is too stiff. If your spatula falls slightly, but the buttercream still holds it steady, then your buttercream is just right.
- Powdered sugar and cream are your friends! If your buttercream is too watery, add more powdered sugar, about 1/4 Cup at a time. If your buttercream is too stiff, add some more cream, about 1tsp at a time. Be patient and keep mixing until you get the right consistency… you want the buttercream to be a little tacky, and it should stick to the tip of your finger.
The Best American Buttercream Recipe:
American Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- 1 Cup Vegetable Shortening
- 9-10 Cups Powdered Sugar Sifted
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 TBSP Clear Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- Gel Food Colroing as desired
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed for 1 minute or until creamed with a paddle attachment.
- Add sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beat on lowest speed.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, continue beating on lowest speed.
- Add the vanilla and salt. Beat buttercream on lowest speed for 1 minute. Take the bowl off of the stand mixer, and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl by hand. Put the bowl back on the stand mixer and continue mixing on lowest speed for 2 minutes.
- If you are adding gel food coloring, do this by hand to prevent any air bubbles.
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I never done butter Cream this will be my 1st time trying it
Hi! I’ve never seen an American buttercream recipe with vegetable shortening! Will it alter the taste? Or is it just there for consistency? Can’t wait to try it out either way 🙂
Hi there! It doesn’t alter the taste at all. I love the consistency it creates and it helps the buttercream hold up better in warmer weather.