Based on the name, one would think buttercream frosting is a sweetened emulsion of butter and cream, whipped until fluffy and spreadable. That’s not the case with your typical buttercream frosting. The “cream” in “buttercream” refers to the action of creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy—the first step in any buttercream recipe, including ours.
The inclusion of real heavy cream is what makes our frosting recipe stand out from the pack. Buttercream ingredient lists vary by country. American buttercream is usually made with a little milk to lighten things up. Italians make theirs with whipped egg whites and a sugar syrup. The Swiss favor a cooked meringue for extra stability. And the French prefer whipped egg yolks, which makes their version particularly custardy. Egg whites in particular can provide structure, but our frosting doesn’t need them.
A whole cup of heavy cream gives this frosting a lighter flavor and fluffier texture
A cup of heavy cream may seem like a lot, but it’s the key to this frosting’s supple, cloud-like texture and sweet, but not cloying, flavor. Like butter itself, this frosting is an emulsion, a mixture of two immiscible substances made by suspending one in the other. (“Immiscible” is just chemist slang for two things that don’t want to hang out together, in this case water and fat.) By forcing water-heavy cream into fat-heavy butter, you create a stable, cohesive mixture; whipping it further introduces air, rendering it light and fluffy.
But before you can add the actual cream, you have to cream the butter and sugar. As our resident baking expert Rose Hattabaugh explained to me, this step is crucial. “This is the only opportunity to break down the butter before adding anything else,” she told me. “If you don't take the time here, you end up with frosting/buttercream that tastes the same, but is too thick to spread nicely on a cake.”
Both hand mixers and stand mixers work well, and we’ve made this frosting with both whisk and paddle attachments to great results. Once the powdered sugar and butter look light and creamy, it’s time for the heavy cream. Drizzle it in a few tablespoons at a time and beat until incorporated before adding more.
Just keep whipping
About halfway through, you’ll notice the mixture will look like cottage cheese. Don’t freak out. This is normal. Cream contains a fair amount of water, and this sudden addition will temporarily break the butter emulsion. According to our director of culinary production Wes Martin “buttercream strikes panic even with the pros. I was taught the same lesson in pastry school—'just keep whipping,' and have always been able to bring a broken mess back, no matter the type.” Just keep going, whipping in little bits of cream at a time until all of the cream is incorporated. The constant agitation will re-emulsify the fat and water and everything will smooth out.
Add the vanilla and beat some more. It will fluff up substantially, taking on a consistency that’s somewhere in between traditional buttercream frosting and freshly whipped cream. (Still feel nervous? Let Rose walk you through the process on Instagram.)
Temperature matters (but not as much as you think)
If you want to make things easy on yourself, make sure your ingredients are at room-temperature. “It emulsifies better,” explained Rose. “I was using cold cream from the refrigerator for a while. It worked, but it just took longer to come together. It is most foolproof when the ingredients are room temperature (around 60℉ to 70℉).”
If you forget to set your butter and cream on the counter, it’s OK. Rose also had a few hacks for quickly bringing the ingredients up to temp. “Cut the butter into thin slices, about ⅛-inch thick, and spread out on a large plate,” she said. “Let sit at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it comes up to 60º to 65ºF. For cream: Microwave on high for about 20 seconds, then stir.”
It’s a perfect blank canvas
Flavored with a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract, this frosting is pretty perfect. We also have a chocolate variation (add melted chocolate to the finished frosting and beat until smooth), but the base recipe is almost infinitely adaptable. “We suggest adding orange or lemon zest,” said Rose, “but I also like to add 3 tablespoons of coconut cream at the end for coconut frosting.” A “tablespoon of espresso powder made into a paste with a bit of water to dissolve it, added to the chocolate frosting” makes a mocha frosting. And “about 1/4 cup of slightly warmed jam whipped in at the end” gives it great fruit flavor.
The most important thing to remember when making this frosting is to never give up, no matter how rough it starts to look. “Just keep whipping!” said Rose. “It does look terrible once the cream is added, but it will come together eventually. You really can not over-whip this. The more you whip it in the lighter it will get. If you happen to develop air pockets, just take it off the mixer and fold it with the spatula to smooth them out.”
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